Perceptions of Professionalism: Interior Design Practitioners Working for the Top 100 Firms

A necessary gauge of a profession is its members' commitment to the components of a profession. This study examined interior design practitioners' perceptions of selected components. Interior designers employed by the top 100 firms identified in Interior Design magazine were surveyed about their perceptions of accreditation of undergraduate programs, state licensing, the NCIDQ examination, research and graduate education. Ninety-four (94) responses representing 34 firms were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and mean scores. Spearman rho correlation coefficients were calculated to determine relationships and Horowitz's categorizations and descriptions of coefficient values were used for summarizing the Spearman correlation coefficients. In general, practitioners perceived an advantage of most components of a profession for interior design. Graduate education was the one professional component they did not view as important or advantageous as the other four. Practitioners might consider increased involvement in the various components interior design has developed to meet the requirements of a profession and acquire additional credentials for themselves. Educators and the professional organizations must work more diligently to help practitioners understand the importance of graduate education and its relevance to the continuing and successful growth of the profession.