The Office québécois de la langue française’s (OQLF) has been working with organizations to encourage them to take action to increase the power of French terminology in workplaces, and has teamed up with the Professional Association of Interior Designers of Quebec (APDIQ) to develop a vocabulary of interior design.
The OQLF presented a grant to support the project over a period of three years. The Professional Association of Interior Designers of Quebec set up a committee of interior designers, teachers, terminologists, translators, graphic designers and other professionals last January to develop a glossary of 300 words, expressions and concepts.
According to the Association, the vocabulary will eventually be integrated into communication and training tools for various target clienteles such as:
- Design schools (faculty, student members, emerging designers);
- Professionals (including newcomers) in interior design, decorative arts and architecture;
- Design and architecture firms, clients, associations and professional orders in the field of construction
“Interior design is a profession that has evolved a lot over the past 60 years. The term interior designer has often been overused, since its definition is not final, protected, and the terms reserved. The media (television and magazines among others) are partly responsible for the public’s enthusiasm for this field, but also for its misinformation as to the true nature of interior design, which is still today confused with decoration,” says Marie-Christine Dubé, president of the APDIQ. “Some customers therefore have a poor understanding of what interior design means. With the definition of interior design itself poorly stated, comes all the nomenclature used to describe the different actions within the scope of interior design. A whole vocabulary remains to be developed and which the profession must appropriate.”
The improvement of knowledge through this vocabulary will ensure that each target audience can better express their needs to realize the full potential of an interior design project: “There is no doubt that this vocabulary will be useful to many citizens, students, designers, and industry collaborators,” says the Association.
