12th October 2021 | IN DESIGN ADVICE | BY SBID ShareTweetPinterestLinkedIn Accreditation in any industry is important in order to maintain quality standards and as a way to assess an organisation’s competence. This ensures that anyone providing a service within that industry does so under specific recognised industry standards. Ultimately, this means everyone involved can have peace of mind that the service provided is of a high calibre. The Society of British & International Interior Design is a globally recognised interior design accreditation body operating across commercial and residential design sectors. Because the UK Government has not set national competency standards for contemporary interior design practice, the SBID was created to provide accreditation to champion competence and training for practice in the workplace. You can become a member of an accreditation body to benefit your business and acknowledge your company’s ability to execute a client’s brief with skill, experience and knowledge. There are many reasons why you should consider becoming an accredited member of a body such as the SBID, here’s what it will say about your business: Elkus Manfredi Architects - CBRE Show you are a quality-assessed expert in contemporary interior design An interior design accreditation will have a quality assurance framework and criteria that means you need to be an assessed designer to become an accredited member. Meaning you will communicate to all clients and potential collaborators your commitment to delivering the highest professional standards in interior design. It also provides the public with the knowledge that an accredited member has attained the highest status of assessed knowledge and experience in the UK, alongside our recognised peers around the world. An accreditation body sets out criteria of competence, skill and experience to prove that a design firm has been assessed in its ability to provide a high standard of design. Show your skills are recognised An interior design accreditation such as SBID means that you are able to showcase to the public you have the skills, knowledge and ability to produce excellent design projects that live up to clients expectations. You are able to differentiate yourself from amateur designers by proving you have the skills to meet the criteria set out by the accreditation board. The criteria is laid out by the board as well as by global governing bodies and therefore represents the expectations of those who are responsible for the growth of the contemporary interior design industry. Being accredited will be a sign to whoever is looking to use your services that you have been able to meet the standards required. As well as showing that all the talent and creativity that your business and team possess has been recognised by the accrediting body that is aiming to improve the standard of the talent in the industry. Your business will be seen as offering high-quality interior design services Once you have been awarded the accreditation mark, you will be seen by others as being able to provide high-quality work. This means that if a client is deciding between you and one other design firm, you will more than likely be the one chosen because they will feel confident that you are able to provide them with excellent design services. Whereas, a firm that has not been accredited can not prove that they meet the high standards set by the awarding body. Even if they are able to meet the criteria, if they don’t have accreditation, a client has no way of knowing this and would rather choose a business they hold more trust in. Your business can hire UK top interior designers Being an accredited organisation helps to prove that your business is reliable, which will help you to improve sales and revenue. It is also beneficial in the recruitment process as potential employees are able to see that you are accredited. This shows designers that you will stick to the appropriate code of conduct and your company will have a much higher chance of growth than one without accreditation. This will give you a bigger pool of applicants to hire from, providing access to more talented individuals who can help your business stay refreshed and ahead of the competition. Having a team of UK top interior designers helps promote your company, attract clientele and further increase your reputation as a business which can help designers grow and develop their own careers. Designers will want to work for companies that have proven their interest in improving the quality and benchmark for British interior design and as a result, show they want to support their employees in any way they can. Furthermore, clients will be looking for individuals within a company that possess the style and talent they want to incorporate into their commercial or residential buildings. What accreditation from The Society of British and International Interior Design will do for your business The SBID accreditation is a recognised sign of design excellence across the UK and overseas, setting the precedent for interior designing standards. As design continues to develop and we see more contemporary interior design businesses emerge, SBID accreditation helps to differentiate between those that work to high standards and those that are hobbyists and social influencers that practice through DIY, craft and entertainment shows. Here are some of the ways SBID accredited membership can help: As a member, you can choose to be publicly listed in the SBID Accredited Designer Directory. This helps to increase your clientele by helping people find reliable accredited businesses to work with. You gain access to our member-only portal where you can source trusted trade suppliers from SBID-certified manufacturers, discover exclusive content, trade discounts, as well as industry news, online resources and government guidance. Free tickets and VIP access to local and international events, PR opportunities and online CPD training, including exclusive entry benefits into the SBID’s annual International Design Awards. Acknowledgement of your talent and achievement. Being SBID accredited means your business has proved its ability to meet the high standards required to be acknowledged by a nationally recognised body. Provides a self-regulatory alternative for state oversight functions. As the government has not set national competency standards for interior design professional practice, being a member of the SBID means you’re supporting the management of interior designing standards and assisting regulation of contemporary interior design in the UK. It supports the development of British interior design Britain has one of the largest creative industries in the world and the design economy alone generated £85.2 billion in the UK in 2016, equivalent to 7% of UK gross value added. The more the design sector can grow, the more other countries will recognise Britain’s potential, which will provide a fresh landscape for investment. As our national design industry gains more investment, it provides our designers, students and institutions with opportunity and an appropriately equipped workforce. An accreditation body such as SBID is designed to promote more business for the industry, making it much easier for companies to increase clientele, revenue and elevate their ideas with well-equipped and appropriately trained interior designers. The promotion, development and improvement of British interior design only aim to benefit each individual that falls under the industry’s umbrella. Helping each person flourish to their greatest potential and gain valuable experiences that pushes them through their career. It also helps to provide each individual design practice with the resources they need to meet the highest standards set out by the governing body. The accreditation body only hopes to provide as many organisations as possible with the ability to achieve accreditation and prove their capabilities to the wider public. FCA - EisnerAmper New York Headquarters Become an accredited member of the SBID and enhance your business’ interior design services Join over 600 interior design practices in the UK already recognised for their design excellence by becoming a member of The Society of British and International Interior Design. To become accredited, we require a mix of training, experience and continued professional development to differentiate those with a good standard of skill and talent in an overcrowded market. To obtain SBID accreditation, you must have completed three years of education, three and a half years of industry practice, 24 SBID CPD points and have professional indemnity insurance. Once you have checked you fit the criteria, you can begin the three-step process of becoming accredited and start your membership. We also offer discounted rates to practices and studios employing more than three qualifying interior designers. So get in touch today to get your business accredited or visit our website for more information. We also offer an associate membership for designers who do not meet all the criteria for SBID accreditation, supporting members on their journey to reach their full potential and elevate career opportunities.