The interior planning profession became well-versed after World War II. From the 1950s onwards, paying for the home increased. Interior design courses were established, requiring the publication of textbooks and reference sources. Historical accounts of interior designers and firms distinct through the decorative arts specialists were delivered.
Organisations to control education, qualifications, standards and practices, etc. were established with the profession.[18]
Interior design once was seen as playing a 2nd role to architecture. It also has lots of connections with design disciplines, regarding the work of architects, industrial designers, engineers, builders, craftsmen, etc. For these reasons, the federal government of design standards and qualifications was often integrated into other professional organisations that involved design.[18] Organisations such as Chartered Society of Designers, established in the UK in 1986, plus the American Designers Institute, founded in 1938, governed various parts of design.
It has not been until later that specific representation with the interior design profession got its start. The US National Society of Interior Designers was established in 1957, in your UK the Interior Decorators and Designers Association was established in 1966. Across Europe, other organisations such as The Finnish Association of Interior Architects (1949) were being established plus in 1994 the International Interior Design Association was founded.[18]
Ellen Mazur Thomson, author of Origins of Graphic Design in America (1997), determined that professional status is achieved through education, self-imposed standards and professional gate-keeping organizations.[18] Having achieved this, design became a recognized profession.