4.21.08 | During NeoCon 07, an alarm was sounded for the interior design profession. The warning was loud and clear: a serious decline in the pool of interior design educators was and is putting our profession in jeopardy. We realized we need to do something fast to continue fostering future generations of interior designers with the ever increasingly complex skill set demanded by our clients. The original Call to Action Dialogue at NeoCon 07 to address the declining pool of interior design educators, sponsored by Kimball Office, was well attended by interior design educators and practitioners. It became clear that the problem has many challenging and disparate components.

4.21.08 | A year ago, I had never heard of IFI- The International Federation of Interior Architects/ Designers but this august organization was formed when interior design was still in its infancy in the United States. IFI was founded in Denmark in 1963 to unite and provide discussion of interior design issues within a handful of European countries. Now, the organization has membership representing 52 member associations, institutions and schools in 45 countries on every continent and, through its membership associations, represents over 25,000 practicing interior designers worldwide. In the U.S., the American Society of Interior Designers is a full member, and several interior design schools are members. Shashi Caan, as an ASID member, is the president-elect of IFI.

3.31.08 | This year’'s first installment of IIDA NY’'s Pioneering Design series was Jonathan Adler, the celebrity designer whose name dons everything from pottery to textiles to interiors. Mr. Adler is also a judge on Bravo TV’s reality show Top Design and one of the bigger, mainstream names that IIDA has reeled in for the series. The evening’s turnout reflected this, with a practically packed auditorium of at least 300 IIDA guests.

1.14.08| It is a new year and a new beginning, and we are off with a whirl of  activities. Just announced, the American Society of Interior  Designers - Illinois Chapter (ASID-IL) will hold its 4th annual Design Summit 2008: A Sustainable Outlook, a one-day conference and exposition at The Merchandise Mart Design Center in Chicago. The Design Summit will be held Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on the 8th floor of The Merchandise Mart.