SEE 10/01/14 Update below

In case you missed it the Huffington Post, bastion of the highest journalism standards, posted a commercial rant by an Institute for Justice blogbot that denounced the value of regulating Interior Designers;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-gowins/arbitrary-interiordesign-_b_5830782.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business

Which of course prompted the obligatory defense on several LinkedIn groups…..

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Message-from-IIDA-HQ-Advocacy-103871.S.5920610210409365508?trk=groups_items_see_more-0-b-ttl

https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=956917&type=member&item=5918065460737232897&trk=groups_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=.gmp_956917

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Should-interior-designers-be-licensed-4361021.S.5918475262357446656?trk=groups_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=.gmp_4361021

Many of which devolved into convoluted descriptions, or arguments, of the differences between interior decorators and interior designers……unfortunately.  The IIDA thread is most compelling as IIDA HQ has threatened to issue a response to Gowin’s bloviation of IJ screeching points.  So in my search for this response (now 9 days from the date of the offending Huff post- an eon in internet time) I discovered a new video on the IIDA website promoting the importance of regulation for Interior Designers;

Hmmmm….well it’s about time.  Well done….but as usual there are a few points that stick out from these testimonials.  IIDA continues to spin itself as the advocacy arm for “Commercial” Interior Designers.  Does that imply by default that ASID is the advocacy arm for “Residential” interior designers?  Not to sure that will fly to well through the halls at 7th Street N.W. in D.C.

And rising ID star Sascha Wagner indirectly, but clearly (at 1:30), ignores the state of California Certified Interior Designer credential.  He is correct.  Something others are unwilling to acknowledge.  A California CID is not a licensed design professional (cue the CID hornets)

While it is short much of the information is current.  It does seem to be geared to the choir (other designers) and not the congregation (general public) which in my opinion is really what is needed to counter the Institute for Justice misinformation campaign.

Until that happens we as a profession will be doomed to bear a never ending barrage of anti-regulatory rhetoric and over-reaction by those who see ID regulation as a threat.  That includes the entire spectrum from the innately qualified self-proclaimed interior decorators to the turf-protecting American Institute of Architects.  And on it goes.

HERE IS IIDA’S RESPONSE  http://designmatters.iida.org/2014/09/29/interior-design-vs-interior-decorating/