This can be accomplished by elevating our personal perception of our influence on the built environment. As an industry, we laud one another within trade publications and competitions. Of course, this is a crucial communication chain. However, we have done a poor job of enlightening John Q. Public about the value of interior designers. Today's world is pelted with slick advertising and multi-media campaigns to go retail.
Retailers say they can make it fast, painless and cheap.
The public and many of our clients want it faster and cheaper and will find alternate ways of getting what they want. Clearly it's time to actively stimulate the growth of our profession by investing in our future. At the recent IIDA Residential Forum, Steven Mittman, president of Lewis Mittman Inc., a long-standing fine custom furniture manufacturer, along with Ed Goldberg, vice president of Edward Fields Inc., agreed that the interior design community must begin to educate the public. Specifically, awareness should be raised about the role of the professional and the quality of sources available only to the professional. The residential interior designer cannot continue to settle for projects by job referrals, listings in the back of publications or showhouse ads in programs.