Abstract

Design is often referred to as the second oldest profession, however the term “professional designer” would have seemed quite alien a century ago. In Britain, Architecture was the first of the design disciplines make such a transition. A move vehemently opposed by Britain's most influential architects; Why? Many predicted that a qualification based on schooling and internship negated the life long acquisition of skill, craft and knowledge, leading to a monopolistic system that commended minimum levels of competency. Although we might assume that practice has changed greatly since this time, Designers embraced the collaborative process; in part, due to a mutual respect for the master and apprentice education that Designers and Craftsmen received at this time. Today, designers can be proud to embrace many unique attributes that the US brings to the global design industry. It is my belief that the monopolistic nature of professional registration is antithetical to a society based on free choice, self-determination and the predisposition to alternative viewpoints Design is seldom transformed from within its ranks but by the free market and changing social values. The presentation defines how the market economy provides a sophisticated system of checks and balances that protect the public and eliminate the need professional registration of all types.