IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2012 - 31

the practice of interior design has long been likened to a form of therapy. indeed, the cultural cliché is so entrenched that it’s the conceit behind a new realitytv show: bravo’s Interior Therapy, where designer Jeff Lewis “judges clients’ fl aws” and “diagnoses their problems,” restoring sanity through home makeovers. say what you will about our profession being undermined by yet another frivolous depiction in the popular media, but there is a kernel of truth to the stereotype. interior designers are mind readers with a special knack for getting inside clients’ heads, assessing who they are, and what makes them tick. We could use a dose of our own medicine. Designers are great at amateur psychologizing, but not necessarily of themselves. When it comes to analyzing their own brains, they often draw a blank. but knowing what makes the prototypical designer unique—and communicating exactly how clients can benefit from that—could help them market themselves better. What is it about the way that designers are hardwired that makes them special? Do they share a way of thinking or a specific set of characteristics? is there such a thing as a design mind? or, more specifically, an interiordesign mind? Within the context of a culture that allows anyone to call him or herself a designer, the pressure is on to be deliberate and precise in promoting what differentiates our practice. pERSONaLITy pROfILING As for the prototypical interior designer, iiDA research blows a hole in any assumption that one exists. We’ve always been a diverse bunch, but even more so these days. consider the fact that interior design is the first choice for those seeking a second career—meaning that people enter the profession via myriad backgrounds, from medicine to banking. in light of this, it might be helpful to look at a familiar tool used for career development: the Myersbriggs type indicator. the test is designed to assess psychological preferences visà vis how you perceive the world around you and make decisions, and then suggests what jobs might be a good match. there are limitations to this method of analysis, however. rooted in Jungian principals, Mbti is often criticized as a “soft” science. in addition, there are only 16 personality categories, which doesn’t allow for endless nuance. the methodology also presumes that personality—versus passion—can be a reliable indicator of professional suitability. still, anyone who’s taken the Mbti (this writer included) is likely to confirm its insightfulness. interior design is among the 250 occupations that cpp, which publishes the Myers briggs instrument, has collated data on and deconstructs in its type tables publication. the three personality types most often associated with the potential to be a good designer—inFp, intp, and enFp (see graphic on next page)—share a trait: they receive information from the world around them based on intuition versus sensing (i.e. observation), and are more interested in theorizing about possibilities than in accepting the status quo.

perspective

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2012