Interior Design is a young and exciting profession. It was not until the 1970’s that the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), the discipline’s certification body, was formed to establish and govern standards for the examination of interior design professionals. FIDER, the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (now CIDA) was also formed in the 1970’s to review and accredit undergraduate and graduate interior design programs. In 1982, the first United States legislation supporting the profession was passed in Alabama. Today, the field of interior design continues its steady growth and development of specialized areas of knowledge.

Interior designers are creative problem-solvers, proficient in technical matters, and savvy business professionals. They are grounded in studies about the effects of the built environment on humans and have expertise in interior construction practices, the performance properties of interior materials, interior lighting design, and the application of building codes that ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The education of interior designers is demanding and entails the acquisition of design and technical knowledge and skills. This includes knowledge about building and accessibility codes, construction means and methods, anthropometrics, ergonomics, lighting design and much more.

Activities for a typical project include determining the needs of the client and users of a facility, understanding the opportunities and constraints of the building site and overall context, presenting multiple possible solutions, preparing detailed construction documents in accordance to building and accessibility codes, coordinating the work with mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers, and overseeing the construction and installation phases to ensure compliance with the contract documents

As professionals, Interior Designers pursue professional certification. They are required to graduate from a CIDA accredited Interior Design program, spend a stipulated number of hours (which amounts to about two years) in practice after graduation, and take the NCIDQ certification test. After passing the exam the designer can then pursue licensing in the states in which he or she intends to practice.

There are jobs for Interior Design graduates! According to projections by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of interior designers has been growing and is projected to continue growing in the years ahead. Furthermore, interior designers earn competitive salaries and can make a good living. ASID, the largest professional organization in the field reports that the average salary for interior designers in the United States is $72,212 per year and the top 10% makes an average of $103,473. Companies also offer competitive benefits packages.

Come join the profession!