“IT“ being the benefit of having a singular entity that represents the profession of interior design.

Our students struggle with the issue of aligning themselves with 2 seemingly similar (they don’t know what they don’t know at this point) professional organizations that both want their membership dues (albeit greatly discounted). As instructors and supposedly knowledgeable advisors it is our job to promote the importance of such membership.

Membership still has its privileges unfortunately Professionalinteriordesigner is not a very good BS’er (hard to believe isn’t it?) so he has difficulty acting as if it is perfectly normal to have two organizations representing one profession. Not to mention we have students that simply cannot afford duplicate membership dues. So we have created our own umbrella student group appropriately called iDesign. We still encourage that students become members in ASID and IIDA or both but if the student is unsure, unwilling or unable to join either they can join iDesign for a nominal fee. Membership in iDesign provides all members with notification of ASID or IIDA student events so they can still participate. But more importantly the iDesign group, which is in fact run by ID students for ID students, creates its own programs and events. Some are ASID and IIDA sponsored events but many are funded solely by iDesign dues and nominal admission fees when appropriate.

As they graduate (when they begin to realize what they don’t know) we find that most students will gravitate toward the one organization that fits their career path…ASID for residential work or IIDA for commercial work. This is good in that it facilitates their efforts to sit for the NCIDQ exam. But it does exacerbate the disparity and continuing schism between those that practice “residential” interior design and those that do not.

Maybe this is the way it should be….not as long as I am alive it won’t!