Design Expo

Design Expo 2011

Every fall semester International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Design (ASID) chapters at Texas Tech host a Design Expo. Along with the Design Expo is a lunch with a guest speaker. This year’s guest speaker was Brian Graham. At the Design Expo different vendors representing all different companies come to the Merket Alumni Center and set up shop. The vendors are there to show the interior design students their latest product(s) that are impacting the design world. This year was my second time to attend the Design Expo and I enjoyed it even more than the first time around.

Walking through the ballroom in the Merket Alumni Center is very exciting. To your left there are vendors, to your right there are more vendors, and in front of you, as well as behind you are vendors. The vendors are from all different places on the map. Some of the different vendors that one could find in the ballroom were Sherwin Williams Paint, Yates Flooring, Brain Graham Designs and many more. Each vendor was there to inform the students on their newest products and talk about the latest fads in the design world. Some of the latest products that the students were informed about, were how one could use water at a high power to cut out things, the trend of wallpaper, office chairs, and fabric that can be written on with a sharpie and wiped off with water. As you can see there were a lot of different choices for the students to wonder around to look at.

The first year that I attended the expo I fell in love with it. However, attending the event a second time made me love it even more. This year I felt I gained more appreciation for the expo. I did just go and walk through quickly. I actually took my time, a listened and took in all the information each vendor had to offer. I was like a sponge. I also was able to attend the lunch where Brian Graham spoke. Listening to him and seeing the passion he has for design made me realize, for the first time in a while, why I am going to school to be an Interior Designer.  It also inspired me to maybe consider working in a different field than residential design. The last thing that I realized was there are so many different areas of design that one can work in, and if Brian Graham can do it, the so can I.

Every interior design student should take full advantage of the design expo. It allows a student to see the latest trends in the design world. It allows the student the ability to see how fast the design world changes in taste. One-year wallpaper can be out of style and the next year wallpaper can be the latest fad. The expo allows the student to feel as if they are in the real world looking for the latest fad that can use in their designs.

   Attending the expo is something that each student in interior design should attend. The expo should be taken advantage of; the student can get samples, brochures, and many more things. Not only does the student get samples, the student gets to see some of the trends in design that are changing the world of design as we speak. Lastly, I feel that it also allows the student a little glimpse of what it is like to go to a world trade center. Though it may not be the same size caliber as an event at the world trade center it still allows the student the ability to see all the aspects that go into the event and all of the trends for the year.