It’s been a busy year for the Interior Design Confederation Singapore (IDCS). Earlier this year the organisation announced a registry programme that serves as Singapore’s first recognition and approval process for Qualified Professional Interior Designers (QPID) (read the story here).

Last week, IDCS announced a couple of updates to its event calendar. Firstly, the organisation’s award programme, the Design Excellence Awards (DEA), is returning with expanded categories.

The 2017 edition of the DEA includes 12 new categories across the two competition tracks: Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for professional interior designers and firms; and Spatial Design Awards (SPADE) for students.

Notable new categories include ‘Exhibition Design’, ‘Sustainable Design’ and ‘Environmental Design’ for both tracks; and ‘IDEA Project of the Year’, ‘Emerging ID Firm of the Year’, ‘Top 3 ID Firm of the Year’ and ‘AkzoNobel Colour Award’, which are exclusive to IDEA in partnership with AkzoNobel.

The second piece of news is the launch of a Professional Development Programme (PDP) – an initiative by the IDCS Committee that aims to elevate standards of professional interior design practice to best-in-class international levels by way of education through industry seminars, workshops, speaking engagements, networking events and study tours.

IDCS has signed a partnership with AkzoNobel, which will be the programme’s Strategic Partner and Headline Sponsor from 2017 to 2020.

IDCS members who attend PDP events will receive PDP certificates and will be assigned relevant PDP points. The yearly target of 100 points certifies the member as an IDCS-recommended Interior Designer. The point system aims to set a standard of interior design expertise and professionalism in the country.

“We are confident that the PDP activities we have created will drive extended learning throughout the professional career of an Interior Designer, and will be instrumental in their future and on-going success as an Interior Design practitioner,” says Cameron Woo, IDCS’s PDP Chair.

Entries to the DEA 2017 are open till 31 October 2017 – click here for more information. The IDCS event calendar and ticketing details can be viewed here.