SGD Swiss Graphic Designers

What SGD Swiss Graphic Designers does

SGD Swiss Graphic Designers is the primary professional association (Berufsverband) for graphic designers in Switzerland, headquartered in the Mattequartier area of Bern. The association represents qualified specialists in visual communication across German- and French-speaking Switzerland and supports their day-to-day professional work through a portfolio of codified work instruments, member services, and educational programs.

The core offering consists of standardized professional tools rather than a unified software platform. The SGD-Honorarsystem functions as a fee calculation and workflow instrument that establishes an industry pricing reference. Supplementary publications include the Wettbewerbsreglement (competition regulations), the Rahmenarbeitsvertrag (framework employment contract set), an annual bilingual report, and a postcard set sold to members and the public. SGD also operates a member-portfolio platform for client-designer matching, a Showcase platform for educational partners, and legal, insurance, and pension advisory services. Educational pathways span the Grafiker/in EFZ apprenticeship and the upper professional examination for Grafik-Designer HFP, anchored in the Swiss federal vocational framework.

The business model is membership-funded: members pay undisclosed dues to access services, publications, and the member area, while publications and physical product sets generate modest incremental revenue (CHF 20 to CHF 180 per item). The association is governed by a board led by Co-Presidents Daniela Savoldelli and David Corradini, with day-to-day operations managed by Yvonne Hess as Leiterin der Geschäftsstelle. SGD shares premises with the Swiss Design Association, the Design Festival Bern team, and UX designers from Duotones, and markets itself through its website, a member-interview blog, an events calendar, and LinkedIn and Instagram accounts.

Name

SGD Swiss Graphic Designers

Legal name

SGD Swiss Graphic Designers

Website

https://sgd.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards) (MPAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Qualifications & Credit Framework Authorities (EDADAEAD)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Graphic design fee calculation
• Design competition regulations
• Vocational training design
• Designer member network

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SGD is a professional association (Berufsverband) for Swiss graphic designers that provides work instruments and services for members' daily professional work, including the SGD-Honorarsystem fee calculation tool, competition regulations, framework employment contracts, legal and pension advisory, member portfolio directory, educational programs (Grafiker/in EFZ and Grafik-Designer HFP), and publications such as the annual report.

Product overview

SGD Swiss Graphic Designers is a professional association for Swiss graphic designers, offering a suite of work instruments, publications, and services rather than a unified software platform. The core offering includes the SGD-Honorarsystem (fee calculation and workflow tool), professional competition guidelines, and framework employment contracts. The association also provides a member portfolio platform for client-designer matching, a showcase platform for educational partners, and publishes annual reports. Training offerings span from initial professional education (Grafiker/in EFZ) to advanced federal diplomas (Grafik-Designer HFP). The association recently conducted a comprehensive market survey called 'State of the Graphic Design' examining AI and digitalization impacts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SGD-Honorarsystem (Fee Calculation System) Fee calculation system and workflow tool that provides the basis for graphic design fees and defines work processes for design projects; serves as an orientation, calculation, and consulting instrument for both graphic designers and clients.
• Wettbewerbsreglement (Competition Regulations) Guidelines serving as the basis for planning and organizing competitions in the field of visual communication in Switzerland; available in German and French.
• Rahmenarbeitsvertrag (Framework Employment Contract Set) Framework contract regulating working conditions for all persons employed by SGD members in Switzerland; available as individual PDF employment contracts.
• Say Hello! Postcard Set

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swiss Design AssociationcoreOthersCo-located in the Mattequartier premises in Bern with the Swiss Design Association. Shared workspace enables networking for the design economy and collaborative opportunities.
• Design Festival BerncoreOthersThe Design Festival Bern team shares the Bern premises with SGD, enabling collaborative networking opportunities in the design community.
• DuotonesminorOthersUX designers from Duotones share the Bern office space, creating a collaborative design ecosystem environment.
• Cosmos Coworking SpaceminorOthersMentioned in contact section as a nearby coworking space, indicating possible collaborative relationship.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Icograda / ico-D (International Council of Design): The international non-governmental organization for graphic design and visual communication professions. Directly comparable to SGD as a professional design body, operating at global level with member organizations and individual professionals.
• Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI): An international association of graphic designers founded in Switzerland. Highly comparable to SGD as an elite professional design body with Swiss origins, though operating at a global rather than national level with a selective membership model.
• Bund Deutscher Grafik-Designer (BVD): The German professional association for graphic and communication designers. Closest linguistic and geographic peer to SGD, providing similar fee guidelines, professional standards, and advocacy for designers in the German-speaking DACH region.
• AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts): The largest professional association for designers in the United States. Directly comparable as a national membership body serving graphic designers with advocacy, education, events, and standards, operating at much larger scale than SGD.
• Chartered Society of Designers (CSD): UK professional body for designers offering chartered status, professional development, and advocacy. Comparable to SGD as a national design association with a focus on professional qualification and recognition.
• D&AD: British design and advertising association that promotes excellence in design through awards, education, and professional development. Comparable to SGD as a design industry body offering professional development resources, though with a stronger awards-driven model.
• AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association): Australia's peak national body for graphic design professionals. Comparable to SGD as a national membership association offering advocacy, education programs, awards, and networking for graphic designers.

Broad incumbents

• Art Directors Club (ADC): Global membership organization for creatives in advertising, design, and media. Broader scope than SGD's graphic-design focus, with awards and education as primary offerings.
• Swiss Design Association: Swiss organization focused on design more broadly (including industrial, product, and interaction design). Co-located with SGD in Bern and overlapping in membership. Broader scope than SGD's graphic-design-only focus.

Emerging players

• Type Directors Club (TDC): International typography and type design organization. Comparable to SGD as a specialized design professional body, though narrower in focus (typography only) and US-anchored.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sgd-swiss-graphic-designers
• Instagraminstagram.com/sgd_swissgraphicdesigners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SGD Swiss Graphic Designers