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.
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