Midori Shim: Designing for Experience

Midori Shim, IIDA is a registered interior designer in Florida and interior designer at Gresham Smith. She believes that design is a language that communicates without words, drawing on experience and community. Shim has designed spaces for hospitality, education (K-12 and Higher Ed), historical, municipal, corporate, commercial, community centers, hospitals and clinics. As she navigates the design industry, Shim’s goal is to make sure the design is accessible to everyone. Her commitment to the IIDA community through her involvement with Design Your World and as President of the IIDA South Florida Chapter has given her the opportunity to make a difference inside and outside of the design community.

Working with the DYW program in Miami continues to inspire Shim in making design accessible to all; supporting students in finding their potential, seeing design as a way to have autonomy, and honing their passions through creativity. Shim details her experience with IIDA and how it has given her knowledge and opportunity.

Why did you join IIDA and how have you been involved?

During my undergraduate years, my interior design professor was adamant for us to be incredibly involved in the design community. Our professor told us how valuable it was to establish relationships within our professional community even before the beginning of our careers. Our studio participated in IIDA South Florida’s fashion show event, “Design Mix”, where an interior design team creates a garment from a manufacturer’s products. We had a great time and did this every year until graduating from Graduate School. Over the years of participation, I developed relationships with Manufacturer’s representatives, Interior Designers and Architects, which was simply from bonding on the topic of creativity and art.

After Graduate school, I participated in both creating garments for this event and volunteering as a coordinator for this event. Eventually, I started attending the BRAGG Awards, which is IIDA South Florida Chapter’s local Design Excellence Awards ceremony, which showcased the passion in the design community. I was recruited to join the board as the VP of Membership, which not only included membership recruitment and retainment, but giving back to the community that believes in IIDA South Florida’s initiatives. In 2022, I began my role as President of the IIDA South Florida Chapter and have developed more interpersonal and professional skills than I could’ve ever imagined as an interior design student.

05 IIDA SFC Diversity by Design Workshop — Shim at the IIDA South Florida’s Diversity by Design Workshop in Miami, Florida.

Image courtesy of Midori Shim

06 IIDA SFC Diversity by Design Workshop — Shim at IIDA South Florida’s Diversity by Design Workshop in Miami, Florida.

Image courtesy of Midori Shim

What inspired you to become a design professional?

Originally, I wanted to study Psychiatry. Human behavior can change or be determined by your experiences, how you look, what you’ve learned or haven’t learned, and more factors. Understanding how emotions work and how someone could benefit from understanding their emotions intrigued me. Eventually, a friend turned me on to architecture, which I planned to enroll in for undergraduate. Long story short, I applied for interior design by accident and never looked back. Knowing that a space can be manipulated which could result in an efficient and effective outcome fascinated me. If we were given a space that we could be ourselves, truly comfortable in whatever the task (or rest) we plan to do, our emotions would be better felt and understood.

Why is the IIDA community important to the future of design?

IIDA not only listens to the community but acts for the design community as well. IIDA provides knowledge and information on the career of interior design, processes, licenses or registrations, and more. With the design community’s involvement, they too can help with the progression of the career of interior design. IIDA is not only a community of people but a tool and platform that can be used to amplify design, support advocacy, provide needs to interior design students and help with career opportunities. IIDA educates everyone on the importance of the technicalities that are considered when creating a space and how good design can impact the user to use the space efficiently.

08 Coffee after a long walk in Japan — Shim enjoys coffee after a long walk in Kyoto, Japan.

Image courtesy of Midori Shim

04 IIDA Board Retreat 2023 — Shim attends the IIDA South Florida Board Retreat in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Image courtesy of Midori Shim

Why would you encourage others to join IIDA?

Joining a professional organization will teach you more about yourself and challenge you in ways you didn’t think you could solve. Being a part of IIDA taught me that we aren’t in this community alone. Interior designers worldwide are providing a complexity that combines art, creativity, technicalities, business, and psychology just to name a few. Manufacturer’s representatives, professors and student members practice, lecture, and even assist in the progression of interior design. Being part of the board of directors showed me that we could do so much together and can create an impact if we put our efforts and mind in the right place. Challenges like managing our personal and professional time, creating and understanding budgets, scheduling communications efficiently or coordinating a team to successfully complete an initiative can be done with the powerful use of one’s passion.