2005: Accreditation Goes Public

The year 2005 marked a shift in how people created, connected, and understood the world around them. YouTube transformed digital storytelling, Hurricane Katrina reshaped conversations about space, resilience, and justice, and design increasingly became a public—and personal—experience.

For the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), 2005 was a defining moment. Transitioning from FIDER to CIDA, the organization stepped intentionally into the public sphere. With the launch of its first website and a new communications strategy, accreditation moved out from behind the scenes and into clearer view for students, educators, practitioners, and the communities they serve.

This wasn’t simply a branding change. It was a commitment to transparency, access, and accountability at a larger scale. By making accreditation standards, processes, and program outcomes more visible, CIDA helped elevate public understanding of what quality interior design education looks like—and why it matters.

Why does 2005 matter? Because it marks the moment accreditation became public-facing, aligning design education with a world that increasingly demanded openness and engagement. CIDA’s digital debut laid the groundwork for a new era of clarity, trust, and connection.