IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017 - 41

RANEY: In school, we're focusing on learning how to be

designers and how to speak designer to designer. But learning
to speak to laymen about interiors is a totally different thing-
being able to articulate your vision to people who don't
necessarily understand the design world. Having worked as a
professional graphic designer for several years, I know there
can be a big disconnect there.
You have to educate clients. But then you also have to learn
that there's often a point where you just have to be flexible. It
can be extremely shocking for people who get really attached
to their designs and then just have to let them go.

Photos by: (previous page) pchyburrs/getty images; (right) Lindzey Duval photo by: Todd Winters

PERSPECTIVE: How is technology changing the work
of an interior designer?
RANEY: Technology is a sensitive subject. I personally love

working with my hands and not being behind a computer
24/7. You need to be able to quickly sketch your ideas, but
from what I can tell, you don't have to be able to draw well
to be a designer today. Software tools seem to be the way
everything is going.
It's challenging to become proficient in these programs.
At my school, the graduates who are good at these tools
are mostly self-taught. We're using YouTube tutorials
and teaching ourselves. And I guess that's the point-
technology is forever changing, so you have to be able to be
resourceful and self-reliant and just take it upon yourself to
learn what's necessary.
DUVAL: I believe technology is allowing designers to create
in more innovative ways. Overall, I believe technology is
allowing many more people to see and understand design
than ever before. This translates into interior designers
now having the ability to create and develop designs that
push boundaries because of new building software but
also because of more people understanding and wanting
innovative designs.
MELVIN: Technology is evolving so rapidly that you're
required to constantly monitor what's going on, what's
coming, and what you could use in a project. This can be
exciting but also quite daunting because there's so much
information to process.
Designers need the ability to adapt. We need to share
knowledge and best practices with one another, especially
because the projects we're pursuing right now are aiming for
really high sustainable objectives. We can only achieve them if
we learn from each other and collaborate.
PERSPECTIVE: What influence do you hope to have
on the future of the field?
MELVIN: Globalization is a really positive trend in interior

design right now-the way a design project can be enriched by
pulling ideas from many different countries and cultures. I've

MEET OUR
STUDENTS
MAXWELL
(CHUN-WEI) CHEN,
a native of Taipei, Taiwan is a senior
at Pratt Institute in New York,
New York, USA. He plans to earn a
master's degree in architecture to
complement his undergrad studies
in interior design.

MARIE MELVIN,
STUDENT IIDA,
lives in Paris, France and studies at
Staffordshire University. She worked
in international education for more
than a decade before pursuing her
degree in interior design. Melvin
finished second in the IIDA 2016
Student Design Competition.

RAQUEL RANEY,
STUDENT IIDA,
is a graduate student at Florida
International University, Miami,
Florida, USA and co-president of
the IIDA Campus Center. Raney
works as a professional graphic
designer in her studio, Raneytown,
and interns for EoA Group while
studying interior design.

LINDZEY DUVAL,
STUDENT IIDA,
is the 2017 IIDA Student of the
Year. She graduated from Texas
State University, San Marcos,
Texas, USA earlier this year and
has accepted a job with HDR as
an interior design coordinator in
Chicago, Illinois, USA.

fall/winter 2017

perspective

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017