Design is a Responsibillity

Today I had the pleasure of munching lunch with an interior designer who is not only totally respected and reveered by many, but also a dear friend. We talked about how to make a difference in our profession. We talked about licensing, testing, certification, and furthering Interior Design education. We talked about responsibility!

I was taught while still in school how important all this is. It was drummed into the heads of the Kendall College of Art & Design student body by the ASID Student Chapter Liasion that after five years in the field, you studied for the NCIDQ and just took it. We needed to "further the profession" and it was our professional responsibility to do just that. I studied on my own, took the two day, 16 hour test and passed it with flying colors. I did not think it was any big deal. I just thought it was what you did to practice in this wonderful field.

I have learned since being in Columbus Ohio and practicing Interior Design that it is not as common as we were taught in Michigan. In Ohio it is more rare to graduate from a FIDER accredited college, pass the NCIDQ exam, become certifed and licensed in the profession and call yourself an interior designer. I have learned that there are shortcuts that people take. I have learned that some folks sneek through.

I was taught that it is a professional responsibility to create a "top the profession" attitude about life learning and continuing to be at the top of the heap with your peers. I learned early that if you are not current, you are dangerous. Life, health and safety was always stressed more than any aesthetic in training. Electrical loads, plumbing stacks, barrier free / universal design, ample aisles for spacing of traffic patterns, and fabrics and finishes that stand the test of time.
I have designed for such demanding populations as Alzheimers Care Units/ Memory Care Units in nursing homes, long term care facilities, and hospitals. I have designed many churches that have congregations of over 3000 people. Layout, and exit traffic patterns are not only nice, they are life safety code relevant. I have designed every nook and cranny of hospitals, schools, hotels, and retail spaces. This affords me respect for the whole process of interior design.

The other side of education, testing, certification, and licensing is the value that it brings the client. If anyone can call themselves an interior designer, and practice parts of design, then we are all dilluted. We all suffer as a profession. Honestly how do people know who is and who isn't? An informed client is a joy forever, and they do know. But for every one of those delights, there are ten more that have neither the time or interest to sort it all out. For those people I offer up simplicity from us design professionals.

If a designer uses the letters ASID after their name with no additional words or phrases, they are a professional interior designer, educated and tested, with CEU requirements and certification. (we are talking minimums here, not a real big deal) If they say something else, you need to just ask good questions and see if their level of training, education and professionalism is what you are needing. It may be. But we are all pretty much the same per hour. So the educated designer is actually a bargain. We must educate continually. We must not be afraid to blow our own horn. We must practice honesty and communication that explains differences and let the client make their own decisions.

It is a big complicated world out there with everyone trying to make a living, and sometimes labels matter. So do your homework, ask the right questions and get references.

Life is difficult enough!!