With everything you have to do to keep your business afloat, committing yourself to yet one more thing is probably not at the top of your list. We get it: You’re busy. But if you’re a designer, retailer or manufacturer, and you’re not a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, you’re probably missing out. If you join one more thing as we enter the last quarter of 2018, ASID is a good one to get in on. The organization, which encompasses all the design sectors (residential, commercial, hospitality, healthcare and education), provides community and support to members while working to advance, promote and showcase the impact of design. And there are some pretty sweet perks to joining up with your local chapter.
We caught up with Olga Odeide, vice president of Industry Partners and Membership at ASID to cut through the fluff to the really good stuff. Here’s why you should be running (not walking) to sign up for an ASID membership.
Street cred
Each ASID membership comes with a professional credential (Darla B. Designer, ASID, at your service). Since part of what ASID strives for is professionalism and dedication to ethical design practices, those four letters after your name can make a big impression on your clients and other business partners. And because a requirement of ASID membership is keeping up with continuing education credits, it shows that you’re up on the latest design trends and skills.
Good to know: Members of the public can search for ASID-affiliated designers with the organization’s “Find a Pro” search function on its website. There’s a second search called “Find an IP,” which the public can use to locate ASID-affiliated industry partners (i.e. retailers and manufacturers)—more on IPs in a minute.
All the knowledge (for free)
ASID is putting its money where its mouth is. “We spent over a million dollars in the last five years just to develop research and education on behalf of the industry,” Odeide says. Focusing on health and wellness, resiliency, sustainability and the business of design, ASID turns around and shares its findings through its annual state of the industry report, monthly and quarterly design billing indexes, briefs on individual sectors and more. There’s typically a fee to access these findings, but they’re always free to ASID members.
#Squadgoals
We all get by with a little help from our friends, and ASID has its members’ backs. “We encourage legislation that supports the practice of interior design in the U.S.,” Odeide says. “We support state-focused activity, but we also provide a voice at the national level to protect practice rights (the ability to be recognized as an accredited profession) so that designers have the power to design a better future for ourselves and for the profession.” ASID encourages its members to get involved in these legislative efforts through their local chapters.
A material world
As designers, it’s up to us to make smart decisions when it comes to the materials and substances we put in our clients’ homes. But the choices can be overwhelming at best. A partnership with Material ConneXion means ASID members have free access to manufacturing and make-up information on thousands of cutting-edge materials and the expertise and knowledge of a team of scientists to back it up.
To help them make educated and responsible design decisions, ASID members can take advantage of the Material ConneXion satellite library at ASID headquarters in Washington, D.C., or simply get online. Members get access to the full digital library online, is a $2500 value annually, Odeide says.
Cool programming that caters to you
Each ASID chapter determines and organizes its local programming and events, but ASID does national programming based on career stage too. There’s a national summit for student members, a three-day leadership event geared toward all professional members and an experiential program for principals, partners and owners just to name a few.
“Professional development is a priority for us,” Odeide says. “We believe that we are participating and starting the shared conversations around what's happening in the industry and around where it needs to advance. We take what we learn through those conversations, research it and then turn that research into education.”
The end goal? To provide ASID membership with the skills and tools (and community) they need to make an impact with design.
Bonus (this one’s for you, retailers)
Don’t think for a moment, ASID is just for designers. There’s room for all of us design-savvy peeps at this party. Retailers (and manufacturers too) can join as industry partners with many of the same perks plus a few extras just for you. As an ASID member, industry partners can look forward to:
- Countless opportunities to mingle with interior designers and other industry professionals — 25,000 members.
- Access to reduced rates on business-y things like insurance and marketing services.
- Opportunities to host local chapter events and continuing education courses through ASID.
And so much more. Find out more information here.
Why are you a member of ASID? Share with us in the comments.
