CDP™ Certification Requirements

You’re excited about taking your career to the next level and inspired to play a leadership role in the design communications industry. 

Becoming CDP™ Certified is a combination of your education, a period of meeting relevant experience requirements, and having your work peer reviewed by the the National Certification Board. Ensure you qualify before submitting your application.

 

CDP™ Application Requirements:

CDP™ Certification can be obtained by individuals working in the following areas of design communications. International professionals can also apply for CDP™ Certification:

  • Design Leadership
  • Strategy
  • Creative Direction
  • Graphic/Communication Design
  • Information Architecture (IA)
  • User Experience (UX)
  • User Interface (UI)
  • Design education

Case study submission requirements:

  • Applicants must have 6 (six) years of combined education and/or professional experience i.e., completing a degree is 4 years of education combined with 2 years of industry experience and completing a diploma is 2 years of education combined with 4 years of industry experience
  • Applicants must submit 5 (five) case studies of their work.
  • If you have been involved in the delivery of major or multi-year project, you can instead submit a 1 (one) case study. The scope of single case study submission must be comprehensive and self-evident to the National Certification Board peer review panel.

Case study submissions are assessed using 4 criteria:

  • Challenge
  • Strategy
  • Solution
  • Results

Becoming CDP Certified is also about becoming a leader in the design communications industry.

The CDP™ Certified mark also stands for ethical business conduct and Certified individuals are expected to practice the DesCan Code of Ethics and accept the CDP Licensing Agreement.

As leaders in the design communications industry, Certified individuals are asked to share their opinion or experience once a year by completing one of the following:

  • Mentoring a new designer
  • Hosting a DesCan Business Case event
  • Publishing an article of your choosing in Design Currency

 

Have a question about CDP Certification or its requirements?
Contact us at: certification@descan.ca

Return to Certified Design Professional