AIGA Partners With Shutterstock to Provide Creative Inspiration to Members

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today AIGA, the professional association for design, announced an exclusive partnership with Shutterstock, the world's largest subscription-based provider of royalty-free stock photography, illustrations, and stock footage. Shutterstock will serve as the "Official AIGA Sponsor for Creative Inspiration."

As AIGA's first exclusive national partnership with a stock agency, the alliance underscores the growing importance of stock libraries in providing building blocks for creative work.

"Stock image agencies are already part of the day-to-day workflow of a professional designer," said Shutterstock CEO Jon Oringer. "As we've grown and connected with our creative customers, we've used our insights to build better search experiences and provide the highest quality imagery. We're eager to work with AIGA to support its members and the design profession."

Creativity is at the heart of the company. Oringer founded Shutterstock in 2003 with 30,000 of his own photographs. A personal commitment to creative work continues to define the culture of Shutterstock, connecting the company to thousands of designers and independent artists. Shutterstock now distributes over 14 million images and licenses more images than any other brand worldwide.

"With its vast network of photographers and understanding of the creative process, Shutterstock is a valuable partner in meeting designers' need for diverse sources of visual inspiration," said Richard Grefe, AIGA's executive director. "One of AIGA's core goals is to inspire and inform designers through all of our activities and relationships. Working together, AIGA and Shutterstock will provide access to resources that will enable designers to produce their own inspiring and excellent work."

Headquartered in New York, AIGA encompasses 66 chapters led by a volunteer network of professional designers and more than 200 student groups on campuses across the United States. Shutterstock is supporting the AIGA community with a 15 percent member discount on its extensive visual library and sponsorship of AIGA events including "Pivot: AIGA Design Conference," a biennial event happening in Phoenix this October.

For more information about the partnership, visit www.aiga.org/sponsors-partner-shutterstock or www.shutterstock.com/aiga_sponsor.mhtml.

About Shutterstock

Founded in 2003, Shutterstock is an innovative global e-commerce company and a leading provider of stock photos, illustrations, and footage. Shutterstock provides superior digital media to creative professionals worldwide, with products that are user-friendly, simple and elegant. Shutterstock licenses more images worldwide than any other brand and owns the Bigstock image library. For more information, visit www.shutterstock.com.

About AIGA

AIGA is the professional association for design, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing design as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force.

Founded in 1914, AIGA today serves more than 22,000 members through 66 chapters and 200 student groups throughout the United States. AIGA stimulates thinking about design, demonstrates the value of design and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers. Learn more at aiga.org/about.

SOURCE Shutterstock