2006-2009 Standards Development Project
Quality standards for interior design education offer significant value to the interior design community and the public at large. Standards must be relevant, valid, and reliable in order to serve their purpose of ensuring that interior design graduates are well prepared for entry-level practice. Community involvement is the cornerstone of the standards development process. Practitioners and educators are the primary stakeholders engaged in dialogue leading to strengthened accreditation standards.
The following highlights the standards development process:
2006 Trend Review and Analysis. In the first project phase, the Council focuses on building a strong knowledge base about the future of interior design. A broad array of information about trends impacting the interior design profession and higher education is collected, synthesized, and culled for implications.
This rich compilation of information serves as a study guide for participants in the Board of Directors’ Future Vision session (Nov. 3-5), a summit of leaders from higher education, interior design practice, and industry. Future Vision participants are charged with envisioning the future of the profession and education. These thought leaders are then asked to prioritize the future implications for professional-level interior design education. The full list of participants is available here.
2007 Community Consultation. With solid information about future implications in hand, criteria for evaluation of interior design programs are formed through a series of surveys and other activities that engage the interior design community in a high level of discussion. The goals of this dialogue with the community are to 1) capture and build agreement about the range of interior design content that is required of interior design graduates, 2) calibrate the appropriate level of student learning required for entry-level interior design practice, and 3) develop clear and meaningful statements to communicate expectations for quality professional-level interior design education.
2008 Review and Comment. The criteria developed through community consultation in 2007 are compiled into draft standards. The Council circulates draft standards for review and comment with the interior design community. Community responses either verify agreement with, or point out areas of disagreement with, the criteria for evaluating educational programs. Review and comment is the final step of validation and refinement of standards. At the end of 2008, the Board of Directors is presented with the final standards for adoption and sets an implementation date (2009).
The Accreditation Process
The accreditation process supports and strengthens the consistent application of standards and the Council’s evaluation of interior design programs that aspire to achieve those standards. As standards are developed, the Council’s Accreditation Commission will conduct a self-study of the accreditation process and determine strategies to implement new standards that increase both the efficiency and value of the rigorous accreditation process.
The Council for Interior Design Accreditation gratefully acknowledges standards development project sponsors to date: The ASID Foundation; Haworth; Steelcase; Gensler, Chicago; and STUDIOS Architecture, Washingon, DC.