ASID is Your Career Sherpa

Let ASID Guide Your Interior Design Career

ASID helps interior designers succeed as they progress through their careers from student to principal, partner, and owner. Career path opportunities for interior designers are abundant impacting places where people live, work, play, heal, and learn. Options include working in a design firm or even starting a business.

Interior designers must be knowledgeable about their clients' needs in order to effectively design project solutions. As a result, many interior designers concentrate within a design specialty or market sector, such as designing for the hospitality or healthcare industries. Some interior designers also focus within a particular subspecialty within a market sector such as designing restaurants (hospitality) or senior living facilities (healthcare).

While interior designers may specialize in a specific market sector or type of firm, there are skill sets and knowledge that will benefit each stage of an interior designer’s career. ASID provides learning opportunities at each career stage with in-person events allowing interior designers with various backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to learn together or online via self-paced modules on the ASID Academy. ASID also celebrates the accomplishments of interior designers throughout their careers through Awards and Competitions.

  • Student: Students are those currently enrolled in an interior design education program and preparing to take on the first steps in their careers. ASID provides opportunities for students to navigate their careers and enhance their understanding of the impact of design on people and their environments through programs such as SCALE: The ASID National Student Summit. Students attending SCALE engage with subject matter experts, their peers, and design firm leaders to launch their career path. ASID Student Chapter Awards are given to outstanding student members and chapters. From the ASID National Student Portfolio Competition to ASID Foundation scholarships, this is the place to start making your mark.
  • Emerging Professional and Mid-Career: Interior designers within +/-5 years of professional practice are considered emerging professionals where they begin to define their career. Upon entering mid-career, interior designers begin to refine their career and focus their work. During these career stages, the interior designer’s path is self-defined with opportunities to pursue advanced education, certifications, and specialties. 

  • Principal/Partner/Owner: Those who are leading a design firm or company are considered principals, partners, and owners. Interior designers within this career stage are leading organizations and shaping the future of the profession. Responsibilities within this career stage include balancing the future vision with the daily demands of the firm or company. 

BEGINNING YOUR JOURNEY

Begin your journey through higher education. Choose the college or university program that best supports your needs. Learn more about the programs and resources that ASID provides students.

Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)

The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is an independent, non-profit accrediting organization for interior design education programs at colleges and universities in the United States and internationally. For more than 35 years, this knowledge-driven organization has been passionately committed to the ongoing enrichment of the interior design profession through identifying, developing and promoting quality standards for the education of entry-level interior designers, and then encouraging, accrediting and supporting educational programs to aspire to those standards.

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LIFELONG LEARNING

Value of lifelong learning. Reason for IDCEC. Learn more about continuing education and learning resources available from ASID.

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International Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC)

IDCEC provides learning opportunities and registry services to design professionals under one platform. As a founding and core member of IDCEC, all ASID practitioner members receive access to the IDCEC registry and dashboard. ASID Chapters receive discounted rates for course submissions. ASID Industry Partners receive a discounted rate as first time IDCEC course providers.

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