The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) May Interior Design Billings Index (IDBI) released this summer showed an increase to a score of 65.1, reflecting the current health of the industry. This score hasn’t been registered since May of 2014.
The current scores are above the IDBI three-month moving average trend of 62.2. The ASID business inquiries index, a leading indicator of potential work, registered at 65.7 in May, up from 63.6 in April. These readings offer a snapshot of how well the industry is doing and point to healthy growth for design firms and the industries they serve.
Design firms across the country showed billing strength in May, with scores well above 50. Scores above 50 indicate expansion, while scores below 50 indicate contraction.
Firms in the Midwest and Northeast increased to scores of 58.3 and 68.8, jumping 11 points and 18.75 points respectively. Firms in the West also showed increased activity, posting an increase of 6.2 points from a score of 61.3 in April. Firms in the South have shown steady strength over the last 12 months and registered a score of 69.2.
Design firms are expecting business to increase based on the six-month outlook index. The IDBI is produced by the ASID Research department under the leadership of ASID Vice President of Research and Knowledge Management David Krantz in partnership with Jack Kleinhenz, Ph.D., and Russ Smith, Ph.D., both of Kleinhenz & Associates.
The IDBI is a diffusion index compiled from a monthly survey of 300 geographically diverse firms that offer interior design services as their primary business or as part of architectural, engineering or other related practices.
