Professional Practice for Interior Designers

The Fifth Edition of the premier guide to interior design business practices—now with a companion website For more than twenty years, Professional Practice for Interior Designers has remained the leading choice for educators teaching interior design business practice as well as for professionals seeking to advance in their own practices. This ASID/Polsky Prize winner covers the full range of legal, financial, management, marketing, administrative, and ethical issues faced by interior designers today and is recommended by the NCIDQ for exam preparation. Written in a clear, down-to-earth style, it covers the topics and tools essential for planning, building, and maintaining a thriving commercial or residential interior design business. This Fifth Edition is fully current with the latest business practices and offers a range of new features: User-friendly, revised chapter organization that makes information even easier to find and follow—with material arranged by general business practices, organizing and managing a practice, and job search and career options New or updated coverage of professional responsibility, social media marketing, sustainable design practice, job strategies, and other key subjects Additional "What Would You Do?" case studies that challenge you to respond to issues faced by interior designers today Extra pedagogical tools, including chapter objectives and "NCIDQ Component" boxes throughout the book that flag material relevant for the exam Companion website containing sample forms and other resources Companion Website: wiley.com/go/ppid

Preface xv Acknowledgments xix 1. Interior Design as a Profession 1 Why Study Professional Practice? 2 Defining the Profession 3 What Is a Profession? 4 Professional Responsibility in a Changing World 4 Historical Overview 6 Interior Design Divisions 10 Interior Design Value 11 The Business of Interior Design 12 2. Professional Advancement 19 Educational Preparation 20 Internships 22 Lifelong Learning 24 NCIDQ Examination 25 Licensing and Registration 28 Professional Associations 31 Social Responsibility 37 3. Ethics and Professional Conduct 43 Ethical Standards 44 Ethics in the Business Environment 45 Professional Conduct 49 Disciplinary Procedures 55 4. Legal Responsibilities 59 The Legal Environment of Interior Design Practice 60 Criminal versus Tort Law 63 Negligence 64 The Seller’s Rights and Obligations 178 Statute of Frauds 179 The Sales Contract 181 Electronic Agreements and Signatures 186 Sales on Approval 189 Title 189 Risk 190 Warranties and Product Liability 191 10. Trade Sources 201 Manufacturers 202 Sales Representatives 203 Marts, Showrooms, and Market Centers 204 Local Showrooms 205 Retail Specialty Stores 206 Manufacturer’s Dealers 206 Internet Sourcing 206 Tradespeople and Craftspeople 207 Construction Contractors 208 Selecting Trade Sources 209 11. The Project Management Process 215 What Is Project Management? 216 The Role of the Designer/Specifier 219 Bringing Value to Clients through Design 221 Phases of an Interior Design Project 222 Project Delivery Methods 231 Stakeholders 233 Selecting Project Teams 235 Plan Review Boards 236 Project Schedules 238 Project Budgeting 240 Managing and Recording Your Time 243 Project Files or Job Books 249 Building Information Modeling (BIM) 253 Value Engineering 254 12. Contract Documents and Specifications 257 Contract Documents 258 Specifications 262 Specifications Organization 267 Sustainable Product Specifications 269 Construction Agreement 270 Competitive Bidding 271 Modifications 280 Submittals 283 13. Contract Administration: Construction and Order Processing 287 Contract Administration: Construction 288 Contract Administration: Procurement and Order Processing 290 Shipping and Freight 306 Expediting 307 14. Contract Administration: Delivery and Project Closeout 311 Delivery and Installation 312 Project Closeout 316 Postoccupancy and Follow–Up 319 15. Creating and Managing an Interior Design Practice 325 Understanding Motivations and Risks of Business Ownership 326 Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Ownership 329 Functions of Management 331 Management Styles 334 Working Alone 335 The Stages of a Business 336 Buying an Existing Business 338 16. Advice and Counsel 343 Attorney 344 Accountant 345 Banker 346 Sources of Capital 347 Establishing Business Credit 349 Insurance 350 Technical Consultants 355 Sources of Information and Assistance 355 17. Preparing the Business Plan 361 The Business Plan 362 Start–Up Costs 366 Setting Up the Office 367 18. Business Formations 377 Sole Proprietorship 378 Partnerships 380 Limited Liability Company 383 Corporations 384 Joint Venture 389 19. Business Legal Filings and Licenses 393 Business Legal Filings 394 Licenses 397 Income Tax Basics 399 20. Strategic Planning: Designing the Future 405 The Importance of Planning 406 Strategic Planning Basics 407 Mission Statements 408 Business Analysis 409 Business Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics 412 Budgeting 412 Measuring Performance 414 Benchmarking 415 21. Money Management 419 Accounting Methods: Accrual versus Cash Accounting 420 Accounting Records and Systems 422 Basic Financial Reports: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows 426 Managing Your Finances 434 Controlling Overhead 444 Computer Applications for Accounting 445 22. Fundamentals of Marketing 449 Branding 450 Target Marketing 452 Establishing a Niche 454 The Four Ps of Marketing 455 Marketing Analysis 457 Marketing Plan 458 23. Promotional Basics 463 Promotion 464 Public Relations 465 Publicity 466 Press Releases 467 Advertising 469 Internet and Social Media Marketing 470 Referrals 477 Networking 478 24. Promotional Tools and Methods 483 The Graphic Image and Stationery 484 Photo Portfolio 487 Brochures 488 Competitions 488 Direct Mail 490 Publication 491 Proposals as a Marketing Tool 493 25. Selling Strategies 501 What Is Selling? 502 Selling Services versus Products 503 The Buyer Decision–Making Process 504 Buyer Demographics 505 Building Client Relationships 507 Selling Techniques 508 Negotiating 510 The Selling Process 512 26. Design Presentations 519 Presentations 520 The Initial Client Interview 521 Project Presentations 522 Closing Techniques 526 Overcoming Objections 528 Follow–Up 530 Additional Guidelines for Making Presentations 530 Good Impressions 531 27. Employee Management 537 The Agency Relationship 538 Job Classifications 541 Job Descriptions 545 Employment at Will 547 Employment Contracts 549 Independent Contractors 553 Compensation and Fringe Benefits 555 The Performance Evaluation 560 The Employee Handbook 561 Mentoring 563 Sexual Harassment 564 Federal Laws Regulating Employment 565 28. Goals and Career Options 571 A Personal Mission Statement 572 Personal and Professional Goals 572 Career Decisions 576 Design Career Specialties 577 29. The Job Search 587 The Search Is On 588 Resumés 591 Resumé Format 597 The Cover Letter 601 Portfolios 606 Digital Job Search Strategies 609 30. On the Job 619 How Employers Review Resumés and Cover Letters 620 The Job Interview 621 Typical Interview Questions 626 Illegal Questions 630 Follow–Up 630 Your First Job 631 On–the–Job Strategies 635 Making a Career Change 635 Appendix 641 Glossary 643 General References 665 Index 695

CHRISTINE M. PIOTROWSKI, FASID, IIDA, currently based in Phoenix, Arizona, provides consulting services to interior designers on business practices. She is a former professor of interior design at Northern Arizona University and has more than twenty-five years of commercial and residential design experience. She has won the ASID/Polsky Prize twice and received honorable mention once. Her books include Becoming an Interior Designer, Designing Commercial Interiors, and Problem Solving and Critical Thinking for Designers.