As interior design leaders, our days are spent planning, creating, envisioning, reimagining, and consulting. Our full plates leave us little time to step back from current projects and reflect on the big picture—where we have been, how we arrived at our current place, where we are going, and what legacy we can leave behind.
As we reflect on the history of design, it seems fitting to pause for a moment and contemplate our individual legacies—what mark will we each leave on the interior design industry?
It’s a lofty question that is often too simply answered with gestures toward our portfolios, awards, publications, or revenue. But are these our only contributions to the built environment? Does a legacy extend beyond what we can see, touch, and upload to our websites?
We need to think bigger than our day-to-day work product, and as leaders in our industry, we have a larger responsibility to nurture and cultivate the next generation of interior designers. How can we make a lasting impression on those who will use our history and vision to inform the future of the design?
As the current chair of the IIDA College of Fellows, which is comprised of members who have demonstrated outstanding and exemplary professionalism and leadership, I challenge all IIDA, AIA, ASID, and IDEC Fellows to lead by example and make a personal investment in young, eager, and talented professionals; to act as teachers, mentors, and counselors to the next generation; and to shape a legacy of which we can be proud.
If you aren’t already involved with students or young professionals in the field, it can seem a daunting task to engage them. But these opportunities are often as valuable for seasoned professionals as they are for those who are benefiting from our knowledge and expertise. And the commitment does not have to be exceptional. Here is how each of us can get started:
mentor an iida student member
Mentorship doesn’t have to be a formal arrangement that requires extensive amounts of time and dedication. In fact, most mentor-mentee relationships involve little more than quarterly coffee dates and sporadic emails. If that sounds intimidating, start by signing up to be a mentor for the 2016 IIDA Student Mentoring Program. IIDA will match you with one or two design students who will spend one day shadowing you and learning everything they can about the “real world” of interior design. It’s a simple way to get involved with the next generation of design professionals and potentially make a lasting impression. I have personally mentored through the IIDA program and found it both rewarding and refreshing.
guest lecture at a local design program
Reach out to professors at local colleges and universities that have design programs and ask about opportunities to be a guest lecturer. Over the years, I have had the honor of lecturing at the University of Maryland and George Washington University. Professors are often thrilled to host professionals who can provide their students with different perspectives and insights into the design industry. Incorporate the tools that have helped you be successful along the way.
host a lunch-and-learn
Engage young professionals in your office with monthly or quarterly lunch-and-learn meet-ups. Tap into the established talent at your firm to speak about different topics, including how new designers can make the most of their professional memberships through networking opportunities, continuing education, and competitions. Always offer your perspective, especially on career issues and challenges that don’t come up in everyday conversation.
contribute to the designing for the future campaign
Leave a legacy by supporting the continuing education and professional development goals of the next generation. Through the end of November, consider making a contribution to the IIDA Designing for the Future Campaign, which provides financial assistance to associate members who have passed the NCIDQ exam.
engage with your local iida chapter
Take your involvement with your IIDA chapter to the next level. Volunteer to facilitate a Principals Roundtable, and lead local experts in a timely discussion about industry topics to the benefit of all designers in your area.
Organize a pro bono project
As a leader in the field, set an example for rising designers by putting your expertise to work for those who need it most. Through partnerships with Public Architecture, which identifies and solves practical problems of human interaction in the built environment, and Design for Dignity, which offers pro bono design services to nonprofit organizations, IIDA can connect you to local projects that allow you to engage with your community, encourage involvement from new designers, foster positive social change, and serve a greater good.
Recruit a new IIDA Member
Share your personal experiences of the advantages and benefits of IIDA membership with those who are new to the profession. New members will enjoy the rest of 2015 membership for free when they join IIDA now for 2016. (It’s not all altruistic: You’ll be entered in a drawing for a gift card for every new member you refer).
Yes, the design work we leave behind is critical. It impacts the lives of those who enjoy our spaces whether it’s to live, work, or play. But, when we make a personal investment in our next generation of designers, we give what is most valuable—our experience. I hope you’ll meet this challenge with energy and enthusiasm. However you choose to engage our future professionals, you’ll likely find the experience is as fulfilling (if not more so) for you as it is for them.
James Williamson, FIIDA, LEED AP ID + C, is a practicing interior designer and principal at Gensler in the Washington, D.C., office and the 2015-2017 chair of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) College of Fellows.
