Interior Design Internships

Work thumb

Views: 462

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2017, Common Ground Research Networks, All Rights Reserved

Abstract

As part of a research grant to study interior design internships, a review of current internship practices against the economic downturn beginning in 2008 was conducted to determine ongoing factors affecting interior design internships and their providers. Essential providers were negatively affected by the economic downturn starting in 2008, causing a drop in their numbers. A national U. S. survey of providers was created to investigate general perceptions of identified factors as well as current practices of interior design internship providers. A sample of interior design practitioners who belong to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) or the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) were surveyed using an on-line questionnaire, resulting in 119 responses. The survey did not distinguish between types of practice or size of firms, focusing on current general provider attitudes. Questions were posed based on identified factors affecting current internships. Survey responses indicated that the number of internship providers declined from 2008–2013 due to the economic downturn. Although the housing and construction industries are now slowly rebounding, the downturn resulted in fewer mid-level interior designers and fewer National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certified mentors. Review of internship practices through provider perceptions also indicated changes precipitated by the economic downturn. Today, some internships are offered for credit, while others are not, and some are compensated while others are unpaid. In addition, providers have become conflicted between the altruistic desire to mentor students versus the need to have interns provide “value” for their business as they rebuild. This is in opposition to the US Department of Labor definition of a legal internship which states that a true internship is based on adding value only to the intern, remaining unpaid, and limiting work exposure to nonessential duties. To complicate matters, many students often work jobs to pay for the increasing costs of education so the unpaid internship definition actually discriminates against low-income students. After exploring conflicting definitions and issues against provider perceptions in real world practice, a case is made for retaining an academic definition of internship as separate from a job. Additional recommendations based on survey results are made concerning best practice internships. A disconnect between provider ability to provide internship opportunities and conflicting definitions of internship could potentially derail the next generation of designers.