Top Signs That You Should Join Accredited Interior Designers at SBID

Signs you should apply for interior design accreditation

If you’re interested in becoming an accredited member of the SBID, you may be wondering what it takes. It’s likely you are already eligible for accreditation, so read on to discover the signs that you should join the Society of British & International Interior Design.

You have the criteria to join

To use the world-recognised logo to demonstrate your qualified interior design status, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must have three years of education. This can be a BA or MA in interior design or a related course.
• You need to have three and a half years of industry practice or work experience.
• You agree to acquire 24 SBID CPD points throughout the year.
• You will need to hold valid professional indemnity insurance.

If you meet this criterion, it means you’re eligible for full SBID accreditation! It may seem like a lot, but SBID recognises that the industry is stronger with an appropriately equipped workforce. This ensures that accreditation from SBID maintains its position of aspiration and proves you hold a certain level of professionalism and knowledge. This helps to uphold standards within the industry and ensure that all work carried out by accredited designers is of a high level.

You don’t have a degree or experience but seek accreditation

If you do not meet the criteria but still desire to become an accredited designer, SBID is here to support you. Associate accreditation is for designers who have not yet acquired the necessary level of work experience or hold a degree in Interior Design. This category acts as a stepping stone towards accreditation.

Having a degree is not the only way you can achieve accreditation with SBID. You can still become fully accredited without a formal degree if you can demonstrate that your level of learned experience satisfies SBID criteria through additional years in practice. This means that anybody is able to prove their skill and expertise, regardless of what education they have had access to.

An entry exam is also being established to help you achieve accreditation without a degree. You will soon be able to achieve accredited status and join the most competent of design practitioners by sitting an entry exam. This will be a four-hour multiple-choice exam divided into 10 categories of professional knowledge designed to establish your proficiency as equivalent to those who have achieved a degree.

You want to improve the standard of your practice

Interior designers that want to improve their standard of practice significantly can apply for accreditation to receive the help and support to assist them in their growth. The resources you receive as a member can’t be found elsewhere and will help you become the designer you want to be.

Whether you’re looking for advice and guidance from industry experts or tickets to trade events, SBID can offer the resources you need. This ensures you can continue to learn or grow your business, no matter where you are in your interior design career.

You want to establish a great reputation

Furthermore, being accredited helps you prove to clients, other designers, and prospective employees that you or your interior design practice can be trusted to provide the highest standard of work. SBID’s accreditation demonstrates specialist expertise and professionalism to endorse you as an experienced and qualified designer.

Not only does this benefit you, but it also helps clients know that they are using a designer that fits these criteria, rather than someone who has not received a verified level of training, education, and experience. Accreditation helps to distinguish from those that haven’t got the appropriate qualifications to provide the standard of interior design services that clients want and projects demand.

If you want to establish your reputation in the interior design industry, it’s vital you are able to prove these endorsements to separate you from amateur designers in the industry. Having the skills and qualifications needed to become accredited proves you are a trained professional worth investing in, so clients and design practices will want to invest their time and money into you. Over time, this helps build your reputation as a great designer.

You want to be recognised for your work

Being an accredited designer provides public listing in the SBID’s Designer Directory. This not only elevates your reputation by featuring your practice among our network of qualified professionals, but allows potential clients to see your work when seaching for design services, as well as recognise your ability and talent. In this highly competitive industry, it’s important we support and acknowledge designers that are hoping to rise through the ranks and demonstrate what they are capable of.

SBID also hold the SBID International Design Awards every year. The awards aim to recognise excellence within the industry by awarding designers in a range of categories. These categories are Interior Design, Product Design and Interior Fit-Out with awards for CGI and Visualisation, Residential Interiors and Commercial Design – to name a few. These categories span every branch of interior design to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to be recognised for the work they have done.

Being a member of the SBID accreditation body means you have the opportunity to be celebrated at the SBID International Design Awards and enjoy numerous benefits. These include a complimentary submission to enter (worth £275), inclusion in the SBID Global Interior Design book; official use of ‘SBID Awards Winner/Finalist′ logos; as well as extensive PR, social media coverage and brand exposure throughout the year.

You are an interior design student

You can get a headstart on your professional development by applying for student membership. Offering free membership throughout your studies, as well as for one year after graduation, for students studying recognised and accredited courses. It also gives you the ability to secure SBID Accreditation as a trained, work-experienced interior designer after completing your third year in practice.

SBID accredits course content for professional application. These interior design courses provided by British universities are designed to prepare students for their entry into the professional world and ensure that graduates are set up for a career in the industry while meeting the standards necessary.