Excellence in Education
In the past academic year, the officers of the University of North Texas Interior Design
Student Alliance strived to build a great campus center for the IIDA Texas-Oklahoma Chapter
through promoting and attending IIDA events, applying for and promoting IIDA scholarships,
promoting and engaging in volunteer opportunities, hosting meetings centered on education,
and encouraging networking through attaining membership in IIDA and other professional
organizations. The University of North Texas’ IIDA Student Chapter should be considered for the
Excellence In Education award due to our continuous efforts to connect our members to the
interior design industry and prepare our members about life after college.
As a student organization of UNT, we have worked to educate other students on
campus outside of our program in several different capacities. We promoted IDSA and interior
design at the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester to incoming freshmen by having an outdoor
living room on campus, consisting of donated furniture from the contract furniture dealer
Business Interiors. We engaged with students who had not yet declared a major and discussed
the interior design industry and held a small design charette to create a hands-on design
experience. UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design, held a Prospective Student Day where IDSA
represented the interior design program and discussed the program, our organization, and
professional opportunities with prospective students. We were able to share our experiences
within the program and encourage them to consider interior design for the academic and
professional careers.
Our officer team has encouraged participation and in turn participated in official IIDA
functions including ZeroLandfill, Metrocon, and the IIDA Student Conference. UNT IDSA places
great emphasis on sustainable practices, and the importance of the event and the
environmental impact that the design industry can have on the environment through material
waste were discussed in the promotion of the event. At Metrocon 2014, students attended
continuing education units as well as interact with vendors and designers. The 2015 IIDA
Student Conference provided a valuable experience to our members, who participated in tours
of design firms, mock interviews, portfolio reviews, and workshops. Members also interacted
with their peers from other institutions. Four UNT students also participated in the design
charrette at the IIDA Student Conference.
IDSA continuously hosts informative monthly meetings for our members. Our
September 2014 meeting was titled IDSA Expo, in which invited representatives from NEWH,
ASID, Habitat for Humanity, Dwell with Dignity, Teknion, Cosentino, and IIDA representative
Lauren Crill, and UNT faculty interacted with students. Student participants visited each booth
where they learned about each organization, volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity
and Dwell with Dignity, and learned about vendors and products.
At our October 2014 meeting, IDSA held a charette for our members. UNT interior
design alumni moderated the charette and created challenging prompts and design issues for
each group. Requirements included concept statements, a proposed floor plan, and fixture and
material ideation. Groups were composed of members from the sophomore, junior, and senior
level of interior design majors.
At our November 2014 meeting, IDSA partnered with the Network of Women in
Hospitality Dallas chapter. Our guests included interior designers, project managers, and
product representatives. The panel presented a hospitality project from start to finish, including
the proposal, planning, budgeting, and installation processes and all of the different variables
involved in each step. IDSA members also learned about the many different professions within
the design industry.
At the start of the New Year, IDSA’s February 2015 meeting was titled “We Love Our
Alumni” and featured a panel of UNT interior design alumni. The panel discussed finding a job
post-graduation and what their current jobs are like. The panel was composed of a diverse
group of young professionals representing different fields of interior design, including
healthcare design, hospitality design, furniture dealerships, and commercial design.
For the remainder of the 2015 spring semester, IDSA has two more meetings planned
that will discuss the NCIDQ exam and sustainability. Our March 2015 meeting will feature
representatives from the UNT Planning, Design, and Construction office, who will discuss the
NCIDQ exam, how to prepare, and the benefits of taking the exam. The April 2015 meeting will
focus on sustainability in design and will feature speakers from Perkins + Will, including a LEED
specifier, interior designers, and an architect. Later in April, IDSA will participate in a
construction site tour of the new UNT Student Union, which was designed by Perkins + Will.
IDSA also holds social events to connect UNT interior design students. Our annual
sophomore social took place in Fall 2014 and was titled “Float Your Boat”, where incoming
interior design students learned about the program, IDSA, and enjoyed root beer floats. The
purpose of this event was to familiarize the sophomore class with the interior design program
and IDSA and to foster a supportive atmosphere. Additionally, IDSA celebrated Halloween with a
program-wide costume contest, where participants competed for Best Costume designations,
chosen by our department chair. To celebrate Thanksgiving and to take minds off of looming
final projects, IDSA hosted a “Feast with Friends” party consisting of a potluck of holiday treats.
IDSA is dedicated to creating and hosting events that serve our members in a
productive, educational, and helpful manner. IDSA promotes the value of and participates in
IIDA events, where members gain and learn from valuable experiences that will help them in the
process of becoming a member of the interior design industry. We hope from this short
description of our activities it is clear we are dedicated to providing events and opportunities for
our IIDA student members to elevate their understanding of new ideas and develop them into
strong contributors of the interior design community.
April 2014
Freshman design
charette
August 14-15, 2014
MetroCON
June 30, 2014
IIDA ZeroLandfill
August 21, 2014
UNT First Flight Week
Outdoor living room
October 9, 2014
IDSA Charette
November 21, 2014
IIDA Emerging
Designers Day
February 19-20, 2015
IIDA Student Conference
October 30, 2014
IDSA Halloween
costume contest
September 11, 2014
IDSA Expo
November 20, 2014
IDSA Feast with Friends
Holiday social
December 4, 2014
IDSA Holiday Party
February 12, 2015
IDSA We Love Our
Alumni panel
September 3, 2014
IDSA Float Your Boat
November 13, 2014
IDSA Hospitality project
walk-through meeting
November 14-15, 2014
UNT interior design
portfolio review IDSA
help sessions
March 12, 2015
IDSA NCIDQ
informational meeting
April 9, 2015
IDSA Sustainability
Meeting
November 1, 2014
IDSA Habitat for
Humanity home build
May 1, 2015
IDSA tour of LEED
UNT Student Union
construction site
IDSA members at MetroCON 2014
at Dallas Market Hall
IDSA members and touring the Knoll
showroom in Dallas, Texas
Interior designers and sales representatives
discussing the entire process of a real project
and all roles involved at an IDSA meeting
IDSA members attending IIDA Student
Conference 2015 in Houston, Texas
IDSA members participating in a
portfolio review and mock interview
IDSA members presenting charette
group boards
IDSA members learning about Dwell
with Dignity at the IDSA Expo 2014
IDSA members at the IDSA Expo 2014
A panel consisting of UNT alumni answered questions on life
after graduation and working in the design industry
Event Fliers & Promotion
IDSA Budget
Donations
Memberships
T-Shirts
Expenses
IDSA 2015 Officers