So on one side of the country we failed to advance and on the other side we held our defenses.  I’d score it W=1/L=1.

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/02/17/divisive-oregon-interior-design-bill-dies-in-committee/

http://idpcinfo.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/oregon-practice-act-dies-in-committee/

So the commercial Kitchen Consultants and the A.I.A. brought in their big guns.  All we have to do is remove their target folks….oh and we also have to learn how to squeak louder.

So Interior Design Magazine stirred up the old “If ASID and IIDA were to merge as one organization, how supportive would you be?”

Ummm let me think about that for a nanosecond…….Duh!

Not sure where Interior Design mag is going with that survey (readers were asked to respond to idresearch@interiordesign.net ) but since the address is id”research” we can assume that they are simply researching the obvious…..is the sun warm?……….is oxygen a valuable resource?……would the profession of interior design be better off with one professional organization?

What get’s my goat is I really do not know what more is needed to make the case- this has been going on for years yet we still cow-tow to two organizations claiming to represent US. 

Here are just a few recent pleas for unification;

http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20110720/one-voice

http://www.idec.org/members/documents/TheMergingofASIDandIIDAResultsofaPreferenceSurveyofIDECMembers.pdf

http://www.naylornetwork.com/aid-nwl/VA/assets/design%20article.pdf

There is also an interesting discussion on the NCIDQ LinkedIn page about this subject;

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=956917&type=member&item=89934686&qid=ce3a8528-9c3c-4365-8d0e-86a9dcbf4461&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=%2Egmp_956917

There are some heavy hitters chiming in here in favor. Like I said what more can be said? The proverbial ball is in ASID and IIDA’s court as it has been for OH ABOUT 30 YEARS! (emphasis by author).  So you can ask “So PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER, you have not paid dues to either organization for 15 years what are you doing to help them understand the importance of this issue?” and I will respond “Exactly”.

Okay seriously here is my new mantra (I am offering this free to Interior Design Magazine BTW)

1 + 1 = 1

Designer math.

The Interior Design Collaborative in Oregon is pushing hard for a bill that would regulate interior designers wishing to practice commercial interior design in Oregon http://www.idc-oregon.org/legislation.html

So the angry decorators and the NKBA are still pitching a hissy fit but their dogs ain’t in the hunt.  The old “let the public decide” and there is no need to protect the health and safety of the occupants of public commercial interior environments continues to sound more like whining than legitimate constitutional concerns.  The public is welcome to pick the person who can select the appropriate pillow tassels for their Ostrich skin Barco-Lounger but to say that the designers of public commercial spaces should not have to prove their competency to practice in such highly regulated, code governed environments is simply stupid.   

UPDATE 2/1/2012- More detail on the angry decorators and libertarian kitchen designers crusade to end all regulation-

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/01/26/interior-design-bill-sparks-professional-controversy/ 

However, PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER is concerned that the commercial interior design tack that the IDC is taking is going to set a precedent across the country as other ID coalitions prepare to regulate on their turf.  Are we now a two class profession?

I also find it interesting that Ms. Snyder Carlson felt it necessary to toss out the IA analogy…….. “But Alicia Snyder-Carlson, president of the IDC, says the interior design market has shifted more toward the realm of interior architecture, which means commercial designers are making decisions that impact occupants’ safety.”

I understand that people say things under heat that upon further reflection may not have been in their, or their organization’s, best interest.  Let’s figure out the ramifications of distinguishing residential and commercial interior design before we make the leap to interior designers and interior architects please.

“Deregulates certified interior designers, [Enactments 57-58; HJR 49 #21];”

If you are able to help this site is probably the best way to contact those designers in Virginia that can help direct your efforts-

You will have to sign-up for LinkedIn-   http://www.linkedin.com/groups/CCVID-Proposed-Deregulation-Certified-Interior-4237266?home=&gid=4237266&trk=anet_ug_hm&goback=%2Egmp_4237266

This is an interesting choice although I am unsure how one can be an EVP & CEO……..Anyway it will be fun to watch how Mr. Fiser deals with the disparate interests within ASID and how that may influence the profession at large.

Stay Tuned.

So why does PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER think this is worthy? Well we can only dream that the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and/or the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) would co-sponsor a design trade show.

The regulation of interior design in Canada has not been encumbered by U.S. Constitution freedom of speech issues. They have in fact been able to redefine the definition of “interior design” and “interior designer” as one who meets certain education, experience and examination standards. There seems to be a much better distinction between the qualified interior designers in Canada and those decorators who merely claim professional interior design status due to a birthright or god given talent. I also have my doubts that the IDC/RAIC have the political clout that the AIA has amassed. None the less this is a positive relationship that I wish our domestic professional organizations would learn from.

Some call me a dreamer.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docketfiles/11-348.htm

P.S. http://iida.informz.net/iida/archives/archive_1433793.html

Can you say- Case Closed!?

And this just in regarding the Interior Design Protection Council

http://ksu.academia.edu/MichaelDudek/Papers/1278410/IDPC_Dissolution

Good Riddance

So riddle me this- the authors of the Interior Design Body of Knowledge suggest that“….Interior design professionals must become and remain engaged with the evolving BOK or be marginalized by the profession as being less qualified.”

How is remaining engaged with the B.O.K. going to marginalize this;

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/48069/become-a-professional-interior-designer   ?  This kills me…..”Interior design is a great career as it is easy to earn extra money working part-time or full-time with very little expense.”

Or this;

http://www.examiner.com/marketing-in-los-angeles/toilet-paper-gets-chic-designer-covers ?

Jonathon Adler could give a #2 (pun intended) about the BOK….he is going to make a S**T load of cash as an “interior designer” (he is actually a potter/ceramicist but that does not matter per the above educational standards)- he may not be registered or licensed or a member of ASID or IIDA, butt he could care less and neither do his many clients and the public that buys this crap….”Wow that Jonathon Adler is the greatest INTERIOR DESIGNER ever….I mean only an INTERIOR DESIGNER would think to decorate a toilet paper holder- they are so creative…..I wish I could be a professional interior designer…hey wait gosh it looks like I can be…in my spare time“

So while I don’t disagree with the B.O.K. recommendation I wonder just how and who will make this marginalization happen? Will it happen by magic? Will it happen because some of us say it will? Will the popular media make it happen? Of course the answer to all the above is NO. It is up to us.  Unfortunately for many of us regulation is the only readily apparent answer. As our only public relations effort, regulation of the term and the practice of interior design made sense during the first 30+ years of the ID regulation effort. Had we been successful at ameliorating  the term and the practice of “interior design” to LEGALLY be what we wanted it to be then we could literally sue those pesky interior decorator designers wannabe’s into submission.  BUTT we lost that battle- now we have to rely on Uncle Sam to sort us out…. The very government representative that told us we cannot tell interior designers that they cannot be interior designers.

Let’s ponder that imponderable as we reach for our TP from one of Adler’s TP holders.

I WANT YOU……TO BECOME A REGISTERED/CERTIFIED/LICENSED INTERIOR DESIGNER

P.S. Hey Kimberly Clark the names you came up with for Adler’s TP holders are disappointing….“Barjello Blue”, “Chevron Pink” and “Clover Green”…PPPFFTTT!  That’s a missed opportunity if I ever saw one…”Bare Bottom Blues”, “Private Parts Pink” and……and…..can’t come up with one for green…..now if they had used brown I could work with that one……..

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202537355092&Does_the_First_Amendment_protect_your_right_to_speak_for_a_living&slreturn=1

PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER has trouble believing that this petition by the Institute for Justice merits the time and consideration of the highest court.  I have to admire the full court P.R. press that the IJ is putting on here. Sure are spreading our defense thin.