Staying on top of professional development is essential for designers who want to stay relevant, creative and valuable in an industry that’s continuously growing. From the evolution of technology infiltrating our everyday design practices, to new and exciting materials and applications, a designer must prioritize professional development, otherwise this fast-paced industry will evolve without you. Here are a few ways to keep up to date on your knowledge base as a designer.
Ongoing Education
Continuing-education classes will always be a great resource for designers to learn new business practices and new tools for their figurative design toolbelt. There are various educational opportunities and programs through design associations like ASID, NKBA and IDS that provide CEUs to grow your professional development. These design associations also offer designations and certifications that can open doors to an entirely new client demographic and perhaps a lucrative revenue stream.
For example, the Certified Living in Place Professional certification through the Living in Place Institute offers an amazing tool set when designing for aging-in-place clientele. The education provided focuses on how to design for individuals who hope to live in their home independently as they age.
Listen While You Work
Podcasts are becoming a vital resource for many designers who are looking to grow their industry knowledge. There are several design-specific podcasts designers can download to enhance their professional development, with many using the time driving between meetings to catch up on the most recent episode by their favorite podcast host. Podcasts are a great resource for discovering niche design aesthetics, how to run a profitable design business and everything in between. Podcasts can be hugely impactful without a huge time commitment. It can just take some time finding the right fit and the right host.
Resourceful Reading
From trade publications, designers can gain insight into the design industry not only through words but through pictures as well. These publications can provide relevant and newsworthy industry insight on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. Articles can range from new certifications for designers to designing for generational living. Industry newsletters and blogs from highly regarded design firms, showrooms or thought leaders are another great resource, as those can be accessed through websites on your own time or delivered directly into your inbox.
Engaging With the Industry
Professional development should be a priority for any designer and should be highly encouraged by business owners to their staff. That’s why attending industry networking events and professional conferences can be a great way to meet new likeminded professionals, as well as endless accessibility to new products and vendors.
Respected industry conferences like KBIS, High Point Market and CEDIA Expo provide both educational opportunities and new product demos in one convenient location. Another great networking and educational opportunity is a “lunch-and-learn” event hosted by a local showroom, which gives a designer the chance to learn more about a vendor. I highly encourage every designer to reach out to their local vendors and request a training if you feel you are lacking in a certain area of expertise. From lighting showrooms to appliance distributors, finding a good industry partner that will take the time to train you will benefit them and you in the long run.
Design With Tech in Mind
Technology has become not only imperative for any design business, but it’s almost a requirement in this ever-evolving industry. Long are the days of archaic hand sketching, now being replaced with innovative computer drawing software, which creates realistic renderings of spaces. These conceptual drawings help a client visualize a space, which in turn accentuates you as a trusted and talented professional. Learning new rendering software like SketchUp, Revit and Chief Architect will not only enhance your client experience but also keep your business relevant and tech-savvy.
Learning and introducing project management software like Houzz Pro, Programa and Canva for client interfacing and procurement will elevate your business practices and reduce costly mistakes. In addition to the standard technological business necessities, keeping up with AI, smart home tech enhancements and sustainable material innovations will also be imperative to a designer’s professional development.
Design professionals should always be encouraged to invest in professional development. Learning new things will only benefit you, your clients and the team with which you work –and in turn, it will produce beautiful and profitable projects.
