Designers today are being asked to solve increasingly complicated problems. Whether planning for office space that encourages healthier behaviors or integrating multiple generations in one home, we must create spaces that are right today and relevant tomorrow. The urgency to solve today’s complex building and design problems is making an interdisciplinary approach more important than ever. Ensuring that we have all the practitioners at the table—from designers to architects, engineers, and facility managers—is increasingly critical.
That was one of the key findings from the first “ASID Think Tank Challenge” gathering, held in Washington, D.C., this spring—which brought together thought leaders from leading firms and a variety of disciplines. The participants told us that the problems interior designers are tasked with solving are far more intricate than ever before, and design is becoming more multifaceted as a result.
Designers of educational spaces, for example, must deliver optimized learning environments with technically sophisticated lighting, acoustics, durability, materials safety, code compliance, technological accessibility, connectivity, and resiliency. They must do so on tight budgets, while protecting the environment and preserving the mental and physical health of future occupants. As is the case with all other design disciplines, there’s a lot on the line—so failing in any of these areas can have real consequences.
We can’t do it alone. We must stop thinking of buildings as siloed, separate components that are the domain of a single profession. Instead, we should continue to adopt a systems-thinking methodology
that looks at the building as an interconnected, interactive whole. Complex challenges like these and other more vexing problems require technical knowledge in a variety of disciplines, ranging from architecture and design (interior, graphic, landscape) to an array of engineering specializations (structural, industrial, mechanical, acoustical, electrical, systems), and even fields like psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
To address these needs, design firms are pulling together teams using in-house talent and specialized consultants. The best design solutions come from a holistic approach that pulls on varied expertise from the very beginning of the process. Waiting until later just doesn’t work. The Think Tank participants acknowledged, however, that executing a truly interdisciplinary design process can be the exception rather than the rule, because tight timelines and budgets usually don’t allow for it. But when it does happen, it’s often the interior designer, relying on charismatic leadership and effective project management, who pulls the disciplines together.
Another aspect of this approach is the need for inclusiveness and understanding of cultural differences. The participants talked about a growing sensitivity among designers for how our perspective, while still our own, is inextricably linked to a broader cultural framework. Although great design transcends borders, there are still cultural distinctions among our clients that must be considered. Solutions must be cross-cultural. While designers increasingly recognize the importance of our differences, they simultaneously seek design solutions that cut across cultures. As Barbara Marini, former ASID national president, noted in these pages not long ago, “In terms of interior space, we share a common language, despite our cultural
differences and geographic locations.” Understanding needs across the whole spectrum compels us to use a multifaceted, multidisciplinary strategy.
To achieve great design, and to keep interior designers at the center of the process, this approach dictates that we know our own discipline deeply, but also branch out to understand fields that complement the work we do. Skilled project managers with wide knowledge in many areas, and deep in a few, are best positioned to capitalize on the interdisciplinary plan.
ASID is addressing this trend in several ways. We are leading interior designers in dialogue that matters—from evidence-based and human centric design to social responsibility, well-being, and sustainability—and reporting on trends that cut across interior design specialties. We also are updating our businesses education offerings to include training in team-building. In addition, we are reaching out to other professions and disciplines to engage in dialogue with us, and participating in partnerships and coalitions that will increase understanding and access to knowledge. Through innovation and leadership, we will continue to move the profession forward.
Learn more about these and other trends in the Field Notes feature on page 18, which covered our recently released State of the Industry report. To obtain a copy of the report, visit the ASID website at www.asid.org.
Stephanie Clemons, Ph.D., FASID, FIDEC, serves as the ASID national chair on its Board of Directors, and is a professor of interior design as well as University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Colorado State University. ASID can be reached at 202-546-3480 or [email protected], and online at asid.org.
