Professional Organizations for Design and Decoration

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There are several professional organizations for design and decoration in the United States. Becoming a member of one or more of these professional organizations is a great way for interior designers to stay informed about the latest in the interior design industry, network with other interior designers across the country, and learn about services and events for interior design professionals. See the list of professional organizations below.

FIDER

The Foundation for Interior Design Research (FIDER) sets standards for postsecondary interior design education, evaluates college and university interior design programs, and publishes a list of accredited programs that meet those standards. FIDER was established in 1970 by the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), the National Society of Interior Designers (NSID), and the American Institute of Interior Designers (AID). Their goal was, and is, to promote standards for excellence in interior design and design education. FIDER is the result of the collaboration between interior design educators and practitioners attempting to set industry standards and evaluate the institutions educating future designers.
http://www.fider.org/

Interior Design Educators Council

The Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) is dedicated to the advancement of education and research in interior design. Founded in 1963, the IDEC strives to facilitate the exchange of information, the improvement of educational standards, and the development of understanding and knowledge regarding the interior environment. The IDEC achieves its goals by promoting communication between its members, which include interior design educators, practitioners, researchers, scholars, and college and university administrators.
http://www.idec.org/

American Society of Interior Designers

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) represents the interests of interior designers and their communities. It is a non-profit professional society based in Washington, D.C., headed by a volunteer board of directors that provides resources, information, events, and services related to the interior design industry.
http://www.asid.org/

National Council for Interior Design Qualification

The National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) creates an examination that serves to identify qualified interior designers to the general public. These designers have met the minimum standards for professional practice and have passed the NCIDQ exam, which reflects professional knowledge and design development techniques. The Council has been issuing design credentials since 1972 when it was founded by the AID, the NSID, and the ASID. These organizations came together out of a need for (1) developing, administering, and certifying, through a qualifying examination, the interior designer competent to practice professionally; and (2) studying and presenting plans, programs, and guidelines for the statutory licensing of interior design practitioners. The NCIDQ mission statement is, "Protecting the public by identifying those individuals who are competent to practice interior design."
http://www.ncidq.org/

Interior Design Society

The Interior Design Society is the largest design organization that is exclusively dedicated to serving the residential interior design industry. Founded in 1973, the IDS is composed of residential interior designers, interior decorators, design-oriented home furnishings stores/staff, design studios, and select manufacturers and distributors. With its commitment to education and distributing design information, the IDS stages programs and supplies a variety of publications to strengthen its members' knowledge and understanding of the interior design profession. IDS is also politically involved, keeping track of the residential design industry and the legislative issues that affect interior designers' rights-to-practice. They keep members abreast of changes and situations that could potentially affect their professional future.
http://www.interiordesignsociety.org/

Organization of Black Designers

The Organization of Black Designers (OBD) is a non-profit professional association committed to promoting the "visibility, education, empowerment and interaction of its membership and the understanding that diverse design perspectives contribute to world culture and commerce." OBD membership is open to all qualified design professionals, and currently consists of over 3,500 graphic design/visual communication professionals, interior designers, fashion designers, and industrial designers. Some of the major goals of the OBD include: educating the design professions about the contributions of people of color; increasing the number and visibility of African-American designers; reaching out and serving the surrounding communities with "expertise, energy, and vision." The ODB mission is to enhance and improve the totality of the American design professions by energizing them with creative diversity.
http://www.core77.com/OBD/welcome.html

International Interior Design Association

The International Design Association (IIDA) is a professional networking and educational association committed to enhancing the quality of life through excellence in interior design and advancing the industry through the dissemination of knowledge throughout the community. According to the IIDA, it "advocates for interior design excellence; provides superior industry information; nurtures a global interior design community; maintains educational standards; and responds to trends in business and design." The IIDA was founded in 1994 after a merger of the Institute of Business Designers (IBD), the International Society of Interior Designers (ISID), and the Council of Federal Interior Designers (CFID). The three institutes created an international association dedicated to representing designers worldwide.
http://www.iida.org

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