The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), together with THE MART in Chicago, presents the 2024 ASID Design Business Lecture Series, an ongoing partnership dedicated to providing residential practitioners an in-depth look at key topics that impact the design profession. Covering a range of topics, including finances, contracts, social media and marketing and sustainable materials and advocacy, the free series continues through November 2024.
“As the leading design association encompassing practitioners across all sectors, ASID wanted to foster a space in THE MART to welcome residential designers and offer them resources and connections to further their professional success,” said Khoi Vo, chief executive officer, ASID."
Through this initiative, ASID and THE MART have harnessed their collective expertise to give designers a competitive advantage, thanks to a well-rounded slate of resources — from business to design — that dive deep into what it takes to run a successful practice. With a series of topics carefully curated and led by industry leaders, the ASID Design Business Lecture Series will guide residential designers through every aspect of the ever-evolving field, leveraging these CEUs to create and maintain impactful businesses.”
The series so far has offered valuable insight. In January, Greg McDonough presented on “Your Financials Can Be a Powerful Tool for Your Interior Design Business;” February saw Jeremy Welsh’s lecture, “Not All Policies Are Created Equal;” and March offered a presentation by Emma Tessler, Allied ASID, founder and CEO of Ninety Five Media, “3x Your Lead Pool With Strategic Social Media Marketing.”
To read more and register for future presentations, visit:
https://www.themart.com/events/. All programs are in-person only, free of charge.
The remaining lecture series presentations are:
“Three Strategies to Transform Your Business for Profit and Joy” presented by Sandra Funk Levy, Associate ASID on May 15: Transform your business into a thriving design firm that you absolutely love. There are three strategies that are essential to business evolution. After this workshop, you will be ready to implement the systems that you need to transform your business, shift to a mindset that clients gravitate towards and become truly valued and referred in your community.
“Materials for Healthy People, Places, and the Planet: A Toolkit for Specifying Healthy and Sustainable Materials” presented by Heather Sutherland, ASID, RID, LEED AP BD+C on July 17: Learn a step-by-step process to vet materials for human health and carbon impact. Specifying healthy, sustainable materials is a critical part of the process, but it can often seem complex and time-intensive for designers. Using this toolkit, you’ll learn the steps to specify low-impact carbon materials and avoid chemicals of concern in your building products. Regardless of your expertise level, you will acquire a range of options and tools to confidently select materials to minimize both harmful health and carbon impact in your projects.
“Forever Chemicals: What Designers Need to Know” presented by Dr. Cristi Bell-Huff on August 21: Learn more about how the compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise a class of thousands of manmade chemicals used across wide swathes of daily life. While the presence of PFAS in contaminated wastewater has made headlines, less attention has been given to PFAS in performance textiles (those that provide additional functions like repelling, resisting or protecting from a specific element, like water or stains). Learn what designers need to know about PFAS.
“How Design Impacts Your Daily Work Environment” presented by Lily Brown, Associate ASID, LEED AP on September 26: Drawing from over five years of experience in designing corporate and higher education spaces, Brown has developed a detailed approach to navigating the needs and desires of her clients and incorporating these elements effortlessly into a beautiful space, all while acknowledging the existing architecture and staying true to their vision. During this presentation, Brown will share her approach, providing insight on how practitioners can leverage design in workspaces.
“Why Interior Designers Should Know Relevant Codes & Standards” presented by Tracey Fillmore, ASID, NCIDQ, CAPS, Green AP, RID & Virginia Weida, ASID, NCIDQ, CFM, LEED AP, WELL AP on October 16: While industry codes and standards may be daunting, familiarity with relevant codes and standards is necessary for all designers who work within the constructed space. It is vital to have a working understanding of codes and standards that must be adhered to and implemented in your work. Build your code confidence by reviewing some critical interior design codes and standards, learning how they are applied and where to find relevant information. Our mission as interior designers is to protect the life, health, safety and welfare of building occupants – and compliance with codes and standards is one we can ensure that mission is met.
“Advocating for the Future of Interior Design” presented by Lauren Earley, Esq., ASID’s associate director of government and public affairs, on November 20: Learn how to advocate for the value of interior design through developing and constructing safe and healthy spaces with Earley. Interior designers have a responsibility to advocate for their profession. How you, as a practitioner, represent interior design impacts public perception of the profession – from your family and friends in your immediate circle, to your colleagues and peers in your professional network to your clients and the end users in your projects. Trust is built between you and these various audiences when you develop the interior environment by applying your knowledge of codes, policies, standards and more. If you don’t advocate for the value of interior design, who will?
About ASID
The American Society of Interior Designers believes that design impacts lives. Through its programs, networks, and advocacy, ASID serves all those who are a part of the interior design profession and practice. This support extends to their membership, encompassing practitioners of all levels of training across all sectors of design, to Affiliate Members and Partners to represent all contributors to the built environment. ASID thrives on the strength of cross-functional and interdisciplinary relationships among designers of all specialties, including workplace, healthcare, retail and hospitality, education, institutional, and residential. As a leader in shared conversations around topics that matter in design, from evidence-based and human-centric design to social responsibility, well-being, and sustainability, ASID showcases the impact of design on the human experience and the value interior designers provide.
ASID will mark its 50th anniversary in 2025. Celebrating 50 years of industry leadership, ASID is committed to broadening the impact for the future of design in all of the places we work, play, and heal. Learn more at asid.org.
