The French Designers Alliance AFD
Design = Business
How to establish your business? How to write a proposal and a contract? How to build a fair relationship with clients? How much should you charge for a design fee and a copyright? How to protect your design? The Alliance française des designers (AFD) — the French Designers Alliance — informes professional designers from all disciplines and helps its members to deal with legal issues.Mastering designer’s profession
Our main task as a trade union is to protect the rights and the economic interests of our profession. Our members are supported in all aspects and guided through difficulties in the business side of design. They learn about contracts, fees, copyrights, protection or taxation. Specific questions are treated by our experts as well as all members benefit from our legal support. In case of lawsuit afd might cover the costs of legal proceedings.
Fostering social development
The AFD is recognized by the French public authorities. Having in mind to constantly modernize the designers’ status, the afd cooperates on everyday basis with the Ministries of Industry, of Culture and of Social Affairs.Initiated by the AFD with European partners, the international design pricing guide CalKulator.com is dedicated to both design professionals and clients, those who wish to establish a fair and lasting professional relationship. It contains the results of a unique survey of 643 projects and design fees in 85 domains of design in 45 countries.
Design = Ethics
The French Designers Alliance (AFD) is the first multidisciplinary trade union of designers in France, a common foundation for independent, firm owner or in-house designers of all disciplines (messages, products and spaces). The afd informes professionals about their Code of Ethics and informes SMEs or institutions about contest and public procurement best practices.Communicating and defending our values
The AFD gives priority to the protection and the enhancement of the design professions by working on the recognition of an official designer title and by developing a process of quality labels.The AFD publishes and updates the Code of Ethics for Professional Designer to promote individual creativity and business best practices development.
The AFD publishes and updates the Charter of eco-designers to place the designer at the heart of the society, improving citizens’ social, health and environmental conditions.Fostering economic development
The AFD publishes and updates the Charter of design public procurements to help public authorities to manage public expenses respecting designers Code of Ethics, refusing specular work responsible for reduced quality and impoverishment of the business.
Design = Culture
The French Designers Alliance (AFD) constantly shares information about the vitality of design in France. Also, the afd remains to be the best partner for designers’ professional organizations in Europe and in the world, in communication on economic, environmental and cultural challenges of design and to define common actions.Promoting cultural development
Like any other profession willing to play a meaningful role in the society, ours gets organized to unite individuals, whether they are independent professionals, company owner or in-house designers. The AFD aims to gain more visibility and understanding from the different design stakeholders and the local and regional public authorities.
Working with designers organizations across Europe, the AFD participates in spreading ideas to help European authorities to establish the more efficient design policy and the fair legislation.
Showing expertise and creativity
Initiated by the AFD, Designers-France.com is the first and the biggest free on-line multidisciplinary directory of French designers, providing the most precise search engine. This website helps clients to hire a specialized designer — or a team of designers — of any discipline, be it entrepreneur or in-house, by promoting design education, skills and professional involvement.
Acting as a partner
The AFD is a board member of design promotion associations and establishes partnerships with others stakeholders like Chambers of Commerce in order to innovate for further benefits of the design profession.AFD + Agence pour la promotion de la création industrielle (APCI)
To develop tools and common actions to improve economical, social and cultural global approach.
AFD + Designers Interactifs
To contribute to recognition and to accompany the specifics of the new design disciplines.
AFD + Moneydesign
To develop and publish tools useful for all the design professionals and their clients.
AFD + Société des auteurs des arts visuels et de l’image fixe (SAIF)
To perceive and allocate the collective management of copyright for designers, to support their cultural activities, to participate in decision making on rights’ issues at the Ministry of Culture, the Supreme Council of Literary and Artistic Property, the French Parliament and the European Commission.
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