NORTH DAKOTA I nterior Designers

Designing a Decade of Success

By Beth Diane Bradley | Images by Mike Smith

desire to connect with other interior designers was the spark that created the North Dakota Interior Designers (NDID) organization, now celebrating its 10th anniversary. Nelson, owner of Inside 515, a design studio in Fargo, recalls being a design major at NDSU and enjoying the relationships with those who shared her passion. “I missed talking about interior design,” she said.

Joan Maring Nelson’s

The group is made up primarily of designers, educators, students, and manufacturing representatives of products used by designers, who have fulfilled certain education, experience, examination and/or licensing requirements. “We don’t just talk -- we act, we solve problems,” Nelson said. “We feed off each other’s creativity,” added Jo Marie Jensen, president of NDID and an architectural representative at Ceramic Tileworks. “NDID offers resources to learn more about the design profession and an opportunity to get to know local colleagues.”

Shelly Richard, interior designer with Foss Architecture & Interiors, is membership director for the organization and describes the membership as professional interior designers with a formal education. “We are not just creative, but are also cognizant of safety codes and regulations. We’re a well-rounded group.”

But over the years, the organization has evolved into much more than just a networking opportunity. They work closely with the NDSU interior design students, with both a mentorship program and scholarship funds. They also help offset the cost of the professional exams required for design certification.

NDID hosts the annual “Interior Showcase” as a fundraiser and opportunity for designers to earn continuing education credits required to maintain their designer’s certification. The event is also a place to see exhibits of the latest design-related products. This year’s showcase is May 6 at the Plains Art Museum from 3:30pm to 7:30pm.

When the organization is not busy supporting and promoting interior daesign, the members enthusiastically support many worthy causes in our community. One of the projects they spearhead is called “CANstruction,” a competition where teams of local interior designers, architects, engineers and construction managers – both students and professionals –design and build structures made entirely from canned foods. The structures are displayed at West Acres for a week, and then the food is donated to the Great Plains Food Bank. The next competition will be in 2015.

They are also involved with the YWCA, sponsoring families during the Christmas season, and decorating both the YWCA shelter and the Churches United for the Homeless shelter for the holidays. “We reach out to the community whenever we can and we have a lot of fun doing it,” Jensen said.

The members of NDID share that same caring spirit with their clients, an approach that defines what it means to be a professional in the design field – where creative and technical solutions are applied to create an environment that is both functional and aesthetically attractive.

“In the design field, we filter information from our clients to make the pieces of their puzzle fit,” said Melissa LaBay, vice president of NDID and designer at InterOffice Workspace Furniture and Design. “NDID provides the resources that complete the puzzle.” [AWM]