Conferences & Events
Competitions + Grants
Opportunities
Membership
Career Center
Career Center
Conferences & Events
Competitions + Grants + Awards
Membership
© 2026 Interior Design Educators Council
Chicago, IL
Make Good Design Decisions
Monday, March 16, 2026 – Thursday, March 19, 2026 at Columbia College Chicago.
March 16-19, 2026
Columbia College Chicago
What to Expect
Registration Now Open!
IDEC’s annual conference always brings us together to discuss research and creative work, share how we teach and learn, and celebrate with the community that defines our organization. In 2026, the conference will also feature a series of consequential conversations on increasingly important topics.
Beyond the vibrant presentations and posters, the conference will feature workshops, round tables, and other engagements focused on the future of
- CIDA’s accreditation process
- Sustainability
- Social impact
- Generative AI
- Data-driven practice
- Creative scholarship, and
- The state of higher education
In addition, career mentoring and leadership development will occur in formal and informal conversations. We invite graduate students, full-time and part-time faculty, administrators, practitioners, and any interior design industry professional to join us. We will be preparing ourselves to Make Good Design Decisions and create a better world.
EXHIBITORS
Showcase your products and ideas
Reach interior design educators, researchers, and industry leaders with a table top at the IDEC Annual Conference.
REGISTRATION
Paper Presentation Schedule Coming Soon!
Member:
|
Non-Member:
|
Student Member:
|
Student Non-Member:
|
One-Day Member (Choose your day):
|
One-Day Non-Member (Choose your day):
|
Retiree Member:
|
Retiree Non-Member:
|
IDEC CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Opening July 2025!
The Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) will invite educators and practitioners from around the globe to submit abstracts that explore and celebrate all facets of interior design, its teaching, and scholarship, including history, theory, practice, pedagogy, interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as diversity, equity & inclusion, social & environmental stewardship, or other topic/s of current and/or continuing relevance. Authors are invited to submit creative and/or scholarly abstracts that engage various modes of inquiry. However, all submissions are expected to contain original scholarship or ideas not previously presented at scholarly venues, including regional and previous IDEC conferences. Abstracts are blind-reviewed by qualified reviewers who score submissions to determine presentations for the IDEC 2026 Annual Conference to be held in Chicago, IL on March 16 – 19, 2026.
CALL FOR ABSTRACT REVIEWERS
Separate from the abstract submission, the review process is one of the most critical aspects in the development of a discipline’s body of knowledge, and it is incumbent upon highly qualified scholars to evaluate research and teaching. To identify and engage such members, IDEC is looking for reviewers who span the entire membership to provide breadth and depth in the evaluation of conference abstracts related to all forms of scholarship. This open call invites all members to submit their credentials for consideration.
All reviews will occur in an online format. Reviewers will learn the process and their role through training materials and a required virtual information session.
Eligibility
- Willingness to review abstracts for the annual conference as needed
- Be an active IDEC member in good standing
- Complete a brief reviewer training (PowerPoint presentation)
- Attend a virtual information session
- Use rubrics provided to give high-quality feedback, helpful comments, and critique in a timely manner
Time Commitment
- Abstract reviews will take place from early October to early November.
If you are interested in serving IDEC in this valuable position, please complete the online form, whether you have reviewed it previously or not, by September 1, 2026.
Scholarship Categories
All abstracts submitted for review must be identified by one of the categories outlined below:
- Creative Scholarship: 1. Design as Concept 2. Design as Tangible Built Form
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)
- Scholarship of Design Research (SODR)
- Scholarship of Design Practice (SODP)
Scholarship of Design Research (SDOR)
Abstracts explores the interior design discipline’s theoretical, historical, or practical aspects in practice and education. Scholarship of Design Research abstracts should identify the question or theory being explored, the framework of exploration, and conclusions drawn from the examination. The Scholarship presented is expected to have reached preliminary conclusions and implications that can be shared with the audience. Note that Undergraduate work is restricted from submitting under this category.
Creative Scholarship (CS)
Creative Scholarship must be original work of the designer(s)/artist(s). Interior Design educators or graduate students must have completed all projects within the last three years. Individuals whose work is accepted will be assigned a presentation time to share their work, relate their process, conceptual and theoretical thinking, and discuss the creation of their work with the conference attendees. All submissions must include an Appendix of up to five pages or images. Note that Undergraduate work is restricted from submitting under this category.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)
Abstracts emphasize teaching methods used in interior design courses. SoTL abstracts should identify the problem being addressed, the method or strategy used to address the problem, and an analysis of the outcomes (e.g., student work or learning). It is expected that the Scholarship presented will have reached preliminary conclusions or implications that can be shared with the audience. SoTL submissions must include an Appendix of up to five pages or images. This appendix should include supplemental materials, which may consist of (but is not limited to) project outlines, project statements, and examples of student outcomes if available. Note that Undergraduate work is restricted from submitting under this category.
Panel (P)
A 30–45-minute discussion panel with three or more panel members focused on the conference theme. Panel presentations encourage open discussion and opinions. A moderator will submit the abstract proposal and invite three to five presenters to participate. (No names of any participants should appear in the abstract). The topic should be one that would benefit from diverse opinions and open discussion. Panel presentations are 55 minutes in length. Typically, panelists make their presentations in the first 35 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of discussion with the audience. Note that Undergraduate work is restricted from submitting under this category.
Poster (PST)
Poster abstracts provide a forum for presenting material suitable to a graphic format or work that has not yet reached final conclusions. Posters will be presented in a shared setting, allowing the presenter to speak one on one with attendees. Note that this category is open for all submissions.
Abstracts submitted in this category must include a description of/or information concerning the proposed graphic presentation (medium, format, etc.). The poster must be 36″ H X 42″ W. Posters will be presented in an open forum at a designated time(s) during the conference. At least one presenter must be present during the designated time slot. Therefore, only one poster submission per person will be accepted. Please note that any abstract submitted in the poster category (except Undergraduate Student Posters), regardless of SOTL, SODR, or Creative Scholarship, must have an appendix.
Hotel Information
The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
636 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60605
Conference Room Rate: $189/ per night
Stay in the heart of Chicago at The Blackstone, Autograph Collection!
IDEC reserves rooms at the host hotel for conference registrants. For access to the special rate at the Blackstone, please complete your conference registration. A link to reserve your hotel will accompany your registration confirmation.
