(From the Global Designers Association Management Regulations)
Article 3 – Membership Composition
The Association consists of the following members:
Honorary Members:
Honorary members are individuals who have made significant contributions to fields such as architecture, urban planning, environmental art, interior design, lighting art, landscape architecture, heritage conservation, wetlands, ecological environment, horticulture, planning, urban management, or to the Association itself.
Including honorary members, advisors, and fellows (academicians).
Institutional Membership:
Institutional members are government agencies, organizations and design institutions from various countries or regions engaged in architecture, urban planning, public art, interior design, lighting art, landscape architecture, heritage conservation, wetlands, ecological environment, horticulture, planning and urban management.
Including member units, donor members, board member units, and executive board member units.
Each institutional member may have multiple representatives to vote in the Board of Directors, with representative qualifications nominated by the institutional member and approved by the Executive Committee.
Individual Membership:
Individual members are professionals, students and enthusiasts from various countries or regions engaged in architecture, urban planning, environmental art, interior design, lighting art, landscape architecture, heritage conservation, wetlands, ecological environment, horticulture, planning and urban management etc industries.
Including executive board members, board members, honorary members, regular members, youth members, student members, probationary members, and correspondence members.
All individuals or groups eligible for membership should apply and indicate their desire to become a member, comply with the Constitution and Guidelines of the Global Association of Designers, and submit an application form for membership.
Membership Admission
The Association is open to all. Applicants for any category of membership (except honorary members) must complete and submit a formal application form to the Association headquarters or its branches (such as chapters, committees, or offices) for review.
Honorary membership requires nomination by existing members, approval by the Executive Committee, and a simple majority vote at the General Assembly. Honorary members are exempt from membership fees.
Membership and employment status may overlap.
Membership Fees
Institutional Members
Member Units:
Universities, research institutions and organizations: €150/year.
Enterprises: €250/year.
Board Member Units:
Universities, research institutions and organizations: €250/year.
Enterprises:: €500/year.
Fees in Latin America and Africa halved.
Individual Membership
Board members (individual): €40/year.
Regular members (individual): €30/year.
Youth members (individual): €20/year.
Probationary members and student members (individual): €10/year.
Fees in Latin America and Africa halved.
Honorary members are those who have made significant contributions to the discipline or the Association and are exempt from fees; honorary membership requires application by members and approval by the Executive Committee.
Donor members may have fees waived through sponsorship, subject to resolution by the Executive Committee based on specific circumstances.
Corresponding members may have fees waived through participation in Association communications, subject to resolution by the Executive Committee based on specific circumstances.
To avoid frequent amendments to the charter, fee amounts may be adjusted in internal bylaws, effective upon approval by the Executive Committee.
Article 4 – Termination of Membership.
Members may voluntarily resign in writing. The Executive Committee may terminate membership under the following circumstances:
Change in professional status disqualifying from membership.
Violation of professional ethics.
Behavior severely inconsistent with the Association’s objectives.
Failure to pay annual fees after formal notice.
Article 5 – Annual Membership Fees
Membership Fee Payment Cycle:
The annual membership fee payment cycle shall be two calendar years.
Payment Deadline:
Membership fees must be paid to the Association headquarters by the last day of the month preceding the membership anniversary date. This date shall also be considered the annual fee payment date.
Chapter Due:
The working rules formulated by each chapter, upon approval by the Association, shall be regarded as supplementary to the Association’s membership fee standards for similar members. Chapters may apply to headquarters for funding chapter activities from their membership fees.
Member Chapter Transfer:
When a regular member, youth member, corresponding member or student member transfers from one chapter to another, if the annual fee has been paid to the former chapter, no additional payment is required to the new chapter. If unpaid to the former chapter, payment must be made to the new chapter.
Delinquent Fees:
Members who fail to pay within 90 days after the annual fee payment date will be considered delinquent. The Association must notify the member in writing of the delinquency. If payment is not received within the 30-day grace period, the member will be expelled from the Association and its chapters.
Reinstatement Fees:
Members seeking reinstatement must pay all membership fees and chapter fees for each year during the period of absence (from the date of departure to the date of reinstatement).
Article 6 – Membership Privileges
Membership Certificate:
Entitles members to special privileges as defined by the Global Designers Association.
Voting Rights:
Individual members in good standing and institutional member representatives have the right to participate in elections:
(1) Right to apply for Executive Committee membership
(2) Right to apply for Academic Committee membership
(3) Right to apply for chapter, professional committee membership or regional representative positions
(4) Right to attend Association meetings and exercise voting/election rights according to regulations. Right to critique, suggest and supervise Association work.
Non-voting Members:
Student members, sponsor members and honorary members do not have voting rights.
Special Status:
Honorary members and sponsor members are granted membership rights and benefits, but may not hold any substantive positions in the Global Designers Association.
Association Logo Usage:
The Association logo may be used by members, individually or institutionally, on academic letterheads, business cards, signatures, telephone directories and professional directories. Such usage does not indicate any company’s membership status or position in the Association.
Event Participation Rights:
Right to participate in academic exchange activities hosted or co-hosted by the Association
Right to participate in international competitions and award events hosted or co-hosted by the Association
Honorary Retirement:
Regular members with 15+ years of membership may apply for honorary retirement. Honorary retirement shall be determined by headquarters. Applicants should designate honorary regular members as appropriate and shall be exempt from chapter fees.
Institutional Member Privileges:
Institutional members may appoint their employees as regular, youth corresponding or student members, provided they meet membership requirements. Institutional members receive free access to the Association’s talent market, free links on the official website, and company profiles on the website.
(1) Member units may appoint up to one employees
(2) Board member units may appoint up to two employees
Recognition Awards:
Individual and institutional members who make significant contributions to the Association shall receive recognition awards from the Association.