Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Design Industry Remains Positive About Near Term Outlook

  • 09/02/15

Washington, D.C. – The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) released the Second Quarter Interior Design Billings Index (IDBI) on August 26, 2015. The June IDBI value of 57.1 indicated that billings remain essentially unchanged from their 1st Quarter score of 57.7 in March. The June New Product Inquiry rate of 58.3 was slightly down from the March value of 58.8. While unexpected, the lower reading may reflect some payback from the strong May readings. However, the index has remained above 50 – the baseline score indicating growth – for 12 consecutive months.

Across the board, all firm sizes showed improvement and all sectors, except for education, reported increased IDBI scores, suggesting a market-wide increase in billings for the second quarter.

Business conditions vary across regions
The South and Midwest regions have reported IDBI scores greater than 55 since February, indicating a sustained growth in billings. Northeast firms rose above 50 in both May and June, while firms in the West fell from a May IDBI of 68 to a June score of 50.

Construction spending continues to surge
Construction spending rose 0.8 percent in May – a much stronger rise than the analyst’s consensus for an increase of 0.4 percent. Overall, construction spending in May was the highest since October 2008.

Six month outlook – stronger business conditions expected
The six-month business conditions index score of 74 fat the end of the 2nd quarter remains essentially unchanged from the 1st quarter score of 73 and slightly better than the 2014 fourth quarter score of 69.9. The consistency of these scores suggests ongoing, continued expansion for the design industry.

“For the most part, the construction and housing sectors are reporting significant improvement in the second quarter,” said Jack Kleinhenz, ASID economist. “The design industry has aptly bobbed and weaved through varied business conditions and has responded with steady improvement in payrolls and revenues. Looking forward, the design industry remains positive about the near term outlook.”

Download the full Second Quarter ASID Interior Design Billings Index Report.

Featured

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.