Frequently asked questions

Q: How do I apply for membership and/or registration?

A: The first step to applying for membership is to complete the application form here. Once you sign up as an Member, you will start receiving newsletters, the IED journal and invitations to events and our staff can then advise you on which grade of registration to apply for and guide you through the process. We are a licensed body of both the Engineering Council and Society for the Environment and we grant our own Chartership for Product Designers plus professional registration for CAD specialists.

Q: Can I apply for more than one registration at a time?

A: Yes, our skilled staff and assessors have designed a simple single-application process which can be used to assess your suitability for both membership and one or more of the registrations (Engineering, Environmental, Product Design or CAD) at the same time. Many of our members hold Chartered status in more than one field, with some holding the Triple Crown of CEng, CEnv and CTPD registrations.

Q: Do my proposer and/or referees have to be members of the IED?

A: Not necessarily, the key purpose of the proposer and referees is to provide a frank and honest assessment of your suitability for membership and/or registration and to verify the statements made on your application form. For this reason we ask that the proposer and referees have known you in a professional capacity for at least two years. If they also happen to be registrants or members of the IED then that’s great. If you have difficulty finding suitable referees, please do contact linda@ied.org.uk, who will be happy to offer further guidance.

Q: What is CTPD?

A: Chartered Technological Product Designer (CTPD) is a new Chartership introduced by the IED in 2014, aimed specifically at giving Product Designers the same level of professional registration as other Chartered individuals – Chartered Engineers, Chartered Surveyors, Chartered Environmentalists and so on. The right to award CTPD has been granted to the IED by the Privy Council on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and holders of the Chartered status have to demonstrate that they meet educational, training and competency criteria. Find out more about those criteria here.

Q: How long, on average, does it take to complete an application?

A: This depends on which route you take into membership and how quickly your proposer and referees respond to requests for information. A straightforward application will take around three months to complete.

Q: What do I do if I don’t hold the exemplifying qualifications for registration?

A: Over 80% of our applicants don’t hold the exemplifying qualifications for the grade of registration for which they are applying. Registration is based on the assessment of academic knowledge and demonstration of competencies. There are many ways to demonstrate these, our highly experienced staff will be able to guide you through the most appropriate application route for your particular needs.

Q: What are the benefits of membership?

A: The main benefit is the pride in having gained a professional status, via peer assessment. Both membership of the IED and registration as a professional designer, engineer and/or environmentalist is confirmation of your outstanding ability to work in your chosen field. Many Members comment that this ‘stamp of approval’ helps them in finding employment and gaining promotion. In addition to this significant benefit, membership also offers networking opportunities, a bi-monthly journal, access to our library, Continuing Professional Development and much more.  Studies also show that professionally registered engineers and designers have the potential to earn significantly more than their non-registered peers.

Q: How do I know when my membership subscriptions are due/how much I owe?

A: All of our membership renewals have been moved to January. We will contact you early each year to let you know how much your subs and fees are and how to pay.

Q: Is there a reduced rate of membership?

A: Yes, if you are unemployed, taking a career break, setting up your own business, or suffering financial hardship for any other reason, you can apply for a reduction in your membership fees. Applications are considered by the IED Council on a case-by-case basis, inquiries should be sent to david@ied.org.uk.  There is also a reduced rate of membership for some international members and for retired members, again please contact David for more details.

Q: Can I claim tax relief on my membership subscriptions?

A: Yes, as the IED is a registered charity, members can claim tax relief on annual subscriptions and IED registration fees (this does not include registration fees for the Engineering Council or Society for the Environment).

Q: How is the IED different to other Engineering Institutions?

A: Our main difference is our focus, which is design. Every member of the IED either studies, practices, researches, teaches or manages design (or used to, if they are now enjoying retirement). That means all of our focus is on design and design issues, whether that’s articles for the journal, events for members to attend, working with other bodies, or lobbying parliament, the focus is always design. We are also the only body in the world offering Chartered Technological Product Designer (CTPD) registration. We are also quite a bit smaller than most of the other Engineering Institutions, which means we are small enough to offer one-to-one guidance and support to our applicants whilst still being big enough to offer a suite of membership benefits and registration at the grades offered by all the bigger bodies.

Q: How do I change my address and/or contact details?

A: Please contact staff at IED HQ on 01373 822801 or via email (ied@ied.org.uk) to let us know of your new contact details.

Q: What does the term ‘accredited course’ mean?

A: The IED works with a wide range of colleges and universities to assess and verify the design and engineering courses that they run. If the course meets a strict set of standards including student welfare, staff training, teaching facilities, links to industry, employability of graduates, course content and so on, the course can be granted accredited status. The IED does this both under our own auspices, accrediting courses as suitable for IED membership and/or CTPD/RProdDes and also under licence from the Engineering Council, for courses which meet the academic requirements for registration as a professional engineer. More details on the courses accredited by the IED can be found here.

Q: I’ve forgotten my password for the member section of the IED website, what do I do?

A: Click on the ‘forgotten password’ button on the site and you will receive a link at your registered email account enabling you to re-set your password. If you can’t remember which email you have registered with us, or you don’t receive the link, please contact linda@ied.org.uk, who will do her best to assist you.

Q: What’s the answer to life, the universe and everything?

A: We don’t know. If you do, please do tell us. If you also find out why hilly areas are called ‘downs’ and where all the odd socks go from the washing machine we’d love to know.