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President's Note
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Cathy Emilian,
ASID NYU/CE President
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Things are warming up in NY Upstate/Canada East! Well, sort of - at least when we aren't freezing (or getting soaked). Despite the vacillations in weather, this is the time of year when we are trying to get in some gardening, picnics and outdoor fun. It's also a busy time in the construction and design world. Striking the warm weather/work to play balance isn't always easy, but it's good to get out in the sun -- even if it's just to visit a jobsite.
Upcoming in the ASID world is the Chapter Leadership Conference, (CLC), which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, in conjunction with the Dwell on Design exhibition, on June 19th to 21st. Our Chapter will be sending President Elect, Corinn Soro, our Communications Director for 2014, Janice Medina, and our Student Representatives to the Board, Yes, that "s" on representative was correct. We have two this year - Tara Clark and Kimberly Houle. This will be a great way for them to connect, as they will be working jointly in their ASID positions this coming year. We look forward to hearing from them all about this year's experience at CLC.
Speaking of hearing about what is going on in the ASID community, have you checked out our blog lately? It is a great way to see what others are doing, or add what you are doing. Come visit us at: http://thechaptervoice.wordpress.com/
The 2014 Design awards information will be coming out to you all via mail and email in a couple of weeks. The entry deadline will be in August and the Design Awards will be presented at a weekend event happening on September 13th & 14th in the Finger Lakes. Details are forthcoming. Save the Date - Will look forward to seeing you all there!
Now, get out there in the sun!
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So here's a thought....
Over the last few months we have featured quite a few interviews with your various chapter board members.....and there's still a couple to go - which we will do in the upcoming issues.
But, now that we've told you about most of us, why don't you now tell us about YOU! That's right - YOU! Student, Industry Partner, Professional (intern or with vast experience...). We'd love it if you'd send us in a bio - or a project profile. Or even some suggestions as to how we can better our chapter (who said that? You mean there's room for improvement?) Yes - of course there is - and improvement that grows out of dedicated collaboration is the best kind of improvement....
So - go ahead - grab that megaphone - shout out about YouGuys..... send words, pictures, poems - whatever. You have a voice - we want to hear it. Promise - we'll listen!
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How many of you have been to Montreal
What? None of you? Can't believe that.... for those that have, have you ever attended SIDIM? What do you mean, 'What's SIDIM?'
Salon International du Design d'Interieur de Montreal .... or, as it has been somewhat abbreviated to, 'Salon du Design'.
26 - 26 years it has been held in the fair city of Montréal. And each year is better and better. Okay - so here's something you don't know about me. I teach design - have done so, part-time - for 20 some years. This year, as a part of their general education in the course I teach on Materials, FF&E we decided to take the 21 students in the class to SIDIM. Now, why is that of interest? To anyone....well, facts, I teach a class of international students - all from China - here on an intensive design education programme. Of course they all speak english - some better than others. But, know what was interesting? Not one of them had ever had the opportunity to attend such a design show. Their reactions were - interesting....they were excited, intrigued, curious - and tireless. I know, 'cause I with aching feet had to keep up with them over the course of 6 hours or so.
But the show was great.... in my professional work, most of what I do these days is in hotel design. A lot of refits, renovations..... so, I'm always on the lookout for neat and clever new products. Different ways of doing things. And for me, as well as the students, it was a bonanza. Being as how Montréal is so international, many booths were for companies from Europe - who were looking to establish themselves in Montréal first and from here, expand into the US and North America.
I won't bore you with details of who was there with what products - go here: http://www.sidim.com/en-CA/Visitors/Exhibitors'+directory to see which Exhibitors were present this year.
And oh, by the way - just like Neocon or IIDEX - there are numerous seminars and CEU sessions - many in both french and english.
Besides where else but Montréal are you likely to enjoy the very best french onion soup.....hope to see some of you there next year.
Xie xie - that's 'thank you' in Mandarin
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Free CEU's Available to ASID members at the click of a mouse:
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Nail Your Next Presentation with Confidence:
Confidence is not just about knowing the client is going to like everything you are about to present. Confidence is about making that connection with client to let them know that you are committed and have the skill set to exceed their expectations. A few things to remind yourself of before your next presentation.
If you realize you are doing it or not, do not present with a sentence ending in a question. A lot of people start with "So this was my idea on your space..." This hesitancy doesn't sound like you are providing the best solution. You need to believe 100% in what you are providing and your client will follow suit. We are all guilty of this. Remember to choose your words carefully and be prepared with what you are going to say. It can truly start the presentation off on a wobbly footing.
Show your commitment to the field and the confidence you are there to help the client. Uncover your strengths. You are not being a braggart, you are helping them understand all of what your truly offer. This will not only help your client understand that they are working with a professional, but a well-rounded interior designer with specialties. This in turn helps you develop your client base through referrals.
Of course it's hard to arrive at 100% perfection in the client's mind, so keep your back pocket solutions handy and have key points in your head that you can reference several times. These key words will help you focus and solidify that connection you are trying to make.
And above all, don't be afraid to believe in yourself, your talents and your experience.
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Using Pinterest to Promote your Business and the Interior Design Industry:
All Pinterest addicts raise your hands! This social platform of hunting and gathering everything from recipe ideas to motorbikes has taken the world by storm. In a recent study, Pinterest has 50 million users overtaking Tumblr as the most popular micro-blogging site to date. Talk about client potential!
I found it interesting that Pinterest spends twice as much as Facebook developing their content which provides higher content assurance. Pinterest also has dedicated business pages to help direct site traffic.
If unfamiliar with the concept, users 'pin' their interests. The content you post can be shared and attract a large audience. Businesses both large and small have reaped the benefits of the site hosting Pinterest competitions. Usually in the form of a 'pin to win' format, but we challenge to pin for the social awareness of what interior designers REALLY do!
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College LaSalle, Montreal
Last issue I told you about my 'jury duty' - NO! It was not some nefarious scandalous crime, or crime of passion (although, actually that point could be argued given the degree of passion I observed...).
No, this was a pleasurable and enlightening few hours sitting in a classroom with 4 other judges, being delightfully entertained by the senior interior design class. They were presenting, digitally, their term projects.
Each student was restricted to a 10 minute presentation using the computer-linked projector. Each student had the exact same spatial envelope within which to design/develop their concepts, for a high end restaurant with a mezzanine.
Following is a selection of some of the work.....unfortunately, given the nature of the newsletter venue images cannot be very large and so a lot of detail will be lost. But let me tell you - in 15 weeks students developed the design from concept through construction documents along with amazing 3D modelling and 3D MAX image output.
Hope you enjoy these : :
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