Chapter 1 The Value of Interior Design 11 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. about developing meaningful spaces that are good for the planet for the next generation than about the client. Some choose interior design as a career because it can fl ex with lifestyle, age, and interests. When young, it can be a very fast-paced, energetic, exciting career that includes travel around the world. If a designer wants to start a family or remain state-side, he or she may wish to work specifi c hours and days in a large architectural fi rm. Still later, a designer may set up his or her own private fi rm that allows consultation with clients on specifi c projects that resonate with a personal value system. Still others select interior design because of the variety of opportunities to work in both commercial and residential design with the same undergraduate degree. For example, as a professional you may work in the hospitality sector designing and managing the installation of relaxing spas in boutique hotels. After working for 15 years in that design specialty, you may desire a different challenge. With the same interior design degree, you can move into the corporate offi ce specialty with its different challenges and unique client needs. You may feel the rejuvenation of shifting into a different career, yet you do not need a different degree. Why not create functional, thought-provoking, and more meaningfully designed spaces that make an intellectual contribution to those exposed to them? The Value of Interior Design to the Public While having a creative outlet and fulfi lling career is important to you, of equal or greater importance is what you bring the public, or your clients. The profession draws many designers because of its connection with people. The design of quality spaces begins with caring about the people who use the space and the desire to make their work or personal spaces function better. Understanding the personal value of interior design to the public along with how to best meet human needs through effective design, helps shape who you are as a designer. “ In the spaces that are important to us, we experience not only a sense of place, but a sense of who we are, and of what we can be.” IFI DFIE Interiors Declaration Personal Value All interior places infl uence people at the individual level therefore, they have personal value. People inhabit spaces and perceive them as more than shelter. In a way, they are a type of billboard on which visual Designer Profile Marc Herndon—The Value of Interior Design Marc Herndon is an interior designer/project manager at Gensler in the Washington DC area and has practiced interior design for more than 13 years. Here is what Marc has to say about the value of interior design. “As a practitioner, I have experienced first-hand the value fi interior design brings to the public. No matter where you are, be it the offi a café, a shopping mall, the library, or a hospital, you fice, are surrounded by decisions made by an interior designer. Interior design is about living. It is an intimate, diverse discipline, and one that signifi influences ficantly behavior, streamlines efficiencies,fi fl protects occupants, and improves the human condition. It is a weighty responsibility and one that requires a great deal of preparation.” You can read more about Marc’s background in Appendix B. ©Ron Pollard, courtesy of RNL