The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a nonprofit professional society representing more than 34,500 members. It conducts research and provides information on a range of issues related to the interior design profession, including the education of interior designers.
The ASID has issued advice to students on how to choose an interior design program that best suits them.
First, they advise students to decide whether their passion focuses on interior aesthetics or if it also extends to the structure of an interior environment, or what they refer to as the act of "creating a complete solution for a built environment." If you fall into the latter category, you can look forward to a career that involves design analysis, space planning, and the application of principles of interior construction.
The ASID emphasizes the growing importance of getting a degree in interior design, noting that over 20 states have licensing requirements for interior designers, most of which require a minimum of post-secondary education from an accredited program.
The importance of getting a degree from an accredited institution cannot be overstated. To ensure that your institution is accredited, check out the Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research (FIDER), a body that accredits interior design schools. It's worth noting, however, that the ASID states that schools without FIDER accreditation may still be top-notch; it may just be that they have not attempted to get FIDER accreditation.
Finally, the ASID advises aspiring interior design students to talk to advisors at the schools they are considering attending and to find out the percentage of their graduates who actually pursue careers in interior design.
Sources:
The American Society of Interior Designers
http://www.asid.org/asid2/int/planning.asp
# posted by Sarah Clark @ 12:13 PM
