7 Best Interior Design Communities and Tips To Leverage Them For Your Business

Interior Design Communities

Being a part of a community is beneficial in more ways than one. If you are an interior designer, joining the best interior designer communities in the USA and around the world entails a myriad of benefits. 

The new-age professionals are more inclined towards utilizing social media for their business endeavors. While it is true, these platforms offer a world of benefits, the role of joining professional communities is irreplaceable in the current scenario. Not only offline. You can also connect with other like-minded interior design professionals on online communities.

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Are you looking for the best interior design communities across the world? Well, look no further as we have congregated the list of the seven best interior design communities and design groups worldwide to make it easier for you.

We understand the need to have professional associations in the decorators and interior design industry. Irrespective of whether you are an expert with a bucket load of experience or a student just starting out, associating yourself with the best interior design communities would help you in many ways. While most are non-profit, some of them require design professionals to pay a membership fee.

Here are the most revered seven best interior design communities around the world –

A community of over 13,500 members, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a hub for interior design collaboration. They help members excel and evolve seamlessly in the world of interior designing.

ASID houses over 5,500 student members and 6,000 industry partner representatives who undertake evidence-based and human-centric designs for creating an improved and more sustainable ecosystem. They have over 350 chapters around the world through which they collate and disseminate applied knowledge.

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The American Institute of Architecture (AIA) was founded by 13 architects and stylists back in 1857. In the modern-day, it is a voice for being the advocate for the value of architecture. Headquartered in Washington DC, it focuses on community redevelopment and works actively with governments to spread the word on professional advocacy.

Presently, it has over 95,000 members and over 200 chapters worldwide, making it one of the most active and best interior design communities around us. In addition, they offer five levels of membership, and their AIA calendar is one of the busiest interior design events offering periodic rewards. The membership categories vary according to your expertise and your location.

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The International Interior Design Association (IIDA), as the name suggests, is a community of international interior designers. They support design professionals, design students, affiliates, educators, and everyone else associated with this profession. Spreading across 58 countries and having a network of over 15,000 active members, IIDA is one of the most sought-after interior design communities globally.

IIDA conducts Leaders Virtual and events designed to honor regional design leaders frequently. It is a one-day event taking place in eight cities simultaneously.

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The International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) is one of the leading representatives of the furnishings and design industry. It gives interior designers access to a plethora of scholarships and grants via its IFDA Educational Foundation. In addition, it publishes a quarterly magazine showcasing work from selected members chosen based on their application.

The National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) or CIDQ, as commonly referred to, comprises regulatory boards across the US and Canada. Developed in 1974, its primary motive is to create, test, and promote guidelines for designing competency for interior designers.

The NCIDQ administers a series of three exams, the Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX), Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX), and the Practicum Exam. You will require an NCIDQ license to participate in the most prominent associations, such as IIDA, AIA, and ASID.

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The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is one of the best interior designer communities to create a sustainable and prosperous

future for the designers with the help of LEED, an initiative for green buildings and communities. They put more emphasis on creating environmentally and socially responsible projects that improve the quality of life.

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The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is the UK’s only professional institute for interior designers. They commit to advancing professionalism, integrity, and excellence among professionals by being approachable, inclusive, and ethical. You can choose from six categories of membership to be a part of this prestigious community.

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The interior design community is an exciting space that is continually evolving and often offers a fresh perspective on various things. Designing is forever influenced by the people and their culture. For example, you will find more artistic and intricate interiors if you visit Rome, whereas houses in Japan follow a minimalistic pattern for interior designing.

Similarly, the interior design landscape varies across cities in the USA too. People here are of the opinion that it is vital to continually push the design envelope and offer something that will cater to one and all.

So here are the top five cities in the USA with the most active interior design communities:

1. Seattle
2. Denver
3. San Francisco
4. Los Angeles
5. Portland

How to leverage communities for your interior design business? Well, there are more ways than one to do it.

If you want to supercharge your interior designing hobby and want to make a successful career out of it, joining the best interior design communities often helps elevate your growth trajectory.

Here are five tips to help you leverage the interior design communities for your benefit:

1. Get introduced to people in your profession

Joining the best interior design communities helps you feature across their social media platforms and other outlets often. It increases your visibility and helps you to market yourself organically.

It also gives you an added advantage when you pitch yourself to new clients. For example, if you are a member of the American Society of Interior Designers. So when you meet a prospect, introducing yourself as a member of it would give you a higher chance of consideration.

A professional community often has wings internationally. So even when you are meeting a client belonging to a different region, they probably already know about ASID. Furthermore, if you have been regularly featuring on their social media and other platforms, there is a probability they know you too.

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2. Get access to a world of invaluable resources

Being a member of an interior design community entails a multitude of resources, such as expert advice, motivation, and new opportunities. These often prove impeccable in expanding your business and covering new territories. By utilizing community marketing, you can not only get advice from experts, but you can also understand your business’s funding and capital aspect potential.

It especially bodes well for forward-looking individuals who are more willing to introduce themselves to new people and welcome their suggestions. It would not only benefit them but the community as a whole and would make expansion easier.

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3. They propel you to experiment

The interior design profession has a lot of scope for experimenting and is not the best profession for those who fear mixing and matching. Individuals are often reluctant to try out-of-the-box design projects unless they meet people like themselves who have already been doing it for years.

The best interior design communities are a budding place for aspiring professionals as they do not bog them down by placing unnecessary restrictions. They introduce you to a plethora of people with varying traits, talents, and interests. These people often inspire you to come out of your shell and showcase your true talent to the world.

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4. Attending events regularly open new doors

The best interior design communities promote regular meet-ups. These are a vital part of being in the industry and staying relevant. Why may you ask? Community meet-ups are an excellent way to stay updated with your industry’s latest trends and showcase your willingness to learn.

In addition, trade events and exhibitions are great fun. You get to travel to new places, often countries, catch up with industry news, find how people in the region understand interior designing and what works and what doesn’t for them. It gives you a new vision and adds versatility to your work.

For example, you head over to New York City for a trade event, and you meet one of the top interior designers in the city who is part of the same community. They explain to you how you can use a custom 3D printer to augment your designs and create exceptional DIY projects. Such experiences can be invaluable for your growth as an interior design professional.

In addition, these events also act as a meeting point for a multitude of people belonging to diverse cultures and regions. These experiences not only add up, but you never know these acquaintances can become your future partners, clients, or boss.

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5. They teach you life is more than just your primary passion

The best interior designer communities are much more than merely a group of design professionals. Similarly, the life of a working individual, irrespective of the field they are in, is much more than their work. Most professionals also develop other passions completely unrelated to their work. It helps them lead healthy and well-balanced life and contributes to their well-being.

When we regularly meet people from our community, we come across many of them having a handful of alternate passions, such as collecting coins, investing in real estate, wine, catching up at a music concert, or watching a baseball match. It not only changes us as a human being but positively impacts our performance as a professional too.

Often, these alternate passions also contribute to their works as interior designers. Even though it is difficult to explain the connection, they often find inspiration from something else they love. For example, if an individual loves traveling or movies. The visual cues they collect from their experiences contribute to their work and help them in more ways than one.

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Conclusion

While it is great to work upon yourself and hone your skills, it is equally vital for you to socialize and meet industry professionals in interior designing. It helps you keep a tab on their growth and also analyze where you stand. Joining online communities will help you share your own experiences and learn from others.

If you have the right business tools, each stage of the interior design process will be easier and more efficient.  Foyr Neo is a one-stop-shop for all your design needs. The multifaceted design software has so many features to choose from that it makes it easier to visualize your design ideas more effectively. 

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