The NCIDQ prep discussion we had brought some much needed insight into the revamped PRAC 2.0 exam, as well as study tips for IDFX and IDPX. With there being limited resources for PRAC 2.0 available, being able to pick the brains of those who took this exam last season helped me better grasp the overall format of the exam and how to pace myself as I go through each case study. I feel much more at ease now that I’ve heard from designers who have successfully taken each exam, which I know will benefit me come test day!

As a young designer, I began to seek mentorship and connection to others with whom I shared professional interests. There weren’t many of us, but those who were leaders in Birmingham / Alabama’s design community at the time took me “under their wing” and reached out to involve me in what we hoped would become a movement in our industry; sharing our passion, and recognizing Interior Design as a true profession . . . that was in the 1980’s. We chartered the Alabama Chapter of the Institute of Business Designers (IBD) which later became the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

I share this because throughout the years – (almost three decades and many chair races, galas, CEU’s, student days, tours, auctions and even storming the State Capitol!) - IIDA continues to fill that need for me: professional connection and mentorship. (Although now I am the mentor!) IIDA has been a life-line for me as a design professional. Through IIDA I have developed lasting friendships and made contacts that have resulted in both professional and personal gain. IIDA has fed my passion for design, inspired me as a professional, and given me opportunities to grow that I never could have experienced alone. For the purpose of elevating one another and our profession, the wonderful people in our design community join together through IIDA to laugh and work as a team. I look forward to IIDA events as I know that someone there will bring a smile to my face and help me remember why we do what we do. As a design professional, educator, and individual in this community, the opportunities and support that I have experienced through IIDA are immeasurable.

I want to thank the IIDA Birmingham AL chapter for allowing me to post a job opening on their website earlier this year. As a result, I was able to connect with Alex Cann who in turn accepted the position of Executive Sales Manager for Signature Solutions. Alex will be covering all of Alabama with all our product lines. This option proved to be an outstanding result for me and I greatly appreciate the willingness of IIDA Birmingham for the opportunity to help me grow my sales team for Alabama!

Thank you, IIDA

The IIDA Alabama website was a great tool when I started to look for positions in the Birmingham area. The website had all the information about the job and I emailed Gwen with the email address that was listed. This was the first place that I looked at to see what design positions were available in the state and I think that it would be a great tool for future designers to use, when looking for a job!

I first joined IIDA to be part of the community of interior designers in Birmingham. What I gained was so much more. I am so proud to be part of an organization that holds community involvement as a priority. Our board strives to make sure its member base has the most current information on recent legislature within interior design as a profession as well as staying current with CEUs.

I joined IIDA because I am passionate about design and wanted to be involved in the design community and an organization that values community involvement. IIDA offers a wide range of opportunities for networking, education and social interaction with all different aspect of design throughout our community. I wanted to be involved in reaching out to others to help them see the importance of design as well as helping keep our organization up to date on what other chapters throughout the country were doing and reaching out to as many people as we could. Our chapter is continuing to grow each year and has won several awards throughout the years as a small chapter and that is a testament to the members we have.

I've loved being a part of the IIDA board because I believe the organization serves as a focal point of leadership for the entire industry in Alabama. Our board does a great job of supporting the national IIDA movement along with keeping local A&D, dealers, etc networked and involved with partnerships, trends, projects, etc to further enhance and develop their relationships. The Alabama IIDA board leadership has done a fantastic job in keeping us current with other IIDA chapters throughout the country winning several awards in the past few years. This is a testament to the time and effort that's put in by our board to continually forward our chapter and their impact on our growing industry.

As someone two weeks away from sitting for the NCIDQ, I couldn’t have asked for better timing of the Q + A! Being a small group of only about 10 people, ranging from thinking about taking the test to veterans of the test from years before, we had really great discussion about the NCIDQ and its complexities! It was extremely helpful to hear tips and tricks from different types of learners and test takers. I now feel more confident in sitting for the test because of the honesty, vulnerability and knowledge that was discussed!