IIDA to open Dubai chapter this May, coinciding with The Office Show

A senior executive of The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) has announced the opening of the institute’s Middle East chapter in Dubai this May. DMG Events, organisers of The Office Exhibition 2012 and the Index International Design Exhibition 2012, invited the US-headquartered professional association to deliver a presentation on the business of interior design and how it is being shaped by global demographics and technology.

Cheryl Durst, executive vice president IIDA (International Interior Design Association), who made the presentation, also announced the opening of the Dubai chapter on the sidelines of the event which was attended by the local design community.

In her half-hour talk, Durst touched upon how a younger world and social media are transforming the way how people think about work. The office environment must respond accordingly. “Worldwide, design is responding to a youth culture,” said Durst. “The world is getting younger and the youth are more visually literate than their older counterparts. Lighting and colour are design priorities; as is speed. This demographic consumes their information in 15 second newsfeeds. Design must not only look great, it must function quickly.”

While architects and designers have always been trained to create spatial environments in the context of the end user’s experience, IIDA says the influence of design in commercial environments is more pervasive than it has ever been.

“Design has always been about the experience, but that also extends to marketing. Brands these days are focused on experiential marketing and interiors are a big part of that visual language. It is no longer enough to just know design. You have to understand its place within the marketing mix; its influence on organisational behaviours. Designers today would benefit from broadening their education to include subjects like marketing, psychology and anthropology,” said Durst.

Despite a younger, more digitally savvy and connected world, Durst added that the fundamentals of workplace design remain unchanged. “Ultimately, design is about people. It’s not just a facade or decoration. We will always need to consider the whole end user experience and so space, security and privacy are basic needs that a designer must always meet,” she said.

As the official knowledge partner for The Office Exhibition 2012, IIDA will return to Dubai later this year to deliver design seminars during the show, taking place from May 15-17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

For more information visit www.theofficeexhibition.com