See, You Need Your CEUs ” education-works, inc.
Products 19 years ago No Comments

Editor’s Note: When a reader wrote to us asking if continuing education units (CEUs) were important for students, it got us thinking. Who better to answer that question but Linda Elliott Smith, FASID. Not only is she Past President of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification [NCIDQ] (not to mention Past President of ASID), but she is also Principle of education-works, inc., one of the leaders in CEU training for interior designers. Talk about knowing your stuff. We don’t think we could have done any better.


contributed by Linda Elliott Smith, FASID

When anyone asks me why they should take continuing education courses, or questions their value, my response is, “How can anyone afford not to continue learning”” The world of design practice has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Not only are we faced with new codes and statutory requirements, but the required knowledge base has expanded exponentially. With the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the increased aging of the U.S. population, the constant and rapid changes in resources, and technological advances, it is impossible to maintain a viable practice without taking time to educate oneself on these complicated and expanded areas of knowledge.

More and more states require continuing education in order to maintain licensure. The rationale for continuing education requirements dovetails with the reason any professional is licensed: that of affecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare. As such, it is imperative that if a state holds that a registered individual is responsible for the public’s health, safety, and welfare, then that individual must maintain a level of education with regard to those issues.

A question often asked is: should current students take continuing education” Most often, I encourage students to take as many relevant CEUs as possible. In today’s educational environment, it is usually not possible to get the depth or specialization afforded by continuing education programs. Schools today must meet accreditation requirements, and often these do not allow for the expanded, specialized course offerings provided by continuing education courses. For instance, in some programs, textile courses have been severely curtailed, and textiles is part of the backbone of design!

Another consideration that students might consider is that continuing education programs can provide another résumé component to present to prospective employers. As a prior employer of emerging designers, I considered continuing education taken prior to graduation or previous to some mandatory statutory requirement indicative of motivation and dedication to life-long learning with respect to the design profession . This was a plus from a prospective employee.

Today’s students are knowledgeable with regard to technological issues, but technology is changing daily. Continuing education provides avenues to stay on top of these rapidly progressing changes. Technology is driving the professional harder and faster than ever before. The days are gone when a designer could count on an extended period for problem-solving; i.e., waiting for samples to arrive, cutting and pasting those materials, and then creating a presentation board. Clients in today’s digital business world expect an almost instant response. A design professional who continues to avoid continuing education with regard to technology and software is like the proverbial ostrich. Ignoring computers, software, and Internet technology will not make technology go away, but it can make business go away.

The aging population demographics make it mandatory that students and design professionals educate themselves for this widely expanding market. If I were beginning a design practice today, I would learn everything I could relative to Universal Design and designing for aging populations, not just learning the minimum requirements of ADA.

Commercially, design professionals have been required to design according to ADA or state-mandated accessibility standards for almost 15 years. However, with the aging population and the knowledge that only about three percent of the U.S. population lives in homes with any kind of accessibility feature, it becomes imperative that residential designers look to continuing education as the means to meet the needs of this vast market. As baby boomers age, they will demand environments that will not hinder but will enable them as they are faced with the physical limitations we all face as our bodies age. Those design professionals who do not spend the time to educate themselves along these lines will lose market share to those who do.

Knowledge and understanding of how the built environment affects humans have evolved exponentially. Recent research into the impact of the use of color on humans, both physically and psychologically, requires that designers relearn what they think they know about the effects of color on the health and well-being of humans. Knowing fabrics, fibers, and lighting have an impact on indoor air quality in the built environment requires new learning. Evidence that furniture and finishes have an impact on the health, safety, and welfare of humans requires new learning. Understanding that our planet has a finite amount of certain resources requires new learning in the areas of appropriate product and finish specifications and additional methods of conservation. The list of “new learning” a designer must have goes on and on and expands as new discoveries are made.

Finally, we are living in an age that demands more knowledge relative to the practice of design than ever before. To embrace that demand for knowledge with a commitment to lifelong learning is the key to success for design professional as well as students. Embracing opportunities to expand knowledge in critical areas is a powerful tool against diminishing market share. The old adage is true: Knowledge is power. Therefore, continuing education is not an option; it is the only way to stay competitive in today’s marketplace.