The Suffolk University Interior Design Organization is back on campus, with an all new E-Board and a fresh set of goals for the academic year. 

As they launch into a new semester, IDO is focusing their efforts on designing a dress for a fashion show, with one catch: the group must use only interior design mediums during their artistic process.

“We work with the International Interior Design Organization of New England specifically, and every year they do a fashion show with all the firms and schools in Boston, and you have to make an outfit out of interior design materials. So right now, we’re working with three different vendors: leather, wallpaper and ceiling tile. As of now, we’re putting this dress together that one of our members has to model on stage,” said Mackenzie Savard, treasurer of IDO. 

The organization’s E-Board hopes for the club’s meetings to be a space where interior design students can support one another, help each other with networking and provide resources to aid the success of their peers.

“This year, we’re up and coming as a new club. So we’re trying to get reps from different vendors to come in and teach people about materials,” said Daisey Jones, president of IDO. “Also internships, we want to help people network through the community and meet new people.”  

IDO also welcomes non-interior design majors to join the organization and dip their toes into a new subject. 

“It’s not just major-focused. While it is an interior design club, it’s just a creative club in general, so we would love all the help we can get,” Savard said. 

Jones and Savard mentioned that they would also like to see change within the Interior Design department at Suffolk. Interior Design students use softwares such as Revit and Sketchup to produce models of their designs. 

“We need more structure for the program. Going through and learning systems like Revit and Sketchup, I think we need more guidance throughout the process of our major,” Jones said. 

Within the interior design department at Suffolk, there is one tutor available through the Center for Learning and Academic Success. As interior design students learn the ropes of different design software, Jones and Savard said that it can be difficult to access assistance due to the lack of tutors.

“The only people who can tutor a subject have to have already taken that class. People that have already taken that class don’t want to become tutors, so therefore there’s no tutor for Revit, there’s no tutor for all of these things,” Savard said. 

Although they want to see positive change in terms of tutoring availability, Jones and Savard also hope that IDO becomes a place where members can access help with questions they may have regarding their courses. 

“Mostly what I see in our major is that we help each other out,” Jones said. “There’s going to be at least one person in the group that knows how to do something. So this club is really helpful, because you can come with problems with Revit or Sketchup, and someone’s going to know how to help you.” 

IDO welcomes new members to join them in Sawyer 829 during activities period on Tuesdays, or follow their Instagram @Suffolk_IDO for more information.

Follow Grace on Twitter @EGraceDreher