The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is a non-profit organisation that serves as a base and a licensing agency for the interior designers’ community in the global arena. IIDA is known for the worldwide networks it accesses, representing design professionals and affiliations it offers to the industries, students, educators, firms and their clients. It is a professional association that moots for capacity building of the designers by striving for excellence, leadership and community outreach. It also aims to focus the spotlight on interior design as a profession to disseminate accreditation and standards for the discipline. It has had quite a good recognition that has aided in increasing the value of the professional business and enhancing the lives of the people.
With a global reach, IIDA works to support design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms, and their clients through their network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries.
Origin & Evolution
The merging of the Institute of Business Designers (IBD), the International Society of Interior Designers (ISID) and the Council of Federal Interior Designers (CFID) led to the founding of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) in 1994. It was aimed to represent interior designers across the length and breadth of the world, by uniting them on a single platform and empowering them to be able to work with the joint vision of imparting knowledge on sound practices for the entire community.
Mission and Objectives
IIDA was envisaged to create a collaborative association that would entail sharing of capabilities, technical know-how and contacts. The robust system of established networking has enabled the members to connect and tie up with their fellow service-providing agents. It exhorts a culture of engagement and synergies among the designer communities. Social contacts are a bonus that comes with the membership, enabling an enhanced approach to accelerate the business, seek lasting solutions and impact the lives of the greater population across the globe. The arrangement is such that the shared clientele also leads to partnerships and programmes that contribute to sustainable development in the field of interior design. IIDA also has outwardly committed itself to dismantling racism in all forms.
Membership and Chapters
IIDA Chapters refer to the outlets/offices at different locations and they are responsible for hosting events, educational programmes and offering opportunities for accessing the contacts. They also provide the necessary legal information and conduct mentorship, career guidance and prospective talks on the discipline by the veterans for the newbies. There is a dedicated Chapters Board of Directors for every chapter which records and keeps up with the activities and aids in organising the design program with the highest expertise and competence.
The IIDA Chapters also elect the Presidents, each representing them and forming the Chapters Leadership Council. The council is convened twice a year for the exchange of information, updates and discussion of new proposals as the members from the IIDA International Board and the IIDA Headquarters attend the meeting in a mechanism that makes the voices of the members take the spotlight.
Membership is open to individual members, new graduates and Industry members at varying fees and concessions for the different groups. It has a wide array of scopes in offering leadership, branding, education, recruitment drives, (GYST) General Yearly Substantive Tasks, Advocacy and initiatives on (EDI) Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity.
IIDA also supports the chapters with specific funding programmes to enrich the organisation and carry forward the vision with the provision of resources that can translate the policies into actions.
Design Competition and Awards
The Chapters are also involved in recognising talent, achievements, excellence and outstanding practices of the chapters, through the ritual of holding competitions and distributing awards, in the category of interior design.
IIDA selects the contributions and accomplishments of individuals, companies and organisations in interior design and honours the works that are insightful, exciting, innovative and exceptional in different categories.
Educational Programmes and Events
IIDA’s primary focus has been fostering innovation by promoting research and increasing the value of education, to allow informed decision-making, ensuing creativity. As an accrediting agency that recognises members distinctly as professionals, associates and students it accepts the courses approved by IDCEC (Interior Design Continuing Education Council), AIA/CES and USG/GBCI which can be reported by individuals seeking membership.
IIDA also has expanded its influence by constantly engaging with the community through a proactive role in the events, publications and webinars it hosts. The Continuing Education Units or CEUs as additional certified training is also undertaken by IIDA, through which it aims to upskill the designers.
Some of its famous programmes include: (Text Description as provided by the website)
Collective D(design)
Collective D(design) is a webinar series from IIDA that provide resources, information, and inspiration to the design community. The virtual sessions explore design from the lens of its larger societal impact as well as examine influencing factors and industries, offering dynamic conversations about design.
Design Your World
Launched in 2021, Design Your World is an education pipeline program driven by the core goal to build diversity and equity within the design industry by providing hands-on design learning for high school students through a 6-week program.
IIDA at NeoCon
At NeoCon in Chicago, IIDA brings together the innovators, the community organizers and the design visionaries—collectively they envision and attempt to create the future of design with equity, sustainability, education, healthcare, hospitality, and work for programming, networking, learning, and much more.
Industry Roundtable
IIDA’s Industry Roundtable is an annual gathering of diverse thought, leaders and decision-makers across firms, manufacturers, and academia for a weekend of discussions and explorations of our industry—where they are, and where they are headed.
Leaders Breakfast
The IIDA Leaders Breakfast series is the leading industry community-building event—honouring and showcasing leading designers that have impacted the work of design and creating a forum to participate in essential conversations and network with peers.
REVEL in Design
IIDA at the annual kick-off to NeoCon in Chicago for an evening of mixing and mingling—dinner, dancing, and celebrating the winners of two prestigious design competitions.
Student Mentoring Program
Their Student Mentoring Program leads the way in providing experience, resources, and opportunities for an inspiring emerging design community. Annually we pair more than 500 students with design professionals to build knowledge and relationships.
Thus the IIDA leverages these works by creating a platform for ushering changes and tackling contemporary issues of importance related to social justice, sustainability, climate change, equity, addressing vulnerabilities etc. The key driving force that IIDA keeps in tandem with its goal of an optimistic future is the endeavour of the association to promote the values it believes in. Hence, Programming and premiere events are the core components of the association’s commitment to facilitating, celebrating, and fostering the global community of the design industry.
Advocacy and Industrial Influence
IIDA committedly advocates for the discipline of interior design by championing the profession. It engages with the community of stakeholders from various backgrounds and geographic locations to positively impact their work by boosting the social capital on one hand and the public image on the other. The individual practices of the stakeholders are given a fillip in multiple ways through resource access and bringing them to the limelight. The legal recognition is much contested by the designers so as to boost their career trajectories. Corporate Partnerships and Collaborations have also enabled a wider reach of IIDA’s progress globally. In the case of Sustainability and Social Responsibility too, IIDA has proved to be adept in playing a central role in prompting designers to have a better outlook and approach on the environment.
Future Outlook
IIDA believes in a future that dives into the collective conscience of society, as Emile Durkheim quotes. It believes in multiple modernities and possible visions for the future to further design models that grow, thrive and evolve. It also brings together the leading thinkers and innovators for tailoring a shared vision. New attention on women-led firms shifting design, examining structural changes towards living equitably, developing futuristic thinking, understanding the psychology of work and space, moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach, creating a niche for new features etc are some of the neo-focus points of IIDA.
Citations
Home (no date) IIDA. Available at: https://iida.org/ (Accessed: 06 August 2023).
