I was standing in the middle of our Annual AIBD Pizza Party at the International Builders Show—paper plate in hand, talking shop with members—when it hit me:

Half the people on that patio were going home to work alone from a home office. No bullpen, no team, no watercooler. Just them, their screen, and the next deadline.

Being a building designer can be really lonely.

Most designers I talk to are:

• Working solo or in very small offices.
• Trying to keep up with codes, trends, and business all by themselves.
• Hearing rumors about laws or regulations that might affect their right to design and thinking, “Wait… is that real?”

On top of that, there are organizations out there that would love to limit or eliminate your ability to design without jumping through more hoops.

AIBD spends a lot of time tracking those attempts and going out across the U.S. to defend your right to practice, so you don’t have to stop and become a full-time activist.

That’s a heavy lift if you’re trying to carry it alone.

When you’re solo, it’s easy to feel like:

• You’re the only one dealing with “that” client or “that” code official.
• You’re always a step behind on what’s happening in the industry.
• You don’t have anyone to talk to who really understands your problems.

I hear it all the time.

Yes, the work matters. Yes, your designs matter. But you matter too—and trying to do this in isolation can slowly grind you down in ways that don’t show up on your P&L.

That night at the pizza party, we did zero selling. No pitches, no slides. Just designers laughing, sharing, and relaxing together. That’s actually what AIBD is really about.

Our main purpose is to protect your right to be a designer. We track legislation, show up in those rooms, and defend your ability to keep doing what you do.

The other major part of our existence is community:

• Our annual conference is packed with education and CEUs, but when I talk to attendees afterward, they almost always say their favorite part was just getting out, meeting people, and realizing they’re not alone.
• Our Coffee with Bernie roundtable and other online gatherings are informal, discussion-based spaces—more like sitting around a virtual table with colleagues than watching a sales webinar.

That’s what I want for you: not just information, but people. Not just a profession, but a tribe.

Why join as a Professional Member

If you’re actively practicing residential design, Professional Membership is built for you.

As a Professional Member, you:

• Stand with over a thousand other designers in a national institute focused on your kind of work.
• Have an organization actively watching and defending your right to design.
• Get access to events, education, and roundtables that keep you connected and inspired instead of isolated.

And it’s just $315/year—less than a dollar a day—for that mix of protection and community.

​👉 Learn how a simple $315 investment could transform your design career.​

I’d love to see you at our next conference, on a Coffee with Bernie call, or at the next pizza party—not as someone quietly grinding alone, but as part of a community that has your back.

See you on the inside,

Garrett Mickley​
Communications Director
American Institute of Building Design (AIBD)