Welcome to Interior Design at Florida State University

Our program, housed in the College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance, encompasses a CIDA accredited undergraduate curriculum and master's studies for the First Professional, Advanced Professional, and Master's of Fine Arts student. Students focus on design theory, history, technical skills, as well as studio classes addressing residential and commercial spaces such as health care, retail, office environment, hospitality, and designs for special populations such as children, elderly, and others in need of supportive housing.

The program moved into the newly renovated William Johnston Building in Fall 2011. Built around a 5 story atrium, the building reflects the needs of the 21st Century design student. Find out more about this great new facility.

Tony Purvis Wins ASID Research Award

Recent Interior Design MFA graduate Tony Purvis has been selected as the recipient of the 2013 American Society of Interior Designer’s (ASID) Joel Polsky Academic Achievement Award.  This award is given annually by the ASID Educational Foundation to recognize an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student’s interior design research or thesis project. Entries were judged on content, breadth of material, comprehensive coverage of topic, innovative subject matter, and the quality of the bibliography and references.  Tony’s thesis was titled “Conflict Resolution and the Interior Built Environment: Design Considerations for Consensus Building.”  In the course of the study, which involved surveys and interviews with 476 members of the Association for Conflict Resolution (North America’s largest dispute professional trade organization), eight ideal characteristics of spaces supportive for conflict mediation purposes were identified. Future studies intend to develop a practical tool for dispute professionals to use onsite to assess and modify spaces for this purpose. 

 

David Butler Retiring

After thirty-five years of service, David Butler will retire on June 30, 2013.  David served admirably as department chair for 18 years helping many young students launch their careers.  More recently David served as the department's career counselor, oversaw the internship program, maintained the resource room, and served as academic adviser for upper class students.  He continues to be a vibrant part of the program and will be missed!  A ceremony honoring David's career was held on April 4 in the newly renovated William Johnston Building (WJB).  Anyone interested in writing a congratulatory note to David can send it to: 1038 WJB, Department of Interior Design, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1231.  Anyone wishing to donate to the department in his honor can follow this link: Donate in Honor of David. David will be notified of any donations in his name. 

Donghia Designer Series

The Department of Interior Design, with support from the Donghia Foundation, launched the Donghia Designer Series with lectures from two furniture designers.  Cory Robinson has an MFA from San Diego State University and is currently a furniture designer, associate professor, and chair of the Fine Arts Department at Indiana University. Robinson is interested in the relationship that artists and designers both have in shaping the experience with objects of daily ritual.  Jason Schneider also has an MFA from San Diego State University and is an instructor in furniture design at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado.  Schneider’s current body of work uses the subtle features of unsophisticated material cardboard to create furniture.  Both visited undergraduate furniture design classes and offer critiques as well as assist graduate students working on independent studies.  A lecture washeld on Monday, February 11 from 6:00-7:30 PM in the William Johnston Building with a reception immediately following. 

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GRADUATE PROGRAM RANKED MOST ADMIRED

The graduate program in the Department of Interior Design was recently recognized by Design Intelligence survey of deans and department chairs as the Most Admired program in the nation.  Design Intelligence ranks programs in architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, and interior design each year.  They cited the extremely competent students and the faculty/student interaction as strengths. Read more...

LEED DEDICATION

Florida State University celebrated the LEED Gold Status of the William Johnston Building on October 22. Faculty, staff, and students thanked and congratulated the administrators, architects, contractors, engineers, and the FSU Department of Facilities Design and Construction on the awarding of LEED Gold to the building.  Those attending the celebration enjoyed the interior design student show in the new gallery in the William Johnston Building following the dedication.

 

 

In 2012 Design Intelligence listed Dr. Lisa Waxman as one of the Top 25 Most Admired Design Educators in the United States!

In the 2011 Design Intelligence national rankings of Architecture and Design programs, the FSU Interior Design Program was ranked #2 in Sustainable design practices and #4 in computer applications.  Importantly, the survey ranked Sustainable Design and Computer Technology #1 and #2 in compelling emerging issues to the profession.  This puts us right at the vanguard of meeting the needs of the profession.

March 2009: FSU undergrad program given 6-year re-accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)!

See Program News for details.