Mind the Business Gap

For a young student, four or five years can seem like a long time to attain a degree in interior design. For those of us who teach design, however, there is never enough time to cover all the things we want students to know in order to fully prepare them for a career in interior design. One of the areas that receives less than full attention is the business of design.

We spend a lot of time on design and its process, and less time on running a design business and dealing with people and issues that come up during projects. All CIDA-accredited programs include a professional practice class that covers topics like basic procedures, contracts, professional standards and ethics, and business models. To supplement that course, either through their departments or student chapters, schools often will bring in guest speakers, hold special events, and take students on firm tours to acquaint them with the business side of design. In our program at Colorado State University—Fort Collins, we have become more conscientious of instilling a business mindset in all of our courses, impressing on students the practicalities of designing in a firm, such as accounting for billable hours and developing interpersonal skills like team building and conflict management. Internships are another way for students to gain valuable business experience.

Still, we regularly hear from firms and alumni that they wish new graduates had a more thorough understanding of design business and the workaday world of interior design. Several years ago, in conjunction with Syracuse University, ASID conducted surveys of firm owners to find out what skills and qualities they looked for when hiring new graduates. Owners frequently mentioned having some understanding of how a design business operates, knowledge of a typical career path, good work habits, and a strong work ethic as important traits. Recent graduates often remark that they wish they had acquired more training in how to market interior design services and work effectively with clients.

Some students—especially older, second-career students—have business education and experience that they bring to their design studies. They may have already owned their own business or worked in management, sales, retail, or finance. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of students doing a dual major in design and business, and a few schools now offer majors or certificates in design management. After several years of tight job markets, students today are eager to gain whatever advantage they can to make themselves more employable. Whether their goal is to work in a firm or start their own business, they know they will benefit from acquiring business skills and experience.

“My MBA has been invaluable to me,” said Charrisse Johnston, principal at Steinberg Architects. She holds a BA in behavioral sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a MBA in management and marketing from Columbia Business School, and had a career on Wall Street before deciding to study interior design at UCLA. “Especially working in commercial design, I have a better understanding of my clients, the pressures they’re under, the accounting and finance aspects of a project they have to consider, the importance of branding and key differentiation from one’s competitors. For example, I can explain to them how they can amortize a project to minimize the impact on their bottom line. That’s a very real concern.”

In addition to learning design business practices, Johnston believes students need to have a general understanding of the business world, including economics, financial markets, and human resources. “What’s missing is an understanding of business with a capital ‘B,’” she said. “I encourage students to read everything they can in the business press, so they have things they can talk about with a client.

Designers today need an understanding of their clients’ industry, lifestyle and demographic trends, user experience, and technology. Because they impact our clients, they impact what we do as designers.”

Professional associations have an important role to play in filling the need for more extensive design business education. I tell my students it is not enough for them to have attained their degree. They need to remain informed and current to stay relevant and competitive. Through continuing education courses, conferences, workshops, panel discussions, and publications, professional associations keep members updated on the latest industry trends, developments, and practices, including business models, marketing strategies, and management and HR issues. Not only were professional associations educating practitioners about sustainable design long before it became part of the academic curriculum, but they also were providing them with insights and strategies for selling sustainable design to clients.

From the very beginning, part of ASID’s mission was to help designers succeed and grow the market for their services through continuing education and professional development. Over the years it has developed an extensive curriculum and body of design business resources. The “Designers” and “Knowledge Center” sections of the ASID website contain essential information on business management and trends. Through the ASID Advantage program members have access to liability insurance, contract documents, and other business resources.

We recently implemented our new Business Strategy Solutions for small businesses, a series of four online, CEU-approved courses, developed by design business consultant Steve Nobel. The classes guide designers through the vital steps of building a successful business: setting intentions, attracting clients, managing projects, and sustaining the practice. And we are currently revising, updating, expanding, and improving our entire catalog of continuing education courses, which will relaunch later this year through a new learning management platform.

As much as we would like to give our students all the information and knowledge they will need, in reality it is just not possible. Designers and educators know that an interior design degree program is only the first step toward becoming a design professional. We continue to learn through practice, from our colleagues, and by ongoing professional development activities. I encourage this year’s graduates to get involved in their professional associations and take advantage of the many resources and opportunities they offer in order to build on their education and grow as professionals.

Stephanie Clemons, Ph.D., FASID, FIDEC, serves as the ASID National Chair, Board of Directors and is a Professor of Interior Design and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Colorado State University. ASID can be reached at 202-546-3480 or [email protected], and on the Web at asid.org.