Dear
ASID Maryland Chapter Members:
I personally offer a sincere
thank you to all who participated in the 2008 ASID Real
World Design Week. We received a great deal of positive
feedback from the students; their experiences outside of the
classroom are invaluable and vital to their education. With
the 2009 Real World Design Week approaching, I encourage all
ASID MD Members to participate and offer your experience and
expertise to our future Interior Design Professionals.
So what is Real World Design
Week? If you are
new to ASID or just missed out last year - Real World Design
Week exists exclusively for ASID members. During Real World
Design Week, ASID student members will participate in a
one-day shadow experience with ASID professional,
allied, and industry partner representatives.
Why participate?
Simple, without practitioner
participation students will not have the opportunity to
participate. Last year more students were registered than
practitioners in our area. (Nationally, only 58% of
interested students were accommodated!) Certainly we can
each give a day or more! The more practitioner
participation the better the variety of industry experiences
for the students. For those who are not able to hire
interns or devote time to training, this is a perfect way to
impart your wisdom and experience as a one day occurrence!
For those looking for interns, this is a great opportunity
to identify ideal candidates for internship or job placement
within your firm! Either way you can make a positive change
in an aspiring designer’s life in just one day, and
contribute to the elevation of the interior design
profession. For more info and FAQ go to:
http://www.asid.org/rwdw
When is it?
Real World Design Week is held Nationwide November 1-7,
2009, with the minimum of four hours and a maximum of eight
hours for the day. You may register for multiple days. (If
those dates are just impossible - there is a grace period of
October 1 – November 30, 2009. When registering,
practitioners can specify the exact dates for which they can
accommodate students during this period, although adhering
to the official dates is highly encouraged.)
How do I participate?
Register! Registration opened June 1st for
Professional, Allied, and Industry Partner members.
Registration is set up through ASID Connex: go to
http://rwdw.asid.org/welcome then log on, click "Join",
click "Register for Real World Design Week", submit contact
information, a description of your practice area, and your
availability. Just follow the instructions on the site!
Students register September 1st; they will be
able to browse the shadow day listings created by
practitioners and self-register for the one they are
interested in. Pairings will be first come, first serve.
After you are paired you will be able to coordinate
logistics directly with the student. For participation tips
and shadow day experience ideas visit:
www.asid.org/custom/rwdw/practitioner_tips.asp
Last year I met with a student
who had just graduated, we were able to devote our day to an
aspect of the trade she wanted more experience and
confidence in; we both enjoyed the experience and continue
to be in touch through ASID events. It is so important we
take the opportunity to share our experience and knowledge
with students; together we are building the future of the
interior design industry. Register to participate in Real
World Design Week today!
--Laura Kimball, President, ASID,
Maryland
