The Other Side

Opposition Views to Interior Design Legislation:

The last post talked about interior design legislation and the reasons behind it. Why shouldn’t interior designers be licensed? The 6 year education and experience allows them to be aware of safety measures of public spaces.

These legislation rulings give a very broad definition of “interior design” so many different professions fall underneath it.

The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) has many members, who by the standards of the practice act need to be licensed because the work they do falls under the broad topic of “interior design”. Many members would not be able to continue their practice unless they get licensed. The interior designers for this law say that the reasons behind the education and practice is because of the health, safety and welfare that is learned through these experiences and it is what is needed in using proper applications and layouts of a space and if this is done by someone without this knowledge then there is a possibility of harm to the occupants. NKBA and other people in the profession of “interior design” argue that there is no evidence that can prove that unlicensed designers have in anyway caused harm to the occupants of the spaces they have worked on.

An Issue That Has Arisen:

There are only three states that have the Practice Act in place Louisiana, Florida, and Nevada. In early 1990s Florida put its practice act for “interior design” in place. Underneath this act the subject of interior design covered a very large general topic. It forbid anyone without a licenses from doing anything that fell under “interior design” in a nonresidential space whether it was for hanging a picture or making a room layout. There were many that were upset by this because they were now out of a job and could not continue their practice without a license. The law was challenged in 2009:

Through all my research on this topic there seems to be the same argument for many years, those who do not go through the 6 year process to get a license feel that they are being wronged because all they are is just honest competition that the other half wants out of the way, because they see it as we are all just doing the same thing. Not to say that one is any better than the other, but where interior design focuses on the health, safety, and welfare of the individuals in a space interior decorating has a focus only on the aesthetic aspects of a space. Interior Designers need to continue to focus on educating others about what the profession is all about.

Refrences:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703551304576260742209315376.html

http://www.interiordesignsociety.org/content.asp?pl=16&sl=69&contentid=69

http://asidtx.org/files/2011/09/ID_Victorious_in_Florida-100215.pdf

http://www.carolinainteriordesignlegislation.org/where.html

Not So Simple

There are lots of things that most people do not realize about interior design (I never even realized all of this when i first got started with my schooling). One thing is all that is necessary to learn to become one and another one is that legislation is now forming in certain states for the right to claim oneself as a licensed interior designer. While in school and interning at an architecture firm for the summer I have come to realize one really important thing:

Interior Design is not what you see on TV. To really know what this practice is all about one needs an education and experience. Interior Design consists of much thorough decision making that covers the health, safety, and welfare of all occupants in a space. Through education interior designers learn about safety codes, means of egress, reasons behind material selections and more. Until one gets out in the working world and uses this information they have learned one cannot really understand all of it.

In the world of Interior Design there are types of different legislation that cover different types of Certifications. (every state is different, some do not even have any legislation about interior design):

·         Title Act
Regulates the use of a title, such as “registered interior designer” and is enacted in order to raise public awareness of the qualifications of professional interior designers in that particular state. Several U.S. states use the title “certified interior designer” in place of “registered interior designer” and four states and Ontario use the title “interior designer.” Title acts do not require individuals to become licensed in order to practice interior design, nor do they restrict an individual from providing the service of interior design. A person cannot, however, advertise or represent themselves as a “registered” interior designer unless he or she meets the minimum education, experience and examination requirements established in that state/province, and he or she fully applies for use of the state-regulated title with the proper state board or provincial association. 

·         Practice Act
A type of law that requires an individual to have a license in order to practice a profession. Practice acts prohibit the performance of professional services by anyone not licensed by the state agency charged with the duty of regulating that profession. Practice Acts also regulate a designated title (e.g., “registered interior designer,” “licensed interior designer,” “interior designer”) and often regulate other terminology as well (e.g., “interior design” and “interior design services.”)

·         Self-Certification 
Self-certification is like a title act because it regulates the use of a title. The difference between a title act and self-certification is the entity in control of the title. In title acts, the state controls the use of the title through a state board typically appointed by the governor. In self-certification, however, the title is controlled by an independent professional organization whose board members are appointed by interior design professionals. The state has very little oversight over self-certification. California is the only jurisdiction with a self-certification law.

·         Permitting Statute
Colorado’s interior design law is classified as a permitting statute. There is no state board and there is no title that is regulated. The law is an amendment to the architectural statute, adding an exemption for interior designers who have met the education, experience and examination requirements to submit plans for building permits.

(the above bullets are from the following website: http://www.careersininteriordesign.com/licensing.html) 

make sure to check my page titled eight to five for weekly updates! :)

 

On a Global Scale



    Most people will think that the profession of interior design will start and stop with the a project for a client, somebody wants something to look a certain way and the interior designer does it. But the creation of the concept does not start or end with that one project. Sometimes it is hard to see things on a bigger scale but design trends are affected globally by everyone on the world.

 

One definition of globalization says that it is the influence of increasing the exchange of thoughts and ideas across the world. Another says that globalization is the increasing of importation of products from abroad. A third definition says that it is the growth to a global or worldwide scale.

 

The more I learn about the profession of Interior Design I can see that all of the above apply. The first definition about the exchanging of thoughts and ideas is the biggest in my opinion. It is the way that design trends start with one person, but then are spread around the world. When people travel or move to different parts of the world they bring the things they like and enjoy with them. If others in the area like their idea they will start build off of it to create there own. These ideas don't just have to be spread out by happenstance they can also be spread by people wanting to share their ideas with others. Last week I sat in on a meeting with a lighting rep whose products where from Barcelona. That also goes under the second definition of the increasing of products from abroad. When ordering large amounts of furniture for certain project they are shipped from over seas.

 

Nothing that goes on in society now a days stays within just one region it travels around to other cultures. The video below is one of my favorites. It perfectly explains what interior design is and the role it plays in the everybody's life. This information is not just relevant for those of us in one region of America or even just one country, but this information holds true for everyone around the world.

 

 

 

Why Interior Design Matters

 

And How Does That Make You Feel....

Continuing the topic from the beginning of the week Evidence Based Design involves lots of research.  This research will take the designer through different fields. One of those fields is psychology, which gives an insight on how people react to certain environments.   These reactions could be for the best interest of the person or be harmful to someone. While doing some more research into EBD I found some cool facts about ho interior environments affect the behavior of people in them:

•  Food shoppers spend more money when circulation is clockwise
•  Mall Pedestrians tend to walk on the right side
• The close seats at sporting events create a  friendship with strangers
• Colors create the mood of the space (bright warm colors give excitement, whereas cooler colors give more of a soothing and calming effect)
• Dim lighting evokes a relaxed feeling
• Furniture allows for a division of rank among employees
• Less furniture allows for a feeling of openness (a therapist office does not have a big desk in the middle of the room so that the client will be more willing to relax and open-up)
• Natural lighting also a gives a more relaxed feeling

(note that the above facts were found on the following web pages and not part of my own research: http://ezinearticles.com/?Interior-Design-Psychology&id=993205, http://designbuildsource.com.au/psychology-interior-design, http://www.iida.org/resources/category/1/1/1/6/documents/sp10-ebd.pdf)

Having better understanding of how an individual uses a space and their reactions to certain types of situations helps the designer make their decisions about the outcome of the project to better serve the people that will be utilizing the space.

Interior Design is all about the health, safety and welfare of everyone individual  in a space. The research will never just stop on what is the style trend of today, but goes beyond that and continues until every aspect of a space is aesthetically pleasing while  keeping stress levels down, keeping the environment hygienic, and making layouts such as office buildings, hospitals, grocery stores, and schools easy for people to navigate. Next time you walk into a space and think that something is conveniently located or you leave with a smile on your face just remember that the designer of that space did their research to make things better for you.

More Than Meets the Eye

Evidence Based Design is a process of basing decisions about the built environment on credible research to achieve the best possible outcome. – (oxford English dictionary, 2000)

This means that by having better knowledge of how an individual uses a space helps designers to make their decisions about the outcome of their projects to better serve the people using the space. The idea for Evidence Based Design (EBD) started with healthcare. Designing a space that a person can heal in is so much more involved than a four sided box with a bed in the center. It is about making a person better mentally before they can get better physically. See the image below for some specific examples on how interior design helps with healing:

EBD does not stop there it is used with many interior spaces such as:

•  Offices
• Schools
•  Restaurants
• Shops
•  Even residences

Before design decisions are made about the space research is done do figure out how an individually can get the most out of a space. For example in a school:  

•   colors affect  child behavior;
• classroom layouts with effective teaching
• seating, furniture and operable windows actually heightened the learning experience

(the above was taken from the iida website article: The Future of Evidence-Based Design: By David Whitemyer) 

I hope no one is still thinking that interior design is all about the looks.

Universal Design

Universal Design has the same features as Aging in Place, but it covers every age range and ability. It also covers more than just residential houses, but the buildings that are accessed by the public, whether it is a shopping mall, restaurant, business, school or university.  

An interesting fact about Universal Design that I have found out about is that the idea for this concept started in the when soldiers came back from WWII and their lives where different. Many soldiers now had disabilities that they had not left home with and having a functional space that they could comfortably use became important.

Both links below go have a more in-depth history about how universal design got started:  

http://adaptyourspace.com/accessible-homes.php

http://universaldesign.ie/exploreampdiscover/historyofud

 

The Disability Act 2005 defines Universal Design, or UD, as:

1.the design and composition of an environment so that it may be accessed, understood and used

i.to the greatest possible extent,

 ii.in the most independent and natural manner possible,

iii.in the widest possible range of situations, and

iv. without the need for adaptation, modification, assistive devices or specialised solutions, by any persons of any age or size or having any particular physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual ability or disability, and

2.means, in relation to electronic systems, any electronics-based process of creating products, services or systems so that they may be used by any person. 

“An important component of Universal Design is the maintenance of aesthetics. In other words, to create something that is still visually pleasing to others despite being accessible to everyone. Function does NOT have to sacrifice beauty, and universally designed homes and public buildings can be just as beautiful and welcoming as any other design approach. Increasingly, experts are referring to the concept of Universal Design as the “wave of the future”. It is the hope of Universal Design advocates that eventually all buildings, homes, and products will be designed to meet the needs of everyone.” - http://adaptyourspace.com/accessible-homes.php

............

Continuing with yesterdays blog about Aging in place I found a site that has shows a section of a house that has aging in place design features. It covers everything that can be built in or added later.

http://adaptyourspace.com/plan.php

Aging in Place

One of the topics that I have come to know a lot about is Universal Design. A category that falls under Universal Design is Aging in Place. Aging in Place is the idea that someone can live in there house as they grow older and have the security of feeling safe and comfortable. There are many features that can be built into a house and some things that can added to an already existing house. Many people as they get older are wanting to stay in their own home and be able to be independent. There is always a sense of security that comes with familiar surroundings which can happen when someone is able to stay in their own home and Aging in Place design features allow for comfort in safety in these situations.

Aging in Place Design Features:

• Open floor plan
• Front louder appliances
• Knee space under counter tops
• Curb less showers
• Removable shower heads
• Grab bars
• Handles and faucets with lever knobs
• Having houses that have ramps or low slopes to get into them

Video showing aging in place design features in a home:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8CaQ1417JI

link to internet page that goes into explanation of some aging in place design features that are becoming a trend to home owners:

http://aginginplace.com/home-modification/test-page/

I always find it interesting how simple designs can have such big effects on an individual in a space. I feel that topics such as these will always be expanding and growing and there will always be more to learn.