Do Interior Designers Really Matter?

 

Coming from the design industry for more than 25 years, it became very apparent that the mystery and the scope of an interior designer is much more than the general public understands.  Unfortunately, the adversaries do understand and have become the nemesis of the profession.   As a decorator, I chose to go back to school and reach a more in-depth level of education to become an interior designer.  It is not easy and it is a completely different subject matter than colors, fabric, furniture and paint.

An interior designer is both an artist and somewhat of an engineer.  Safety and economy are considered when designing a space along with the creation of an aesthetically inspiring and comfortable space.  This work improves the lives of others in the home, workspace for the aged, handicapped and infirm.    Designing a healthy space makes a difference in the lives of others.  It is the delicate combination of a complete picture made of complicated and detailed puzzle pieces.  An interior designer is multifaceted with the obvious and the abstract.  Professional practice, human environment needs, design, products and materials, interior construction, codes and regulations, and communication are just a few of the pieces. 

An interior designer is educated in how to understand human behavior and how it relates to the built environment.  This is a process of gathering and analyzing information from respected documented sources and responsibly using this information as evidence for decisions made within the design.  The design recognizes the natural environment, context, human values, psychological factors, function, and aesthetics as contributing factors to the overall successful outcome. 

Interior construction, codes and regulations is the materialization of the concept of the design taking into account the human needs, aesthetics, fire and life safety issues and codes applied safely and appropriately.  Ongoing updates are the responsibility of the designer to maintain current understanding of all regulations that fall under his/her purview.  A designer is expected to maintain a high level of continuing education units each year. This is a personal obligation to remain current on design issues.

Design is a process and one that has a methodology.  The importance of evidence based design (EBD) is paramount to any arbitrary design.  A licensed interior designer is trained in this process and the methods to attain a solid design to meet the needs of the client safely.  The process can be endless and one of the abilities of the designer is to know when the design meets the needs and the goal has been met.

The core of the design many times is considered to be the product and materials category.  To the client, this can sometimes be the heart of the design because it involves the aesthetics.  Building materials, finishes, furnishings, fixtures, textiles and equipment bring the visible personality to the design. 

The professional practice itself must have ethics as the first priority.  The interior designer must above all else in the practice hold honesty, integrity and fairness paramount in the work ethics of the business.  A designer not only relies upon the knowledge and education but also upon the reputation that withstands time.  Included in this is an inherent duty to be aware of the most current codes and human issues in order to supply the client with the best design.

Communication is not only about dialogue between the designer and the client.  It is also about communication and understanding between the designer, contractors, associates and any building officials.  Knowing when to work through issues without causing alarm or drama is professional management of clear and concise communication.

cite: http://www.careersininteriordesign.com/idbok.pdf

Deregulation: Are Designers at Fault?

Deregulation…..how long has it been eating away at the toes of interior design?  There have been several attempts, admittedly, with this last attempt being the most severe. 

It is now personal to me.  I have been a decorator for over 25 years and worked on some exciting projects.  The truth is that when I decided to go back to school later in life, I did not realize how little I knew as a decorator that a designer understands and is expected to know.  So I know from both sides of the issue that it is important that designers remain regulated to maintain their licenses and standard of performance.

So what are the designers doing to counteract it?  Yes, going to the law makers is a good thing.  We can even observe our legal system as it is broadcast live during a legislative session.  It is a very concerning event to watch.   One would swear it is the visual Face book in action, especially the Florida House of Representatives.  The social behavior that is exhibited while serious matters are discussed is very alarming.  Little attention is paid to the highest common sense reasoning, mostly because very few representatives are listening.  Is this how significant bills with good bones happen to fall through the cracks and something serious isn’t represented as it should be on a bill?  Not to ignore the lack of respect to those people who pay taxes (aka the paycheck to the legislature) or have worked hard in committee working through all the kinks to bring forth a piece of legislation.  So, one of the first steps is to become aware of the behavior of our legislators. Attentive?  Knowledgeable?  Respectful? Present?  Acknowledge through phone call, letter or email your appreciation when the “public servant” you voted in is working diligently. 

Interior design has an extremely important role in the safety and health and therefore, the welfare of the public.  The knowledge and education behind a Bachelor of Arts Degree of Interior Design is extremely vast and detailed.  This knowledge and education is being sabotaged as is the case with the bill before the Senate and House on the deregulation of the interior design practice.  I expected to see serious minded representatives in the House making serious decisions.  I assumed that our paid elected officials took their jobs seriously and actually worked during the day to earn their paychecks.  Do they not know they are being broadcasted live?  Do they not realize that when arguments are raised and reasoning is offered, we are on the other side of the screen watching them as they are visiting each other, sleeping or just plain absent?  Are they not embarrassed to know that we saw a vote against reason and safety in favor of just plain lies?  During the process of debate in the House of Representatives strong firm truths from informed respected people were offered to those decision makers.  The opposition made statements too, but they were either untrue or silly.  Yet, when it came time to vote “yea” or “nay”, somehow all of the visiting stopped for just a second and the votes were cast.  I must have blinked because I missed the short moment when many of our representatives stopped visiting, sleeping or talking on their phones to cast their vote.  This issue of deregulating the interior design profession has made the front page of the Wall Street Journal and our paid elected officials didn’t have time to listen.

A strong thank you to those representatives who knew and spoke the truth about the importance of maintaining the interior design regulation.  The information is correct, true and very logical.  Interior designers truly appreciate your research, efforts, and independent stand.  This is the higher road less traveled.

At some level, interior designers must ask themselves why the public is not educated on the difference between interior decorators and interior designers.  People are so busy there is little time to educate one on subjects that do not affect your everyday life until one day it does.  Do we as designers own some of the neglect when it comes to the uninformed public?  That is an easy fix but one on which we must concentrate and be willing to accept the current issues including the facts regarding the public’s misunderstandings.  Be willing to say there is a place in the workforce for a decorator and a designer and put forth those differences. 

It is the right thing to be educated, it is the right thing to learn codes about fire safety and how to get a crowd out of a building as danger creeps, it is the right thing to know how and where a firewall should be or if ramps and steps are correct in the project, to know about air quality and how materials can affect the air we breathe.  It is just plain the right thing as a designer to share the information acquired from the stacks and stacks of books read in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and then become NCIDQ certified.  This certification is strict and it seems to me that if you have a large group of professionals who want to be monitored by a strict certification it should mean something.  It definitely says something about the integrity and standards of the profession.

NCIDQ certification means a designer has a degree in interior design and worked under another licensed designer or architect for at least two years.  A very strict test covering important material that protects the public in interior spaces must be passed in order to be certified.  It is not unusual for a designer to attempt this test more than once.  This is a respected certification and encompasses building codes, elements and materials among a few things.  It is not an easy certification to achieve and one that any designer highly considers a true achievement.

So as the public begins to understand the differences between the designer and the decorator, they can make their choices intelligently.  The interior design industry and the decorators need not argue.  Moving forward taking action to educate the public is a constructive effort.   Because of regulation, interior designers are proving every day the wealth of knowledge they bring to the client’s table, and as a byproduct of serving the client, the public is served.  The sadness in all of this is the public is not aware of the knowledge a designer brings.  This is where our industry must step up, build relationships and spend effort, time and money to educate the general public.