Responsibilities to the Profession and Other Members/Designers

Moving forward through the list of rules, part two focuses on the profession of design as a whole. Designers often find themselves collaborating and outsourcing and freelancing to achieve their goals. It is important to maintain relationships with people working in the industry, even when they are not members of RGD.

The rule specifically requires everyone to be honest about their abilities, as well as the abilities of colleagues. It is immature to disparage the abilities of other designers. It is also unhelpful to make untrue claims about your own skills. This would be unethical.

As graphic designers, we could easily fake credentials or steal work in order to gain clients. This practice is not sustainable despite the immediate potential gains.

Clients will ignorantly seek to undercut designers in an effort to save a buck. It is important to actively ensure you are not being used to complete the work another designer has begun. Conversely, designers should not attempt to steal existing jobs by offering cheaper work.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, designers should remain up to date on current software and trends. Design tools are constantly being updated and improved. Part of being a graphic designer means remaining aware of changes in the industry. Clients must have confidence in the designer, and dismissing new trends makes the designer seem out of touch. The designer must put their own opinions aside on things like smartphones or operating systems or they risk becoming an unemployable dinosaur.