The World Design Organization is a non-profit organization that protects and promotes the interests of the industrial design profession. The WDO, formerly known as the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), services over 170 member organizations in more than 40 nations, representing thousands of industrial designers around the world. The primary aim of the organization is to advance the discipline of industrial design at an international level. To do this, WDO undertakes a number of initiatives of global appeal to support the effectiveness of industrial design that addresses the needs and aspirations of people around the world and that aims to improve the quality of life and the economy of nations worldwide.