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Professional certification for interior design

Sunday, April 15 at 12:01 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By Sandy Nienaber, ASID President, ASID Colorado, Denver

This is in response to a recent column by George Will entitled “Rentseeking” which appeared nationally as well as in the Rocky Mountain News on 3/21/07.

In this column, Mr. Will made a number of very ill-informed statements regarding the interior design profession, in particular the issue of certification. As the current President of the Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), representing 1200 members in our state and over 38,000 members internationally, I am writing to correct this misinformation.

Mr. Will made several misleading statements regarding the difference between interior design and interior decoration. The differences are well-documented and easily researched; however the critical point is that professional interior designers are qualified by education, experience and a rigorous two-day examination to enhance the function, safety and quality of interior spaces, and thus the health, safety and welfare of the occupants.

Certification or licensing of professional interior designers is currently in force in 24 states and growing. The purpose is not to restrict entry into the profession, or raise fees as Mr. Will states; the purpose is to raise the bar of the profession so that one must meet certain requirements to use the title. Currently anyone who has a flair for color or accessorizing can call themselves an interior designer — whether or not they have any education or training in the field.

The certification process will restrict only non-qualified, non-educated people from using the title of interior designer — and that will protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, not to mention their wallets. Mr. Will stated that interior designers are “getting government to impose a regulatory hardship on your competitors". Mr. Will, these are not competitors to professional interior designers — they are not qualified to be competitors.

For additional information, please visit www.asid.org . ASID is the oldest and largest professional association for interior designers, and strongly advocates for state registration and licensure.

Clients wishing to engage a professional need only look for the appellation “ASID” after the designer’s name — it is the hallmark of professionalism in the field.

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