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Why Is Interior Design Legislation So Important And What Makes It So Hard to Achieve?

With all the talk about Interior Design legislation, many still do not understandwhat makes it so important or why we need it. Quite simply what we endeavorto accomplish is legal recognition of the Interior Design Profession throughlegislation so that the public may be better protected and served. The scopeof services offered by Interior Designers has a direct impact on the life safetyissues of a building’s interior and we have the right to be acknowledgedfor that contribution. The body of knowledge required as well as the experienceand testing of that learned knowledge to perform those services is what setsInterior Design apart from others.

So, what makes achieving this goal so difficult? While many of us feel we have earned the “right” to be legally acknowledged as a profession, others feel we should be a subset of another discipline. I respect the right of those individuals to have their opinion. However, it is just that – an opinion and an opinion does not make fact. This difference of opinion coupled with fear by others of being limited in some way, often drives opposition to our legislative efforts and makes success hard to accomplish.

I believe time and positive changes have proved measurable in the standards we are setting and the qualifications we are establishing to set Interior Design apart as a separate profession. I also still firmly believe that mutual respect of all related disciplines and the combined strengths of each make for the best solution to any project for the client. Please understand that achieving the right also means being accountable and stepping up to the plate to assume the responsibility of what we bring to a project. Right and respect go hand in hand with responsibility.

Our profession is the youngest of the building design disciplines and, while not less important than the others, it is surely less understood. Make no mistake! It is OUR responsibility to educate our legislators, our opposition, our clients, and the public as a whole about who we are and what we provide. We should work to foster a better understanding of exactly what we offer to a project and the value of our services on the outcome of the design solution. We can never hope to achieve legislative success or legal recognition of the profession if we do not take charge of the efforts to define ourselves or set standards and qualifications in state houses across this country. It is up to us to take control of the process and make it happen.

The first state architectural license requirement was passed into law in 1897 and the first engineering license law in 1907. This is 85 years before the first “title” act was passed for Interior Design and 89 years before the first “practice” act. During these 85- 89 years we have grown from a trade or craft into a profession. Elsie DeWolf was the first to charge a fee for her services in 1904, which began this shift from trade to profession. The term “Interior Design” was not used until after WWII and it took until the 1970’s before code and life safety requirements began to impact Interior Design.

Although licensure efforts for Interior Design began in 1951, no success could be recognized until we established measurable standards and qualifications upon which to give the profession its foundation. The Foundation of Interior Design Education and Research (FIDER) was established in 1970 and the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) in 1974. With these two organizations the profession finally had recognized standards and qualifications as a basis for the profession. There was finally a way to fairly and consistently evaluate an individual’s level of training, knowledge, experience and competence. The American Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990 and provided a greater scope of responsibility for the Interior Designer. I believe we are entering a new phase of how we plan and view a building’s interior solution. This new focus requires buildings to safely coexist with the environment around it. Our attention to natural resources and safely, responsibly coexisting with nature will drive the buildings of the future. The Interior Designer will play a significant role in this aspect. We also are charged with understanding how to make building interiors grow and function with those who inhabit the space for all of life’s stages.

Interior Design has come a long way and many have worked hard to prepare those in Interior Design programs to meet the challenges of this profession. We cannot sit back and assume others will do this for us or make it happen without our help. This is our opportunity to control our future and our profession. Take charge of it, and get involved!

Phyllis D. Moore, FASID, owner of Interior Designs in Decatur, Alabama, received a B S degree in Interior Design from the University of Alabama. Ms. Moore is a charter member of the Alabama Interior Design Coalition, served as the secretary, board president, co-author of the practice act recently passed in the Alabama Legislature and has actively promoted interior design legislation for over 10 years. Phyllis became NCIDQ Certified in 1983 and is a professional member of ASID serving the society in numerous positions. She has served as Board member, Treasurer, and President of the Alabama Chapter of ASID and on numerous committees. She served on the national level as chairman of the ASID Legislative Advisory Council, Chairman of the Student Advisory Council., Member of the Referral Service Council and member of the National ASID Chapter Support Team. Phyllis has supported and helped plan Student Job Fairs for ASID at Neocon New York, Atlanta, and Chicago as well as been keynote speaker at student career day programs, and student leadership training. She has presented legislative training to several state coalitions and was Leader for the 2002 and guest speaker at the 2004 National ASID Legislative Symposiums. Phyllis served on the NCIDQ/IDEP committee for 4 years. ASID awarded her Fellowship in 2001 and she was awarded the Jack Davis outstanding Alumni award in 2001 from the University of Alabama. She has served on the ASID National Board and is currently a STEP instructor for ASID. She can be reached at Pdmasid@aol.com