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Designers are Online, Says ASID

The Internet is now the most popular source of information, the survey reports.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 10/3/2007 12:00:00 AM

Designers are surfing the Net more often then ever before, according to a recent U.S. study commissioned by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). The study shows 92 percent of designers are online today.

According to the study, only one in four interior designers in small and medium-sized firms tapped the Internet for his or her design practice as recent as two years ago.

What are designers doing online? The biggest search is for new products and product research. Designers are also seeking out the latest news on design ideas, building codes, and education. The survey also included a loaded question: If you had to give up all sources of information except for one--what would you rely on? The most respondents--30 percent--said they wanted to keep the Internet. Showrooms and design centers came in second, at 23 percent.

"Designers and the design industry have both become more savvy about how to do business online,” said Michael Berens, director of research and knowledge resources at ASID headquarters. "The shift is dramatic, and the impact is positive. An overwhelming majority of designers are using the Web because it is faster, more convenient and more up-to-date than traditional information resources, such as catalogs and periodicals."

Currently, 38 percent of design firms have Web sites, the survey reports. Many more have them under construction.

To pick up your copy of the report, email research@asid.org.