NCIDQ is proud to announce the addition of six new member boards. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Board of Examiners of Interior Designers-Decorators; the Professional Interior Designers Institute of Manitoba; the Interior Designers of Alberta; the Association of Interior Designers of Nova Scotia and the Association of Registered Interior Designers of New Brunswick joined NCIDQ's existing member boards this fall. The Oklahoma Board of Architects, Landscape Architects and Interior Designers also joined NCIDQ this summer.

NCIDQ's members are U.S. state and Canadian provincial regulatory boards that regulate the interior design profession and represent most of the states and provinces that legally recognize interior designers.

To learn more about NCIDQ members click here!

Many of us are avid users of copyrighted materials that we take for granted each day such as music, film, books, magazines and photographs. The difference however, between enjoying and using these products is often misinterpreted.

Design professionals interact with copyright laws every day, whether ensuring your designs are protected or cautiously choosing which products to promote within a presentation or publication. It is important to understand the magnitude of protecting your work and respecting others' designs and products.

Copyrighted materials are distinguished by the copyright symbol (c). Copyright is a form of protection provided by law to the owners of original works of authorship, such as literary, musical, artistic and design. This right allows authors to distribute, publish and recreate their own work, but prohibits the publication, distribution, sale or any other personal use without the consent of the owner. Violating copyright laws is a criminal offense.

NCIDQ Examinations, Study Guides, practice design problems and monographs are copyrighted. Copying, scanning and/or distributing these materials violates NCIDQ's copyright. NCIDQ urges everyone to ethically and lawfully make proper judgments to ensure a more productive environment for all designers.

The holiday season is upon us, and NCIDQ has just the gift for interior designers.

NCIDQ recently released the newest continuing education monograph, Designs That Protect: Culturally Sensitive Design for Long-Term Care Facilities, presenting innovative ideas on how to create healthcare designs for culturally diverse populations.

Our newest monograph, written by DAK Kopec, Ph.D., an expert on environmental psychology and design, discusses the different types of long-term care facilities, highlights best practices for designing for special needs and studies user behaviors in diverse populations.

The monograph provides six hours of continuing education credits (upon completion of the included quiz) for interior designers. Click here to learn more about this monograph and our entire monograph collection. And as always, active NCIDQ Certificate holders save 10% on NCIDQ monographs. Order your monograph today!

Want to give more this holiday season? Now you can by supporting NCIDQ when you shop for holiday gifts at Amazon! Every time you purchase gifts at Amazon through our Amazon link, NCIDQ receives a few coins for each dollar you spend. You can also click on the Amazon image on the NCIDQ homepage. It's a great way to shop and support NCIDQ's work!

If you are an International Interior Design Association (IIDA) member, your CEU compliance period ends December 31, 2007.

IIDA requires all members to complete continuing education for renewal of professional-level membership. All IIDA members must complete and report 1.0 CEU (10 hours of continuing education) within two years to fulfill membership requirements.

NCIDQ offers the opportunity to earn your needed CEUs quickly and conveniently through our monographs. Each monograph offers expert advice on issues affecting designers and includes a quiz that once completed, earns you 0.6 CEUs, all in health, safety and welfare topics.

NCIDQ's Continuing Education Registry (formerly known as CE Tracking) is a database that tracks individual participation in IDCEC-approved CE courses. Active Certificate holders can access their CE course history anytime through the Registry. The CE Registry is a service that many interior designers find useful as a way to consolidate all their CE information in one place. CE Registry transcripts are accepted by regulatory boards and professional associations as evidence that all listed courses have been completed. Registration fees are $12 per course added to your transcript. If you take an NCIDQ monograph quiz, we will add you to the Registry for free!

Click here for 10% off any of our monographs now!

The Interior Design Coalition of Nebraska is striving to introduce legislation during the 2008 Nebraska legislative session. The coalition would like support from the NCIDQ community in Nebraska to help promote professionalism and standards for all interior designers in the state. If you have not already joined the coalition, please send an e-mail to idcn@windstream.net for more information.