Finding Value in Skills

Do you ever feel like the public doesn’t place much value in interior design anymore?

YES!

I know. It’s what everyone says.

In fact, I wrote an article about interior design becoming a commodity and the role designers are playing in it. You should probably read that if you answered yes to my intro question.

The funny thing is when I was at a marketing conference in April, an accountant stood up and said, “No one values accountants anymore.” And someone else stood up and said, “No one sees the value in custom dresses and clothing anymore.”

These were on different days, different topics, different questions - but the same issue.

So apparently, different industries feel that their value is diminishing.

Culturally, we’re all about faster, cheaper, now, diy.

I hear designers lamenting the value positioning all the time. I wonder if it’s time to stop thinking this way.

The value positioning of interior design has changed in the past 100 years as society has changed. There are things we can’t change or control and others we can (for things you can do read this article.)

But one thing I want you to take a look at first, is yourself. Are you devaluing other professions while you hope people value and pay YOU what you’re worth?

Maybe you’re not hiring a professional photographer because they “charge too much”.

Maybe you’re buying retail and not supporting local/ small /minority businesses.

Maybe you just spent 30 hours doing your taxes when you should have paid your accountant the $500.

If you’re someone who feels that interior design is undervalued, I urge you to take a look within.

Not only can you see that it’s not just our industry, but it can also give you helpful insight into why people don’t place value on some things and maybe you can come up with a way to counteract the value loss.

What do you think?