Interior Design Continuing Education: What Clients and New Designers Need to Know
'Tis that time of year again! Holiday time, you say? Noooo!
Time to scramble- I mean time to finish- continuing education requirements if you are an Interior Designer (at least in Texas). As a Registered Interior Designer, I am required to complete continuing education credits every single year. Twelve hours worth, to be exact.
Here’s the run down on what clients and newly certified designers need to know.
Here’s what you need to know:
If you are a design client:
As a client, you expect someone you hire to do detailed work to be an expert in their field. It’s no different when you hire an interior designer. You expect that they will have a firm grasp on the foundation of the interior design industry, which is why it is imperative to hire a qualified professional for your project. What you might not realize is that the interior design industry is constantly evolving and growing to accommodate changing spacial and environmental needs of our current population.
Interior designers need to stay current on more than just aesthetic trends and new products. Those elements of the profession are important, but it is also important to focus on learning about current advances in building technology, laws and regulations, sustainability and evidence based design research.
Lisa League states it this way in her article Why Have NCIDQ or Interior Design Legislation? “There's a misconception that interior designers only pick furniture, paint colors, and fabric, like the decorators that people see on TV, but registered, licensed, or certified interior designers in some states can sign, seal, and submit drawings for permitting. While it's true that they can make sure the space will look its best, they actually do much more than the public realizes.”
Why does that matters to you, the client?
Choosing an professional Interior Designer creates value for your project. They draw on a broad knowledge base that lies at the intersection of both art and science. They make recommendations based on schedule and budget factors, sustainability, life cycle costs, end user demographics, functionality, durability, behavior patterns, ergonomics, acoustical properties, building system coordination, flammability, indoor air quality, accessibility, regulations, codes and industry best practices, and then… aesthetics.
This does not just stop at the commercial world. Residential interior designers are helping clients go beyond just well-appointed homes. Designers are encouraging the building of healthy, smart, sustainable, high-performing homes Example.
A interior designer, who is constantly adding to their professional knowledge base through annual continuing education, is an incredibly valuable asset to your design team for both residential and commercial projects!
“Interior design includes a scope of services performed by a professional design practitioner, qualified by means of education, experience and examination, to protect and enhance the health, life safety and welfare of the public.”
To learn more:
Find out if there are interior design regulations or laws in your state or province check the IIDA.org Advocacy Page
For more information on the Interior Design Profession see some of our previous posts: The Aspiring Interior Designer, Round Up: Advocacy Videos for the Interior Design Profession, Advocate: Designer vs. Decorator
If you are a New designer:
Sifting through all of the various requirements for continuing education isn’t something they teach you in design school! If you are a newly certified interior designer, here are a few tips to get you started! If you are interested in becoming certified, start HERE.
1. Know your state and professional association requirements
Quantity- how many hours are required annually or per reporting period?
Quality- are the hours required to cover certain topics such as health/safety/welfare, barrier free, sustainability?
Delivery- can hours be self-directed or must the hours be “structured” (in a classroom setting or ending with a quiz)?
Know your reporting period. It may be different from your renewal date and may vary by governing body.
Common association requirements for U.S. based Interior Designers:
International Interior Design Association “1.0 CEU (10 hours) of continuing education” per compliance period for Professional and Associate Members.
American Society of Interior Design “1.0 CEU (10 hours) per 2 years”
Council for Interior Design Qualification “NCIDQ Certificate holders are expected to meet continuing education minimums set by CIDQ (0.6 CEU), a professional organization (ASID, IIDA, IDC) or a regulated jurisdiction.” (at the time of annual renewal).
2. Source and fulfill requirements
Where to find opportunities for credit hours:
Conferences like these:
Online courses (for structured hours look for courses with a quiz)
Continuing Education Center for Architecture and Construction by B.P.N. Media (publisher of Architectural Record and other industry material)
Webinars
Lunch and Learns
Articles
Site visits or building tours.
3. Report to your state and professional associations with supporting documentation.
Keep a log (on paper or online) and keep it current:
For classes: record the class name and number, class provider, date of completion and amount of time spent in the class
For activities: record the type of activity, date, location, amount of time spent and any other notes or observations.
For articles or other self-study activities: Keep a PDF or scanned copy of the article. Keep enough information to justify the credit and how it is related to your professional practice.
Put all certificates and any other info such as notes or articles in a file for easy recall. I use Dropbox (or you could use Google Drive) so that I have access anywhere across all my devices. Here is how I organize my files:
Some courses will be automatically credited to you with an I.D.C.E.C. number such as classes taken at conferences or where you provide your number on the attendance sheet for the class. You can obtain a transcript for classes registered through I.D.C.E.C. if needed. Here are some FAQ’s for I.D.C.E.C. Registry users.
My Class Line-up for This Year:
In the past I have been privileged to work in/with firms where classes are routinely provided in a lunch-and-learn format throughout the year. That makes sourcing interior design continuing education hours a lot easier. When you work from home, like I do now, you have to be much more proactive in obtaining your hours independently. I turn mostly to online sources that I can complete at my convenience throughout the year.
Here are the interior design continuing education courses I competed in 2018: