The Benefits of IALD Membership

The IALD works specifically for you.

The IALD is the premier international association dedicated to serving the needs of independent architectural lighting designers. IALD members are recognized for their design expertise, their creative passion, and their dedication to the profession.

As an IALD member, IALD works for you and with you by helping you improve your skills, grow your knowledge, and connect you to an extensive global network of fellow experts. You become part of an important community helping to enhance the worldwide relevance of the profession, creating relationships and connections with government agencies and regulators, related professions, and key influencers. Your participation enables the IALD to have a stronger, more effective voice on your behalf.

Why is the IALD such a valuable resource for members worldwide?

Support for Your Business

• Member Referrals. The IALD provides an information exchange network among professionals and an active referral system for architects, interior designers, facility managers, building owners, and others seeking a lighting designer through the online Designer Directory, which lists IALD Fellow, Professional, and Associate members.
• Professional Recognition. All IALD members may identify as members of the IALD according to the Membership Criteria and Guidelines. Professional members can use the IALD designation after their names as a sign of the highest professional standards.
• Public Awareness. Members benefit from public relations and marketing efforts designed to bring the IALD and its activities to the attention of key design community audiences. Through ongoing programs, the IALD promotes a greater awareness of the benefits of quality lighting design, thereby raising the profile of architectural lighting designers.
• Continuing Education and Development. Lectures and workshops on topics of interest to the professional lighting designer are offered to enhance members' design and management skills. These workshops are offered annually at IALD Enlighten conferences and are available on a regional basis.
• Annual Awards. The IALD International Lighting Design Awards program recognizes excellence in lighting design demonstrated through aesthetic achievement and technical expertise. Projects worldwide have been awarded, and the program has greatly increased recognition of quality lighting. Members receive discounts on project entry fees.
• Peer Networking. Members can participate in region and chapter events to meet informally and discuss topics of interest, keep up to date on IALD activities and goals, discuss industry trends and products, and participate in educational programs.
• Student Support. Staffing is critical to design business growth, and universities are the best source for new lighting designers. The IALD plays a key role in developing interest in lighting design. The IALD Education Trust provides annual scholarships to lighting design students and provides guest faculty and materials to university architecture, engineering, and design programs.
• Business Standards. Members gain access to service-oriented information related to contracts, specification formats, and professional business standards. Standard Contractual Forms of Agreement have been developed to separate lighting design services from those of the engineering and architectural disciplines, acknowledging the lighting designer as a responsible and invaluable design team member.

Collective Action

• Energy Policy. The IALD is actively involved in monitoring and influencing energy standards worldwide. These efforts involve public education, consultation with code-writing authorities and regulatory agencies, and participation in lighting quality and energy projects.
• Lighting Industry Resource Council. The LIRC provides a forum for IALD members and lighting manufacturers to discuss current lighting topics, trends, and issues collectively. The LIRC provides a critical dimension to IALD activities and improves lighting quality overall. Developed by the IALD in collaboration with the LIRC, Specification Integrity Guidelines work to maintain industry standards.
• Metrics of Quality. As a member of the National Lighting Bureau and the Light Right Coalition, the IALD works to improve lighting quality by developing simulation models of lighting comfort and effectiveness that form the basis of research and the establishment of minimum quality for design.
• Conferences and Trade Shows. In addition to the annual IALD Enlighten conference series, the IALD actively participates in lighting industry trade fairs worldwide. In the United States, the IALD co-sponsors LightFair, a biennial event providing high-quality product exhibition and discussion on standards in lighting design and technology applications. The IALD participates in major trade shows in Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Resource Access

• Robust Digital Platform. The ever-expanding IALD website provides a searchable directory of lighting designers, a summary of IALD and LIRC activities, a calendar of global and regional events, job opportunities, continuing education via the LERN platform, and community discussion forums for localized chapters, volunteers, committees, and other IALD groups.
• Lighting Design Education. As part of its commitment to improving the quality of lighting design, the IALD provides educational sessions on lighting developments at its conferences, trade shows, in-person and virtual meetings, and at the request of other organizations.
• Industry News. IALD REFLECTIONS is a monthly e-newsletter distributed to maintain communication among global members, including reports on lighting industry events of interest and keeping the community current on IALD projects and initiatives.