CIDA Board of Directors Adopts New Standards

Interior design aficionados unquestionably understand the practice’s dynamic and complex nature. In a decision that will more comprehensively prepare graduates for entry into this evolutionary profession, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) Board of Directors adopted new quality standards for higher education programs. Effective January 1, 2017, the new standards are slated to impact hundreds of students that graduate from CIDA-accredited programs each year.

“The importance of thoughtfully and routinely reviewing and elevating our Professional Standards cannot be understated,” says CIDA Board Chair Pamela Evans. “The far reaching impact and importance of CIDA Standards on our students and the public is worthy of continual evaluation.” The CIDA revises these standards every few years to address contemporary practices and reflect the most current information about emerging factors influencing the future. Most refinements involve keeping up with technological innovations and environmental concerns—subtle, but significant.

Just as collaboration among multiple disciplines strongly impacts design, it played a crucial role in developing the new standards. “We would not be able to produce such high quality revisions without the rigorous process of information gathering and the community engagement we continually received,” says Margaret Portillo, CIDA Standards Committee Chair 2015. “Having specific feedback and input from our various stakeholders ensures the validity and relevance of CIDA’s Professional Standards 2017.”

The CIDA Board credits the CIDA Standards Committee for propelling this extensive project, along with sponsors The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the ASID Foundation, the IIDA Foundation, the Interior Designers of Canada, Interior Design, and Steelcase.

Photo caption, from top: Margaret Portillo; Pamela Evans.