IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2013 - 8

From IIDA

Redirect. Repurpose. Reconsider. Realign.
Nearly every entity, organization, business unit, and corporate headquarters
is evaluating their business practices, their brand, their core purpose and their
messaging to more closely align with a re-energized economy and a public that
demands authenticity, engagement, clarity and transparency.

FELICE SILVERMAN

IIDA
2012-2013 President

Highest on that list of "demands"? Simplicity. We all know the "rate of change"
has changed. We live and work at an exponentially accelerated pace-sometimes
accomplishing little more than an exhausting array of "reply all" in the course
of a day. Critical and rapid-fire decisions are now made in moments-decisions
that 3 years ago took twice the time and prompted significantly more deliberation.
According to the World Future Society, this notion of "simplicity" (or rather the
desire for it) will characterize almost every aspect of our lives in the next 3-5 years.
Simplicity requires us to make deliberate decisions about what is real, what is
genuine and what matters-a task at which Designers excel-as we guide clients
to solutions that support the current core business yet allow for relevant innovation
toward future goals.
This issue of Perspective considers the "Happiness Quotient" of the design
community. These are the first results in a series of surveys that reveal shifts
in attitude and behaviour within a profession charged with embracing, articulating,
and navigating constant change. Is the profession of Design, specifically Interior
Design, well-positioned to be an industry that attracts and retains its best, brightest
and most talented? What are we doing right and what needs to change?

ChERYL S. DuRST

Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP, IIDA
Executive Vice President/CEO.

And "who" are we as a profession? We are populated by significantly more women
than men. How does the "gender factor" affect the perception and image of design?
What issues do our female colleagues have in attaining advanced and expanded
roles in the management of firms, dealerships and manufacturers? Is there a
"new normal" on the horizon for Interior Design?
As always, IIDA encourages dialogue and discourse about Design, its value and
its future. Our current membership campaign is predicated on Designers being
the "Last to Leave"-we are acknowledging not only perseverance and fortitude,
but persistence. Long after the consultants, brokers and contractors have left,
the Designer is still there, ensuring the most positive solution and experience for
the client. Good design doesn't end with the project completion date-Design
is about all-encompassing experiences that result in the built environment.

The Association for Design Professionals
Perspective is the journal of the International Interior Design Association © 2013
Please recycle this
journal or pass
it on to a client,
colleague, or
design student.
8

International Interior Design Association (IIDA)
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 567 Chicago, IL 60654-1103 uSA
Phone: 888-799-IIDA Fax: 312-467-0779 Email: perspective@iida.org Web: www.iida.org
Price: $4.95
http://www.fsc.org http://www.iida.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2013
