SIDS fights misconceptions in interior design with accreditation, education

The organisation is setting up a digital platform to speed up accreditation from 6 to 2 months.

There is a troubling misconception about the scope of work of interior designers in Singapore. It is such that practically anyone — even celebrities from renovation programmes or influencers who have built their own homes and gained a following — can seem to pose as one.

The Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS) has decided to blow the whistle and rightfully elevate the profession through accreditation and education programmes.

Under the accreditation programme of the SIDS, interior designers are evaluated and certified based on their work experience portfolio and academic qualification. The professionals can be accredited in three different tiers, with the first tier being the highest.

Through the programme, SIDS aims to distinguish qualified professionals from untrained individuals. This is particularly important since interior designers, unlike registered architects, do not undergo a formal registration process.

More stringent accreditation

In an interview with the publication, SIDS President and Founder and Managing Director of the Spirit Of Design Analogy (SODA) Tung Ching Yew said the organisation plans to expand the accreditation criteria as the industry progresses, making it more stringent.