Colorado State University’s Interior Architecture and Design Program in the Department of Design and Merchandising has a strong focus on industry connections and aligning students with careers after they graduate. This connection helps students with the transition from their final years at CSU into successful full-time positions as professionals.
Recent data provided for the re-accreditation of the program by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation notes 80% of 2022 graduates secured plans for employment or further education within six months of graduation. This high success rate can largely be attributed to the connections they build with industry before they leave campus.
Connecting CSU with industry
Emily Leck, instructor, is a CSU alumna who earned her Bachelor of Science degree in interior design in 2011 and her Master of Science in Design and Merchandising with a concentration in interior design in 2013. Now, she teaches the Professional Practice course for interior architecture and design students, a course that mentors them on resume and portfolio building as well as interviewing and networking skills.
Leck is especially well-positioned for this role, working as a full-time designer in the Denver area in addition to her CSU instructor position. She works as the senior space planner for Ball Aerospace, and previously spent almost 10 years as an interior designer at Gallun Snow.
Each year, Leck partners with Marcus Appleby, instructor and industry liaison for the program, to plan an event for the students titled Denver Design Dialogues allowing them to build connections as they seek internship and employment opportunities.
Denver Design Dialogues
This is the third year that students have traveled to Denver to meet with design professionals. Denver Design Dialogues matches one design professional to every student. And with the growing interior architecture and design student cohort, this year the event hosted over 50 design professionals with over 100 people in total attendance.
The students interviewed with three different professionals and then had time at the end to network and talk with additional professionals as they began to build connections for internships and careers.
Attendance
The design professionals who attended the event come from widely varied backgrounds with interiors. Some work for companies like Workplace Resource, Interior Environments, and Furniture Row – companies focused on interior furnishings and internal workplace organization. Other professionals represented Waring Associates, Gensler, and Gallun Snow, all larger design firms with a national presence.
Many of the professionals in attendance are alumni of Design and Merchandising’s Interior Architecture and Design Program. These alumni either found professional positions at a past event or credit the practice of interviewing with helping them find permanent positions soon after. They come to the event to give back and help students follow in their footsteps as they begin their transition into careers.
Event sponsors
Interior Environments hosted the event. Located in the heart of downtown, their beautiful showroom with many spaces for interviews served as the perfect meeting place for industry professionals from around the Denver and Northern Colorado areas.
Allsteel, an office furniture and workplace solutions company, generously provided the food for the event and Interior Environments provided beverages for the networking and social hour opportunities.
Future events
Denver Design Dialogues has become such a valuable event for both students and professionals. As the number of students in the interior architecture and design major increases, the event will have a continued need for design professionals willing to participate.
“I am elated with the increased attendance of professionals, and it will only grow in future years,” said Leck. “This event is so beneficial to the student’s education for their future careers. The relationship between the design and architectural industry and CSU’s IAD Program is wonderful to support.”
For more information on participating in similar events in the future, please contact Emily Leck.
The Department of Design and Merchandising is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
