Tag: IIDA
-
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER has previously posted about Architecture’s image problems. Because Architecture is, for better or worse, our bastard step-father (metaphor stretch for amusement only) we need to be mindful that not all is comfy cozy in their professional house. Indirectly there are lessons to be learned and in this case I believe there is a big opportunity for the Interior Design profession. But first refresh yourself as to the issues Architects are facing; http://www.forbes.com/sites/justinshubow/2015/01/06/architecture-continues-to-implode-more-insiders-admit-the-profession-is-failing/ While I do not think the image problem that the Architectural profession currently finds itself is new I do think there is a widening polarity in that profession that will make it very difficult for them to overcome. They may need to implode and start over. As long as Aaron Betsky and the Starchitect/Artistes as provocateurs are allowed to set the tone, or have a voice in it, it will. Let’s face it the 1%’ers are the only ones who generally can afford to hire “Starchitects”….we get what is left which is usually value driven and profit motivated. At our level much of the built environment is managed not by designers but by ‘Project Managers” or “Builders”. Much of common Architecture, as Mr. Gehry posits, is Shite. While I do not disagree I find it amusing that he is the one to call out the profession in that manner. There is no question this is as much an economic issue as one of a conflicted and increasingly polarized profession, like society in general. Back to my point. Architects have failed on two levels in my opinion. First they have allowed the concept of great (or even good) to be upended by the Starchitect as Artiste faction. Yes mind-blowing innovation is important but just because you can afford to do it does not mean you should do it. And obviously there is a great cost to these “designs”. The stories of blown budgets are legendary. This idea that good (or even great) design comes with a high cost has allowed the bean counters to drive the design discussion on the common level. Opportunity #1= Good design should not equate to cost. Professional/Regulated Interior Designers can help change this paradigm. Second, and more intrinsically tied to the near interaction of the human inhabitants of architecture (read “Interior Design”), is a constant thread through all of the non-Starchitect’s laments (with the exception of Gehry) that “Architecture’s disconnect is both physical and spiritual” (Bingler & Pederson). Ultimately much of modern Architecture as we commoners experience, lacks a soul, or as we Interior Design academics (and Germans) call it “Gemütlichkeit”. Opportunity #2= Interior Designers who are trained to focus on the human interaction with the built environment should claim the mantle of the profession best suited to design interior spaces that improve the quality of the users lives. To carry on with German The metaphorical door is now wide open-
-
PAYING THE PROFESSION FORWARD
How does a profession grow and prosper? PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER has been involved recently in several discussions in which the issue of required work experience (AKA apprenticeship) and how to best earn it is the topic. All professions rely on their members to apprentice under the supervision of established professionals in order to […]
-
IIDA STEPS UP ADVOCACY EFFORT
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 […]
-
THE MISINFORMED CONTINUE TO MISINFORM THE PUBLIC REGARDING INTERIOR DESIGN
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforjustice/photos/a.10151222399244815.554360.49059279814/10153007777114815/?type=1&relevant_count=1 This is a facebook page- if you do not have access to facebook then I congratulate you. Just one more reason we (the ID professionals) have got to distance ourselves from this madness.
-
CALIFORNIA ARCHITECTS LOBBY FOR END AROUND CERTIFIED INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Seems the California Council of the AIA (or a related chapter) is trying to corner the market on the permit review process in California under the guise of assisting over worked/over burdened and under staffed building permit departments. California Assembly Bill 2192, ( http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB2192 )which is currently in committee, proposes a limited pilot program that will allow permit documents to be reviewed for approval by other architects…….That is, where local codes require that permit drawings be stamped and sealed by an architect that another architect, on behalf of the local jurisdiction, can review and approve those documents to be permitted…..It is unclear to me how a set of non-seismic/non-structural permit drawings signed and sealed by a Certified Interior Designer will be considered under such a scheme….but I can imagine that the since the fox will have the key to the hen house door that the cost of entry might go way up. Yes this is only a limited proposal and the bill may never move out of committee but to an anti-government/less government mindset this appears to be a brilliant proposal. Many building/permit departments already employ architects as plan reviewers and building officials. If successful the quasi-privatization of local building departments could become a trend…..a stretch maybe but hey this is California….anything can happen and if it catches on Katie bar the hen house door. BUT……………..besides the potential issues of bias and favoritism..not that that would ever happen amongst fellow professionals….it just seems that the AIA is using this to idea to monopolize the building permit process which cannot be positive for California’s already sketchy CID permitting process.
-
TIME FOR A NEW SCHISM?
Okay fellow ID Professionals time for a history lesson; http://www.idlny.org/history-of-interior-design Kudos to IDLNY for posting this great information on the history of Interior Design. For those of you who took the time to follow the time line and note the various shifts in external influences affecting the evolution of the interior design profession as well as the internal struggles to maintain meaningful identity and cohesion you will note that it has not always been a clear path that we interior designers have forged..lots of organizational schisms along the way. The list of organizations, acronyms, and titles is impressive for a profession that is 100 years old…(or 50+/- depending on which flavor of Interior Design you prefer). “Schism”….always wanted to use that word in a post….just what is a schism? schism ˈs(k)izəm/ noun: schism; plural noun: schisms a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief. synonyms: division, split, rift, breach, rupture, break, separation, severance; More chasm, gulf; discord, disagreement, dissension “the schism between her father and his brother” the formal separation of a church into two churches or the secession of a group owing to doctrinal and other differences. What’s my point?……Glad I asked. To me it is clear that interior design, unlike “architecture” or “accounting” or “law” is a relatively new profession in comparison* that has taken an incredible effort to define and validate its place in the building design professions. Kudos to our earlier professional leaders for their time and dedication to get us to this point. Interior Design’s march to societal respect and legal recognition as peers with other licensed design professionals has been challenging at best, definitely frustrating and fraught with legal and political missteps. But trying to stay on the positive side of this process I see a very constant state of evolution mostly for the better. It is time to keep the evolution going. It is time for those of who wish to practice regulated interior design to the fullest potential of our learned and vetted abilities. It is time that we have a meaningful credential and it is time that we have a professional organization whose sole purpose is the legal, political and public advocacy of our rights to practice as peers with, or independent of, other licensed building design professionals. History is on our side.
-
Pitching a New Mantra- AGAIN
Well it’s been about 2 years since I trotted out this proclamation and while there has been some positive movement toward this vision….we are still singing too many songs from too many hymnals. It’s time to re-post; ONE VOICE – ONE CREDENTIAL – ONE MISSION © 2012 PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER ONE VOICE: We need to have one professional organization that is devoted to serving the best interests of vetted interior design professionals by continually raising the standards of professional status, advocating for our legal/political rights in a unified, cohesive manner, and promoting our unique value to society. The old adage that there is strength in numbers does not count if we don’t have a clear direction. ONE CREDENTIAL: We need a brand identity that clearly communicates our unique value to society and demands the respect that we all have earned. And no this brand is not “Interior Design” nor are we merely “Interior Designers”. Since anyone with a pulse can claim that title it does not make sense to try to make it our own unique brand- does it? ONE MISSION: To allow us to compete as equals to, or independent of, other licensed design professionals. What part of that is unclear? Not a rhetorical question.
-
INTERIOR DESIGN REGULATION- NOT TOO POLITICAL, COMPLICATED OR ABSTRACT
“…..Yet when it comes to taking action to advance the practice, many designers feel overwhelmed. The entire topic can seem too complicated, too political, too abstract. It doesn’t have to be.” Hmmmm….now you tell me. Guess it depends on how you define “too”. http://www.iida.org/resources/content/8/0/7/8/documents/AdvocateIIDA_Brochure_Final_SmallSize.pdf Props to IIDA and the IIDA Northern Pacific Chapter for trying to SUCCINCTLY explain the issue of legally and politically advancing the profession and how we might be our own best advocates. I know for a fact that it isn’t easy to distill this issue down to manageable sound bytes or bullet points. Again for fear of being labeled an arm-chair (albeit ergonomically designed w/ adjustable lumbar support) critic I truly respect the time and effort involved here. I learn from each of these organizational missives…and I also see lot’s of missed opportunities and mixed messages. My first reaction is that it is complicated, it is very abstract to those who care not to understand it, and it is hyper political. I get the soft pitch approach but if you have to sugar coat it to get the message across to your constituents, the ones directly affected, then how do we expect the general public to understand the nuances…..much less care? Heck we can’t even agree on a definition…..speaking of which I see IIDA is trying to spin a new one; “WHAT IS INTERIOR DESIGN? Interior Design is the development and implementation of an interior environment that provides the highest level of safety, function and overall enhancement to the inhabitants’ quality of life.” Finally a definition that is less than a chapter and does not require a glossary. Well done!-No seriously this is the best iteration I have seen. I am overjoyed to see the issue of quality of life included. Hallelujah! My only concern here is the fast and loose use of “Interior Design”. While we all would like “Interior Design” to hold this meaning amongst the general public (AKA our policy makers) I know (IMO) the common use definition of interior design is far from this (see my previous post https://professionalinteriordesigner.com/2014/04/21/pitching-a-new-interior-design-paradigm/) and as long as the public perception blends decoration with design, which it will despite our continued efforts otherwise, the use of Interior Design to describe what we do is a lost cause. Several years ago when I contracted this obsession I assumed we could in fact change the “interior design” paradigm simply by educating the general public…..silly me. But the legal and political forces, which are onerous and labyrinthine, have convinced me otherwise WE CANNOT CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF “INTERIOR DESIGN” SIMPLY BECAUSE WE SAY IT IS SO. Now if IIDA’s message had begun something like this…… “Code regulated Interior Design is the development and implementation of an interior environment that provides the highest level of safety, function and overall enhancement to the inhabitants’ quality of life.” or maybe; “Interior Design, as practiced by Registered Interior Designers ®, is the development and implementation of an interior environment that provides the highest level of safety, function and overall enhancement to the inhabitants’ quality of life.” Now that is a unique definition that by default eliminates any societal cross-over with ‘Interior Design” as performed by those born with a flair or are innately talented self-proclaimed interior designers….which is perfectly legal -and we all know they are the majority here….. I digress. Heck IIDA North Pacific should understand this as their neighbors in Oregon are trying mightily to change the semantic paradigm to be “Commercial Interior Designer” via https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2014R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB1521/A-Engrossed How is that not politically abstract? I know we would all like it to be as simple as changing the meaning of “Interior Design” to match IIDA’s definition but even if we all wore that definition on our shirtsleeves (or had custom tee shirts made….note to self-$$$) we cannot possibly overcome the critical mass of popular perception that considers us nothing more than finish pickers and furniture arrangers. Now the next part of the definition gets even murkier…. “WHAT IS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER? An Interior Designer is an individual who has been trained to identify, research and creatively solve problems pertaining to the development of an interior environment, and who possesses the knowledge and skills to implement these solutions. Interior Designers apply their expertise of Design and the built environment to solving problems at the interior scale and at the level of direct human experience.” Again on the surface this is the best summation of our profession that I have seen. However, according to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida anybody with a pulse can legally claim the title ‘interior designer” and practice “interior design” despite what IIDA says here. We lost that battle in a very complicated and convoluted legal battle 3 years ago. If the recent ASID ICON article on the future of Interior Design https://professionalinteriordesigner.com/2014/03/19/the-future-of-interior-design/ and this IIDA effort to re-spin the professional validation effort are any indication of lessons learned by the Locke v. Shore debacle we have a very long, very complicated, and very abstract game of softball ahead of us. Once again folks- WE CANNOT CHANGE THE COMMON DEFINITION (AKA PERCEPTION) OF “INTERIOR DESIGN”, NOR CAN WE INFER, IMPLY OR TACITLY DIRECT, WHO IS QUALIFIED TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES AS AN “INTERIOR DESIGNER”. I am well aware that there are many in the profession that firmly believe that it is possible to instill a societal paradigm shift of their understanding of Interior Design by education (one relative at a time) and lots of behind the scenes lobbying- I wish them well but I have a much different take on this issue……as you may now realize.
-
PITCHING A NEW INTERIOR DESIGN PARADIGM
UPDATED 4/22/2014 There are several irrefutable facts, based on my opinion, regarding our professional identity crisis that requires us (okay…me) to reconsider our current professional paradigm. 1. Interior Decoration and Interior Design will forever be entwined. The general public will always think of us as interior decorators (not that there is anything wrong with interior […]
-
WHAT’S IN A WORD REDUX DEUX
INTERIOR DESIGNERS VS. INTERIOR ARCHITECTS TITLE MATCH Found this interesting policy statement from the American Institute of Architects: http://www.aia.org/about/AIAB091369 PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER does not proclaim to be an attorney but this appears to be a crack in the courtroom door regarding the use of the term “architects” and its variations such as “Interior Architect” or “Interior Architecture”. That said PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGN is well aware of the ethical issues that this issue stirs up. I digress. I am fairly certain that state licensing boards will still protect the right of their rightfully licensed/registered architects to legally own the term so don’t go changing your business cards yet. If anybody knows, or has an opinion as to, what this AIA missive really means I welcome your comments.
Professional Interior Designer's Blog 