I often hear my non-professional friends tossing around the words "architect" and "designer" like they’re interchangeable, as if there’s no difference. But every time someone calls me a designer, I just... sigh and say, "Oh, please." The gap between an architect and a designer is as wide as heaven and earth. It reminds me of a quote from George H.W. Bush’s biography: “The difference between a senator and a congressman is like that between a chicken nugget and chicken poop.” Same logic applies here.

Here’s why:

No Barriers for Designers: Anyone can call themselves a designer. It’s totally subjective—like calling yourself a "foodie" because you eat food.
Architects, on the other hand, are legit. In the U.S., “architect” is a legal term. Use it carelessly, and you’re actually breaking the law! Becoming an architect isn’t just something you declare at brunch; it requires some serious hoops to jump through:

Education: First, you need a five-year bachelor's degree in architecture, or a three- to three-and-a-half-year Master’s. And not just any random school—it has to be accredited by the NAAB (National Architectural Accrediting Board). Fun fact: I majored in aerospace engineering as an undergrad but later did my Master’s in Architecture at Harvard. Because, you know, why not.
Internship: After graduation, it’s not just about getting a fancy diploma. The last time I checked, the NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) requires at least 3,740 hours of supervised experience across 96 tasks. Even if you're some sort of workaholic robot, putting in 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you’d still need two years to finish that. Most people take three to five years because, well, life.
Exams: Completing your internship doesn’t even get you the title yet. You just earn the privilege to take the Architect Registration Exams (ARE). Back when I did it, there were seven exams; now it's down to six. It’s no joke—fail an exam, and you’ll need to wait 60 days before trying again. Each test takes about three months to prep for. So, even if you ace them all back-to-back (which almost no one does), it’ll take at least a year and a half. Most people spend two years on the exams, and some spend seven, eight, or even a lifetime trying! I graduated in 2008 and finally passed all seven exams in 2013. Yep, five years of my life spent just on the accumulating the hours and the exams.
State Registration: Pass the exams, and then you apply for registration in a state. Some states, like California, have extra requirements—like an additional exam on lateral forces (because of all that shaky ground). Once you're registered, you get a fancy certificate and a stamp for your drawings. Today, most work is digital, so states also allow digital stamps.
Continuing Education: You can’t just rest on your laurels once you’re licensed. Architects must complete Continuing Education every year to renew their licenses—usually every three years.
Out-of-State Licensing: If you want to practice in another state, you'll need to go through a process called “reciprocal licensing” through NCARB. For example, I got my first license in New York, then added New Jersey and Washington through this method.

And that’s why, once you’ve earned your license, you can proudly add "RA" (Registered Architect) after your name. If you’re an American Institute of Architects (AIA) member, you can add "AIA" too—but here's the kicker: RA means you can actually practice, whereas AIA is more like being in a guild. They don’t give you the legal right to work in a specific state. I’ve got both "RA" and "AIA" after my name—double the street cred.

Oh, and there’s also "Associate AIA," which is kind of like being an apprentice in the guild. Basically, you're not there yet, but you're aiming for the stars.

To sum it up: an architect is like a lawyer, doctor, or professional engineer—you must go through rigorous schooling, interning, and testing, and keep up with continuing education to stay licensed. Meanwhile, a "designer" or "architectural designer" can be anyone. Sure, they might be able to draw pretty pictures, but they probably haven’t had formal training, and they definitely can’t legally stamp drawings.

There are some rare exceptions, though. I have a friend who’s an amazing designer but never passed the licensing exams—he just gave up after a few tries. Doesn’t stop him from doing incredible work. And I had a boss who only did a four-year architecture undergrad at MIT, but he was such a badass that, based on his extensive experience, including designing a few 500-meter plus skyscrapers, he was allowed to take the licensing exams and eventually got certified.

So, after this detailed, heartfelt explanation, please don’t mix up these two terms again! If you get it right, you’ll look like you know what you're talking about. And if you get it wrong? No big deal. We architects will silently roast you in our heads. But hey, to be roasted by such high-caliber people? That’s a compliment in itself!