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© 2026 Interior Design Educators Council
Washington, D.C.
Connect • Collaborate • Create
Monday, March 8, 2027 – Thursday, March 11, 2027
Every great space begins with a conversation — an idea spoken aloud, tested, challenged, and reshaped by another person’s perspective. IDEC 2027 is built on that same principle. Under the theme Connect. Collaborate. Create., this year’s Annual Conference brings interior design educators, researchers, students, and practitioners together in Washington, D.C. to do what our discipline does best: turn dialogue into design.
Connection is where it starts — reuniting a community that shares a commitment to shaping the next generation of designers. Collaboration is where it deepens — in workshops, round tables, and hallway conversations where teaching methods are exchanged, research is stress-tested, and new partnerships take root. And creation is where it lands — in the studios, curricula, and design decisions our members carry home, informed by everyone they talked to along the way.
This year’s sessions dig into the questions shaping the field’s future: sustainability, social impact, artificial intelligence, and creative scholarship, alongside the everyday ethics of design decision-making explored in this year’s keynote. None of these challenges get solved in isolation. They get solved in rooms full of educators willing to talk, listen, disagree, and build together.
March 8-11, 2027
What to Expect
IDEC’s Biggest Event of the Year!
Design has always been a conversation before it’s a plan. At IDEC 2027, that conversation takes center stage. From March 8–11 in Washington, D.C., interior design educators from across the country will gather to connect with old colleagues and new ones, collaborate across classrooms and disciplines, and create the ideas that will define how we teach and practice design next. This is IDEC’s biggest event of the year — and its clearest expression of a simple belief: the best design work starts with the best conversations.
Beyond the vibrant presentations and posters, the conference will feature workshops, round tables, and other engagements focused on the future of topics like:
- Sustainability
- Social impact
- Artificial Intelligence
- Creative scholarship, and more!
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.
Keynote Session
What Makes Good Design Decisions “Good”?
Colin M. Gray, PhD, Indiana University Bloomington
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
9:00 am – 9:50 am
Design decisions are often framed as technical or evidence-based choices, yet they are always also ethical ones. Whether working with digital systems or physical spaces, designers routinely make judgments under constraint—balancing standards, stakeholders, institutional pressures, and competing values. This keynote discusses that the most important challenge facing design educators today is not identifying abstract or philosophical ethical dilemmas but recognizing the ethical significance of everyday design decisions.
Drawing on research on everyday ethics in design practice, Colin examines how values are embedded in routine decisions about systems, materials, workflows, and user or occupant experience. These values underly what we think is “good” design, and for whom. While much of the empirical work comes from studies of digital systems—including research on deceptive and manipulative design practices known as “dark patterns”—the pattern language of unethical design extends across design domains: the normalization of harm or surveillance, the quiet influence of business incentives, and the ways professional judgment is shaped by what is taught, measured, and rewarded.
The keynote then turns to our work as design educators, sharing work on ethics-focused design methods and curricular approaches that help students articulate trade-offs, reflect on responsibility, and reason about the consequences of their decisions. Rather than treating ethics as a constraint or an exception, their work positions ethical engagement as central to what it means to make good design decisions that account for social impact and the future of the profession.
EXHIBITORS
Showcase your products and ideas
Reach interior design educators, researchers, and industry leaders with a table top at the IDEC Annual Conference.
SCHEDULE
Monday, March 16 – Thursday, March 19
Three days of conversations, workshops, and research presentations on key issues in interior design education.
STUDENT DAY
Tuesday, March 17
Full day of learning, touring showrooms throughout The Mart, and participating in a fun design challenge!
REGISTRATION
Categories & Rates
See you in Chicago for learning, connection, and community.
Standard Rates: Starting February 10.
Early Bird: Through February 9.
Member:
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Non-Member:
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Student Member:
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Student Non-Member:
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One-Day Member (Choose your day):
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One-Day Non-Member (Choose your day):
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Retiree Member:
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Retiree Non-Member:
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Pre-registration is now closed.
Onsite registration will be available during the event at the following locations:
Monday, March 16, 2026
The Merchandise Mart – Suite 147
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Columbia College Chicago – First Floor
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Morning: Columbia College Chicago – First Floor
Afternoon: Fulton Market Showroom of JSI – 345 N Morgan St., Suite 600
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Columbia College Chicago – First Floor
IDEC CALL FOR ABSTRACTSCall for Abstracts Coming Soon!
Artificial Intelligence Use and Disclosure
The use of generative AI and other AI-assisted tools is permitted; however, authors are solely responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and intellectual contribution of their submission.
Any substantive use (generating significant portions) of AI-generated text, images, methodology, analysis, data, or design content must be disclosed at the time of submission. The disclosure should identify the AI tool(s) used and briefly describe how they contributed to the work. Routine uses, such as spelling, grammar, or minor editorial assistance, do not require disclosure. For more information, please refer to the following chart.
No AI Disclosure Needed | Please Disclose AI Use | AI Use Not Permitted |
|---|---|---|
Using tools that make suggestions to improve your own work do not need disclosure.
Tools used to improve language, spelling, grammar, structure, or editorial assistance do not need disclosure. Assistive functions such as citation formatting, document formatting, transcription, or accessibility support, provided they do not generate substantive content. Routine search or organizational tools that help locate, sort, or manage information without producing substantive submission content. | Using tools that generate significant portions of your own work needs disclosure.
Tools that produce content such as text, images, or references need disclosure and accuracy verification. Tools that produce content that directly impacts the research methodology, data analysis, research/project results and/or conclusions must be disclosed. Tools used to identify or recommend sources, citations, references, or factual information. All sources and factual claims must be independently verified by the author. | Submitting AI-generated text, images, analysis, or other content without the required disclosure.
Using AI to fabricate, alter, or misrepresent research data, evidence, findings, participant responses, quotations, images, or project results. Including fabricated, unverifiable, or nonexistent citations, references, quotations, sources, or data produced by AI. Using AI in ways that violate confidentiality, privacy, intellectual-property rights, copyright, research ethics, institutional policies, or applicable laws. Using AI to replace the author’s original intellectual or creative contribution, or submitting material the author cannot explain, verify, or defend. |
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.
