Senior Kylie Coats workson her interior design project in her senior studio class Oct. 28. Students were able to take the work they completed in class and add it to their portfolios. Matt Dobson Senior Raya Grasham carves a pumpkin at an AIGA pumpkin design contest outside of Midnight Oil on Oct. 26. Participants gave a $4 donation to be able to design a pumpkin and all proceeds went to the KIBO group. Matt Dobson PROFESSIONAL DESIGN A CAREER The American Society of Interior Designers, an organization focused on creating positive change through a community of interior designers, attended its annual design conference Sept. 20-22 in Little Rock, Ark. The conference educated students on a variety of topics, including the art of constructing spaces, and helped them establish professional contacts. While at the conference, students heard lectures by professional designers, toured two well-known facilities and saw several new design products. ASID was well reputed in the professional community, and interior design students found such conferences invaluable. "ASID is an excellent resource for student designers in getting jobs and internships," ASI D president senior Brittany Smith said. "Nine times out of 10, professionals will choose someone with ASID credentials over someone without them because they know it means we are dedicated to the profession." Sarah Wilhoit, the interior design program director, led the group of students during the conference. She said that around 20 Harding students attended the conference, eager to network with others. "Our student chapter has been heavily involved with the professional chapter," Wilhoit said. "They are also very committed not only at the academic level, but also at the professional level." Senior interior design major Kylie Coats, who was elected student representative to the board for the South Central Chapter, recommended attending annual conferences to gain professional contacts. "This conference was definitely beneficial because of the networking," Coats said. "The more people you know in the industry, the easier it will be to get a job in the future." While in Little Rock, the ASID students toured Heifer International and the Clinton Library to explore interior design in a public, professional environment. Wilhoit said students were able to learn from unsual and valuable experiences. "[The conference] gave them the ability to listen to national speakers, network and see a professional conference they would attend after they started practicing," Wilhoit said. "It helped them understand practical information, products and even how to design spaces for code related issues." Presentations at the conference covered topics like ecofriendly design and the effect of interior design on the psyche. "The lecture that I learned the most from was about how implementing psychology into design can help transform a space into something that will influence the user in positive ways," Smith said. "Oak Kopec, author of 'Environmental Psychology for Design,' was the speaker, and he was really energetic and enthusiastic." Smith went on to say ASID taught students to view interior design as more than just color, furniture and space. Their field directly influenced daily living. "My favorite part about being an interior designer is that I know that I am able to make a difference in peoples' lives," Smith said. "An interior design job done right will create a space that functions for its intended users, while making it seem effortlessly put together. It's a lot more complicated and time consuming than picking fun paint colors and accent rugs. It's taking a problem and redefining it, so that the occupants are able to be safe, healthy and happy." Bethany Nicholson 221
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