The Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), the professionally recognized association for interior design educators in North America, was conceived in 1962 and was named and formalized at its first conference in 1963. As described in its first Constitution, the stated purpose of the organization was to be "dedicated to the development and improvement of interior design education," to establish and strengthen 'lines of communication between individuals, educational institutions and organizations concerned with interior design," and to strive "to improve teaching of interior design, and through it the professional level of interior design." This broad purpose enabled IDEC's founders to lay the foundation for a long and significant history, one that has had a major impact on the interior design profession.
The mission of The Interior Design Educators Council, Inc. is the advancement of interior design education, scholarship, and service.