Okay so PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER has a soft spot for the Wizard of Oz. May be why I ended up in Kansas-on to my point. I got to thinking the other day when I was asked why I do not belong to a professional interior design organization. First I had to clarify that I am a dues paying member of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) and I am current on my National Council for Interior Design Qualification Certificate (NCIDQ) so technically I do “belong”. However IDEC is not an organization that caters to practicing interior design professionals and NCIDQ, while an impressive credential, is not really a professional support or advocacy group.
I then went on to justify why I am not a dues paying member of either ASID or IIDA or DSA or that I am a C.I.D.® (Certified Interior Decorator FYI). I will not go into the why’s here as I have railed on this topic over numerous posts. What struck me as I thought this through is that WE, the committed NCIDQ certified interior design professionals really do not have a home. We do not have a professional organization that is equally committed to support, honor, and advocate for our efforts. With ASID’s new more open member/leadership requirements IIDA seems to be the most likely candidate for a professional organization. Personally I doubt that IIDA is prepared, if even capable, to make the structural changes necessary to narrow its mission to support only the CIDA/NCIDQ professionals. Furthermore public relations has never been a hallmark of IIDA’s mission. They are a professional networking organization that also advocates for the profession and supports continuing education. On the regulation front A.S.I.D. was the de facto advocacy group for regulating I.D. but they seem to have aquiesced to the evil flying monkeys…damn flying monkeys have haunted me since I first saw the Wizard of Oz 40 some years ago.
Bottom line- If we all get together and start clicking our heels loudly maybe somebody will hear us. Or maybe we’ll just wake up in the same place only to realize that we never really went anywhere.
Professional Interior Designer's Blog 
I really enjoy your blog – quite enlightening! In a nutshell, is there anything that you recommend for a dedicated ID Student who is having trouble wrapping her head around the whole situation? My program at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA, has lost it’s CIDA accreditation because it is not a 4-year program. Our program is very rigourous and exacting and I’ve worked very hard for the past 5 years for my ID, AS and Certification (West Valley specific). Do you have any suggestions as to my path? Where should I go from here?
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Hey Sparkle thanks for stopping by- I’d be glad to help. Have you checked with CCIDC http://www.ccidc.org/ to see if your WVC degree might still allow you to become a certifed designer in California?
You will need some experience regardless if you follow CCIDC or NCIDQ requirements so if your program is rigorous there should be job prospects for you- depending on the economy which unfortunately is out of my hands.
California has some unique requirements that in my opinion are more lax than other states but that is not a criticism- it’s just different and does not seem to follow the CIDA/NCIDQ path to the letter. Look into the CCIDC pathways and if you have any further questions feel free to reply back or contact me at mdudek@ksu.edu
Good Luck
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Thanks Prof. Dudek,
I apologize for my typos above! I’ll speak to my adviser. It’s interesting that my school, which is IDEX accredited, has a “two-year” program with an Advanced certificate available, along with a rather nebulous connection with a school in Vermont for an on-line BS. It’s frustrating to me that clear information is so hard to obtain – the lack of cohesion and confusion you address in your blog is evident. Also, apparently because of budget issues at state community colleges, and pre-req requirements – I am now going to have to spend 4 more semesters at school, even though I only have five more classes! Thanks again, and I look forward to your next entry.
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