You are here:

About Us

We are the UK’s only professional institute for interior designers

Who we are

The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is the only professional institute for interior designers in the UK. Our growing membership represents both the commercial and residential sectors, from heritage to cutting edge. In addition to rigorous entry requirements which assess training, experience and professionalism, we require our members to continue their professional development throughout their career to ensure their continued expertise in design process, practice and regulatory matters. For those wishing to find an interior designer or to confirm the credibility of a potential interior designer we offer a directory of our Registered Interior Designers.

Our Mission

The BIID is committed to advancing professionalism, integrity and excellence in interior design.

 

Our Values

We are:

  • Approachable and supportive
  • Inclusive and collaborative
  • Ethical and environmentally responsible
Staffan
Features

BIID gives me a sense of community..... I value the emphasis they place on education as well as the friends I have made through being a member since the start of my career.

Staffan Tollgård, BIID Member

​Institute Status

The British Institute of Interior Design is the only professional organisation for interior designers which has been granted the prestigious and rare accolade of Institute status. The term Institute is government regulated and only awarded to organisations that undertake research at the highest level or are professional bodies of the highest standing. 

When the Secretary of State granted BIDA Institute status in 2009, it became the British Institute of Interior Design.

The responsibility of a professional Institute is to set the highest standards of practice for its particular profession. The BIID undertakes various activities to support this, including:

  • Code of Conduct: All BIID professional Members are required to sign our professional code of conduct;
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD): All BIID Members are required to evidence their continuing professional development to ensure they keep up to date with the latest professional developments;
  • Complaints Procedure: The Institute has a fair and transparent complaints procedure in place;
  • Governance: The Institute is owned and governed by its members

 

Become a member

  • RAISE YOUR PROFILE
  • BUILD YOUR NETWORK
  • UPDATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE

The Institute has always taken the lead in setting the highest professional standards for the interior design industry. We champion the skills and talents of interior designers to ensure they are properly valued by clients, construction professionals and the government.

Katherine Elworthy, COO of the BIID

National and International Policy

As the only professional organisation for interior designers in the UK to be awarded Institute status, the BIID is in a unique position to champion interior design and interior designers on both the national and international stage.

Construction Industry Council (CIC)

The BIID is a full member of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), representing the interior design profession. The CIC is the representative forum for professional bodies, research organisations and specialist business associations in the construction industry. It provides a single voice for professionals in all sectors of the built environment through its collective membership of 500,000 individual professionals and more than 25,000 firms of construction consultants. The CIC is the only single body able to speak with authority on the diverse issues connected with construction without being constrained by the self-interest of any particular sector of the industry. It has a mutually supportive relationship with the Government, particularly through the Chief Construction Advisor; the Government Construction Strategy and its sub-groups; the Construction Sector Unit of BIS; Building Regulations & Standards Division of CLG; the Green Construction Board and Infrastructure-UK.

All Parliamentary Design & Innovation Group (APDIG)

The BIID is an active member of the All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group (APDIG). APDIG is a cross-party coalition of Parliamentarians and design sector organisations that works to develop new design policy ideas, critique existing government decision-making around design, communicate within Parliament the enormous potential value of design and help the design community better engage with the policy process. APDIG hold regular events and seminars in Parliament, publish newsletters summarising design policy stories, industry news, and other political developments and produce short briefing papers to present different perspectives on particular policy issues. Common subjects of discussion include education, intellectual property protection, procurement, international competitiveness, public service reform – to name but a few. The group conducts longer term research into more complex or emerging design policy topics through a separate research commission: the Design Commission.

International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI)

The BIID is the UK representative for professional interior designers on the International Federation of Interior Designers/Architects (IFI). Established in 1963, the IFI is the sole global authority for professional Interior Architects/Designers. Representing 270,000 designers, educators and industry stakeholders in the international design community in 110 countries, IFI aims to further the dialogue exchange and development of knowledge and experience in education, research and practice. The BIID supports the IFI's work in furthering the global interior design profession and has adopted both its definition of an interior designer and course content standards. Notable achievements include the creation of the IFI Interiors Declaration, a global vision and mission statement for the interiors discipline. The Interiors Declaration was written and agreed in 2011 by a group of designers from 10 different countries and can be read here.