Greetings from IDC-Oregon,

For those who don’t know, the Interior Design Collaborative (IDC)-Oregon is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization dedicated to enacting and sustaining interior design registration. We are an all-volunteer organization with a board of directors, executive board and liaisons to design organizations. Our responsibility is to inform and collaborate with local interior design affiliations, the Oregon Chapters of International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and to work with them in tandem to educate the public on the professional services and responsibilities of interior designers. We also educate professionals and encourage other organizations involvement that are interested in supporting our efforts. This year, new messaging has been developed and a successful Advocacy day was held on May 29th 2015. IDC-Oregon will pursue legislation in the 2017 legislative season and we are very excited about the strides that have been made over the last 6 months and the opportunities we have to educate our legislators and members of the public over the next year.

Why Should the State Recognize Commercial Interior Design? 

Commercial interior design has grown to a $157 million industry in Oregon–it’s time to help ensure that consumers have confidence they are receiving quality service from designers and that you have the right to practice to the fullest extent of your education and experience. For instance, designers must currently have an architect review and sign off on a designer’s planning documents for permit, even if that architect lacks the expertise the designer brings to the process. This delays projects and adds expense.

Letting commercial designers voluntarily register with the state would:

• Keep Costs Lower – Reduces the costs associated with having architects un-necessarily participate on projects and stamp plans developed by commercial interior designers.
• Increase Responsibility – Gives consumers the confidence that they are working with qualified, reliable professionals that are using the latest information regarding health, safety, and productivity.
• Provide Greater Transparency – Will help set clear guidelines for interaction with other design professionals and government entities.
• Ensure Better Accountability – Ensures that if commercial interior designers fail to uphold best practices they can be held accountable.
• Foster Competition – Registration will allow commercial interior designers to better compete for commercial, government, and out-of-state contracts, helping save taxpayers money and grow our local economy.

It is time to provide for voluntary registration of commercial interior designers in Oregon law.

IDC-Oregon will be working with our lobbyist to schedule in district meetings with legislators this season. We need help from each and every one of you! If you’re interested in meeting with your legislator to advocate for the profession, please contact IDC-Oregon at info@idc-oregon.org. It’s easy, we’ll provide training and talking points!