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

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • New City School

    Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Transforming New City School

    When New City School in St. Louis suffered catastrophic flood damage in July 2022, the event could have marked a serious setback for the 100-year-old institution. Instead, it became a forward-looking opportunity.