IDC is launching its fourth annual round of free, IDCEC-approved webinars relevant to the interior design profession and practice, available exclusively to IDC members.
IDC is giving members the opportunity to complete their Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and earn their professional development credits at no cost. The webinars will feature a variety of topics presented by IDC’s industry partners. These were selected based on input from IDC members on topics worthy of exploration, and subjects that are interesting, useful, and meaningful in today’s interior design landscape.
IDC’s professional development webinar series accounts for up to seven IDCEC hours. All upcoming webinars will be featured on IDC’s events calendar and social media channels, with the first webinar of the series launching on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
For more information, please contact communications@idcanada.org.
Paint 101, presented by Sherwin-Williams | April 27, 2023, 12-1 p.m. ET
Today’s architectural paint coatings do so much more than protect a substrate and provide colour. Recent advancements have produced coatings that can also solve problems for commercial and residential interiors and exteriors. Today’s coatings must also meet the most stringent VOC regulations and offer material transparency for those seeking sustainable building certifications.
This course will provide the fundamentals of different paint coating systems and the latest technologies so that you can specify coatings that will provide the best outcome for your client.
Human Centric Lighting, presented by Lutron | May 11, 2023, 12-1 p.m. ET
This course will explain human centric lighting for today’s luxury home and dive deeper into the elements that make it important in design. This webinar will examine three key elements of human centric lighting – the quality of light, natural light, and personalized control. In addition to this, the presenter will talk through key design considerations and smart technologies, while sharing best practices for human-centric lighting designs.
Decorative surfaces are a key element of interior design. Choices are made from a multitude of materials and are tied in with budgetary and availability considerations. This webinar will examine the background and development of five decorative surfaces, which fall into the purview of A and D firms, and which are predominant in both residential and commercial projects. This course enables designers and architects to make more informed choices with decorative surfaces in residential and commercial projects. The knowledge obtained will assist in decisions on budgetary, performance and sustainability questions when looking at decorative surfaces.
Dementia-Friendly Design and Material Selection, presented by Altro | June 8, 2023, 12-1 p.m. ET
With almost 55 million people worldwide living with dementia, there is a need for a deeper understanding of how the built environment impacts their health & wellness. As the disease progresses, individuals find it harder to interpret their environment resulting in confusion, stress, and anxiety. This course reviews the physical and cognitive changes as well as the impact that design and the built environment has for people living with dementia. All materials in a building, flooring and wall cladding have a substantial role on the ability of a space to reinforce orientation, safety, and independence. Because of this, the discussion will focus not only on key design principles but also on the technical aspects of colour, pattern, and detailing which influence the selection and specification of dementia-friendly finishes.
Building material specifiers such as interior designers hold considerable power and have enormous responsibility for making consequential decisions that affect our planet and its environment. This course will explain the environmental importance of sustainable forest management, forest certifications, chain-of-custody certifications, forestry carbon cycles, certified sustainable wood products, and how to spot greenwashing claims by some manufacturers. Specifiers and influencers are in a position to make a positive impact by aligning their values with those of sustainability – putting pressure on manufacturers, who in turn put pressure on lumber suppliers, who in turn put pressure on loggers and landowners to value sustainability and sustainable forests. This session will be presented by an industry professional from CRAFT Artisan Wood Floors.
Let’s Start the Climate Take Back, presented by Interface | July 6, 2023, 12-1 p.m. ET
According to research conducted by Interface and Net Impact, 95% of climate experts believe that it is possible to reverse global warming and 91% of young leaders agree. The reason that both think it is possible is because we have everything we need, and both think the only thing that stands in our way is business as usual. Last year, the most comprehensive guide to reversing global warming was introduced by Paul Hawken entitled Drawdown followed by Bruce King™s The New CarbonArchitecture. Interface™s ‘Climate Take Back’ plan offers an easy-to-understand framework which can be understood, adopted, and implemented by any organization. The research and the framework will be provided to all participants.
This webinar reviews restroom design trends for commercial buildings by focusing on sink/lavatory system technology and the sustainability and accessibility trends surrounding them. The program will discuss the expanding role architects and designers play in accessible designs – striking a balance between hand-washing needs and design flexibility. The program compares a variety of sink/lavatory systems and corresponding components; it discusses how each component can enhance the sustainably of hand washing functions while still providing style within a space. Additionally, the webinar will cover appropriate ADA, LEED, and Wellness design criteria.
Impostor Syndrome – The Silent Saboteur | August 3, 2023, 12-1 p.m. ET
Impostor Syndrome impacts 70% of highly-accomplished professionals at some point in their careers. Unable to internalize their achievements and success, they fear being found out as the fakes they believe themselves to be. This includes interior designers. Learn about Impostor Syndrome and how it can sabotage creativity and confidence, and contribute to self-doubt and procrastination. Find out how to move through impostor feelings to accepting yourself as the highly competent, credible and trustworthy professional you are.
Not only are we living longer, but senior citizens are the fastest-growing segment of the world’s population. The aging population faces problems with declining vision related to the disease and growing older. This webinar discusses changes in colour perception among the elderly. It explains how appropriate colour use and application of low- or no-VOC, durable, high-quality paint facilitates quality of life in all environments for the aging.
Health, Wellness and Sustainability, presented by CI Partners | August 31, 2023, 12-1 p.m. ET
Technology is here to enhance the living space and encourage people to live longer, healthier, and better lives within their homes. Wellness technology is about making indoor environments mimic nature and improve quality of life. Humans spend more of their time indoors than outdoors, contrary to most of our history. Wellness technology encompasses principles of sustainability and applies the intelligence of automation systems so that designers can plan solutions that are the greatest fit for each client. They can then work with the client to implement simpler solutions or partner with a qualified home technology specialist for more intuitive solutions. Advancements in home technology and environmental control have greatly improved the user-friendliness over the years, making it easier than ever to control your environment, even for those that say they are not tech-savvy.
