Last fall, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) announced the return of Design Your World (DYW) to Chicago, Miami, and St. Louis, Mo., for Summer 2024. As the nation’s only pathway program that exposes students from underrepresented communities to the commercial interior design profession, we’re excited to be back in session — and gearing up to welcome 45-60 new high-school students for the summer semester.
This summer will mark Design Your World’s fourth year in the Windy City, its third year in Miami, and its second year for programming in St. Louis. Since the inaugural program was launched in 2021 in Chicago, 120 high-school students have matriculated through DYW’s classrooms — and I’m beyond proud of each and every one of them. From finding the courage to try something new and learning how to communicate, collaborate and create to taking pride in their final design presentations and celebrating internships and college acceptances… Not a moment of it is lost on me.
As the Program Manager for Design Your World for the last two years (Ms. Phyllis to my students), I have witnessed Design Your World’s mission — to build equity and diversity in the design industry by providing high school students with exposure to the possibilities of a career in design — spark real change. When asked, 25-30 percent of our students say that they had never considered a career in design as a possibility before being introduced to DYW. To rewrite that narrative, the industry as a whole needs to be seeding diversity in design. Because by advocating for the value of design and sharing the wide range of careers that are available and possible in the industry, we are giving agency to underrepresented people through access to the built environment and power of place. And it all starts with access.
Leave it to IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO, Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, to lay it out with eloquence and precision: “Design is such a powerful catalyst for change and for demonstrating human potential. Through Design Your World, a diverse group of students is empowered to fully realize that careers in design and the creative arts offer unlimited potential. Perhaps most importantly, they are realizing — through a curriculum and instructors that represent them — that design is truly ‘accessible’, meaningful and relevant in their lives.”
The Design Your World 2024 curriculum — which is standardized across all three locations yet allows for the individual instructors to personalize — has been carefully structured to do just that. This summer, for two full weeks in June or July, students will develop a basic understanding of commercial interior design including the history and process of design, sustainability, ergonomics, materials and furnishings through practical learning sessions, hands-on projects, field trips, and industry engagement. The instructors, including faculty members from Florida International University and Washington University at St. Louis respectively, will also introduce the students to the business practices of interior design, career specializations, and educational requirements — all supported by visits from designers, manufacturers, and top design school representatives from around the country.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. We have already seen incredible success stories emerge from all three cities (in spite of the perception that pipeline programs are a long game). For starters there’s Naomi, a rockstar student from Design Your World’s inaugural class in Chicago who is currently completing her sophomore year at Indiana University. Not only did Naomi return as a teaching assistant for DYW 2023, she’s back on the TA roster for DYW 2024 to help mentor more first-time students. And then there’s the amazingly talented Santi, a DYW 2023 participant in Miami who has been accepted at FIU and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a $9,000 scholarship from SCAD.
Diversity isn’t possible without inclusion. And stories like Naomi’s and Santi’s wouldn’t be possible without the generous support that Design Your World has received from our presenting sponsor OFS, and participating sponsors 3form, Gensler, Mannington Commercial, Perkins & Will, and Sherwin-Williams. As we speak, DYW is expanding in all ways — and it takes a village. One of our immediate goals is to ensure that these students’ systems of support extend well beyond the classrooms. From opening doors to internships to helping with college applications and essays, it is incredible to witness what trust, encouragement and enthusiasm can accomplish.
During this year’s NeoCon, IIDA will host Meet Us On Monday: IIDA’s Celebration on The Stairs on June 10 at 3 p.m. on The Mart Grand Stair. This high-energy afternoon will include a mini-documentary screening spotlighting the St. Louis program and its success in building grassroots diversity in design. This event will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with Design Your World and our incredible students, to see firsthand their enthusiasm and excitement at becoming part of the design industry. (And if you’re ready to engage right now, for the first time ever, we can all contribute, individually or in groups, to DYW through IIDA’s Annual Giving Campaign — any amount is welcomed!) We’re ready to celebrate these student success stories, and to create opportunities for everyone in the design industry to play a part in seeding diversity. I hope to see you there!
Design Your World’s 2024 class schedules are as follows: Miami, June 17 – 28 at Florida International University; St. Louis, July 8 – 19 at Washington University; and Chicago, July 15 – 26 at Columbia College. For more city-specific DYW info and success stories, check out our recap videos for Chicago and Miami.
Editor’s Note: As Design Your World’s Program Manager at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), Phyllis Jones leverages her MA in Communications and 16+ years of experience in event coordination and client engagement to manage the logistics, curriculum, and budget of Design Your World (DYW), a pipeline program that exposes students from underrepresented communities to the interior design profession. Phyllis is passionate about fostering diversity and inclusion in the design field, and collaborates with chapter leaders, universities, instructors, and design professionals to create and deliver engaging and comprehensive educational experiences for the students.