ASID: 30 Years of Advancing Interior Design
By Kathy A. Johnson
Interior Design Columnist
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a nonprofit professional society that represents the interests of interior designers and the interior design community. Its purpose is to promote professionalism in interior design services and products for home and workplace.
ASID was founded in 1975 with the consolidation of the American Institute of Decorators (AID) and the National Society of Interior Designers (NSID). The organization now boasts 34,500 members (including 450 international members) and 48 chapters in the United States. Of that number, 20,000 are practicing designers, working in commercial or residential interior design, or both. The rest of the membership includes student members (around 9,500) and ASID industry partner representatives.
Why Join?
ASID offers continuing education services, networking opportunities (including online chat rooms, forums, and directories), marketing tools, and discounts on professional services. They also sponsor recognition and awards programs, and produce the only available preparatory course for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam. For student members, ASID offers scholarships, career days, seminars, competitions, and more.
Types of Membership
Several types of ASID membership exist. To obtain a professional membership, you must have completed a course of accredited education and/or equivalent work experience in interior design, and passed the NCIDQ exam. Allied memberships are open to practicing designers who have a bachelor's degree with a major in interior design or architecture, or a two- or three-year degree or certificate in interior design.
You may apply for student membership if you are enrolled in an interior design program where an ASID chapter exists. You may become an independent student member if you are a student in a program where there is no ASID chapter.
ASID membership is a good way to expand your horizons as a designer or student of design. (For more details, see below for ASID contact information).
For More Information:
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
608 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002-6006
(202) 546-3480
http://asid.org/
About the Author
Kathy A. Johnson has written articles on health, fitness, and many other topics in her career as a freelance writer and editor. She lives in Florida, and is the features editor of Forum, a bimonthly publication of the national mothers group, Mothers & More.
Previous: Screen Test
Next: Interior Decorating
Back to News Archive
Want to suggest interior design news or links?
