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IIDA advocates for the advancement in design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design. We are strong advocates for the registration, and/or certification of practicing interior designers who work in a code-impacted environment.
What does it mean to advocate for your profession?
To advocate for interior design means to support, champion, and commend the profession to people, organizations, and legislators. It also means knowing how to communicate what interior designers do to various stakeholders. Public perception influences your practice in many ways, including your legal standing as a professional at both the state and national levels, access to resources, salaries, and the way you are treated by clients and colleagues alike.
As commercial interior designers, you have the opportunity to work with IIDA to advocate for legal recognition so that you may expect more from your careers in terms of control, growth, project ownership. Participate in direct action and learn how to successfully talk to your legislators about interior design, engage with current best practices and breakthrough research, and recognizing interior design through IIDA's advocacy program. We encourage you to be involved in advocating for your profession on the state and national levels.
Get Involved
At any given time, your community offers a wide variety of resources and activities that will help you keep growing as a professional and contribute to a dynamic design community. Get involved and use your voice to advocate to your local legislators to help them understand why recognition and certification of commercial interior design are vital to the health and safety of your community.
Images by Bill Cunningham
Everything you need to know from the latest bill news and interior design advocacy news.
Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico interior design community celebrates the passage of House Bill 384 in New Mexico, which protects the title and legal recognition of licensed interior designers in the state. With unanimity from both chambers of the New Mexico legislature, the bill was officially signed into law today by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. This victory follows success in other states to resist efforts that threaten the legal standing of commercial interior design. Following Similar Efforts in Wisconsin and Virginia, HB 384 Prevents Dissolution of Interior Design Board.
The Southwest Chapter of the International Interior Design Association worked with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) on the introduction of HB 384. This legislation counteracted a bill that would have dissolved the New Mexico Interior Design Board and removed the protected title of “Licensed Interior Designers” for those licensed professionals in New Mexico.
House Bill 4715 was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker on June 10, 2022, and voted on unanimously by the Illinois House and Senate, this historic legislation recognizes interior design as a distinct profession in the built environment and acknowledges the crucial role professional interior designers play in protecting occupant health, safety, and well-being.
The legislation expands the scope of interior design with permitting privileges for interior designers to stamp and seal plans, thus defining interior designers as professionals who protect and advance occupant health safety in their work. In expanding the scope of interior design, the new legislation recognizes the extensive education and knowledge of interior designers concerning safety solutions in the built environment, including ADA-friendly features and fire safety codes.
Sponsored/introduced by Senator Dale Kooyenga and Assembly Member Cody Horlacher, and signed into law by Governor Tony Evers, the new legislation reinforces the critical role of Wisconsin interior designers who protect occupant health safety in their work through robust practice rights and a strong scope of practice.
The bill removes several barriers for designer registration and establishes the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) as the bureau in charge of the industry’s certifications. The legislation further allows designers in Wisconsin to stamp and seal construction documents.
As a direct result of dedicated advocacy work from IIDA in partnership with ASID (The American Society of Interior Designers) and CIDQ (Council for Interior Design Qualification), North Carolina takes bold action, passing Bill 188 on July 8, 2021 establishing a voluntary state registry for qualified interior designers. This bill provides the opportunity for interior designer to stamp and seal construction documents for permits, and is the most comprehensive bill in the profession's history paving the way for nation-wide recognition in the future.
Prior to Bill S188, interior designers were not recognized as a distinct profession by the state of North Carolina. By codifying the rights and abilities of interior designers, North Carolina is also bolstering the safety of the built environment for its citizens. Interior designers play a key role in public safety, from fostering ADA-friendly environments to understanding fire safety codes and wayfinding. The law recognizes this critical knowledge base, enabling designers to bring their expertise on safety solutions, wellness, and more to a wide range of projects. The rights asserted in the bill further enable practitioners to utilize their skills and knowledge to design interior plans that will protect the public in the built environment — without the bureaucratic hurdles and added expenses that were formerly passed onto clients and consumers. It also makes it easier for interior designers to own and operate their own firms. With the interior design profession being predominantly female (more than 80%), the bill will enable the growth and creation of female-owned and operated businesses across the state and support equity within the profession.
A monumental achievement for practitioners of commercial interior design in Oklahoma, this law ensures more robust recognition and representation of commercial interior designers by modifying several terms within the State Architectural and Registered Interior Designers Act. The bill stems from efforts by members of The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and the Oklahoma Interior Design Coalition (OIDC).
- The title Registered Interior Design (RID) will be changed to Registered Commercial Interior Designer (RCID) to more accurately describe the profession.
- Added Stamp and Seal Provisions for RCIDs.
- The Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, and RCIDs will take one Architectural board seat and replace with one RCID seat for a total of two interior design representatives on the board.
- Definition added for interior design that matches the structure of the current law defining Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp worked with IIDA and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) to advance interior design practice with the passage of Colorado HB1165, which went into effect on September 14, 2020. This critical piece of legislation acknowledges the impact of interior designers on life safety in the interior built environment.
Rep. Kraft-Tharp previously taught at Metro State and Regis University and has served and currently serves on the board of directors of various local and national nonprofit organizations, dedicating her career to at-risk children and their families. As the Colorado State Representative for District 29 (Arvada and Westminster), Rep. Kraft-Tharp served as the Chair of the Business Affairs and Labor Committee. She is currently running for Jefferson County Commissioner. Rep. Kraft-Tharp worked with IIDA and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) to advance interior design practice with the passage of Colorado HB1165, which went into effect on September 14, 2020. This critical piece of legislation acknowledges the impact of interior designers on life safety in the interior built environment.
On June 30, 2020 advocacy work done in partnership with IIDA and ASID on behalf of interior designers, saw great success in the state of Florida as Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the Deregulation of Professions & Occupations Bill. This achievement is made possible through the advocacy work from IIDA and ASID, as well as the support and hard work of the Florida design community and colleague organizations such as the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ).
The deregulation bill ensures the integrity of the interior design profession and public safety through the formation of a voluntary state interior design registry. Interior designers in Florida will benefit from the law maintaining the title “Registered Interior Designer” for qualified designers, the interior design positions on the Board of Architecture & Interior Design, the interior design construction document stamp for plan review, and that “Registered Interior Designers” will fall within the statutory definition of “registered design professional.”
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