Interior Design Showcase Wows Auditors and Public

Bellevue College had its big accreditation visit in March, and the interior design department just kept riding the wave, having their own accreditation visit in May. The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) visits campus every six years and evaluates the program according to 119 expectations distributed across 16 standards.

Program chair Dan Beert said that preparation for accreditation starts a full two years prior to CIDA’s visit.

“We conduct an in-depth review of all required courses in the four-year curriculum, identifying which courses address each of the 119 expectations. Where deficiencies are identified, we make corrections that improve students’ achievement level in any area where it’s not being adequately addressed. We review in-progress work, interview instructors, evaluate course materials and online delivery methods, and conduct surveys of students, graduates, and industry representatives who employ our interns or graduates.”

One of the outputs of this process is a showcase exhibition that utilizes student work as evidence for the CIDA visit—Beert said that around 90% of the evidence provided is actual student work. The showcase was also available to the public for two days.

“Once we assemble all the work in the gallery, the instructors curate the exhibit, choosing the best of the best work for display. The other work is stored under the display tables so that the CIDA site visitors can see a broad range of work, if they require more evidence.”

And after a few quick days, it’s over! Beert said it’s bittersweet to start packing everything back into boxes, knowing all the individual successes and triumphs the work represents.

“It’s gratifying to know that we have such an outstanding faculty creating these learning opportunities and guiding the students toward creative, innovative design solutions that also uncover their unique personal perspectives and expressions of design ideas. Just seeing this all together in one place is evidence of so many success stories.”

The exhibits run the gamut from color, texture, and materials, to evaluations of light and space, all the way to full designs for eateries and innovative solutions for the homeless. As former student Jessica Hardin, who was helping out with the showcase, stated, “We strive to add art to the world in a way that is usable.”

The next chance to see the work of our award-winning interior design students is one of the twice-annual Senior Capstone Studio exhibits. Students identify a problem or issue to investigate that uses interior design research methods and application of everything they’ve learned to create a unique, innovative solution or expression of their design intent. The opening reception for the upcoming senior exhibit is June 20 (the day before commencement) at 5:30 p.m. in L124.