Joe Chan is the Principal and Founder of award-winning design firm, Designtone. Apart from serving as an Executive Board Member of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI), Chan is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID), where he has been a council member since 2018. Asia Designers Directory caught up with Chan to learn about his role with the IFI and his take on the Asian design scene.
Can you tell us about your role as an Executive Board Member of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI)?
As the only international organisation representative of the interior design profession, my role as an IFI Executive Board Member is to work with an open mind to consider the industry’s issues from an international perspective. We advocate the interior design profession and discipline globally. We support IFI’s international community engagements by helping to enhance the IFI’s reputation and expand its following through active promotion. This includes sharing appropriate contacts for new members and sponsors, heavily promoting IFI within my community, and helping to raise awareness and visibility of the IFI locally.
Apart from the nature of the duties being different, how does your role as Honorary Treasurer for the MIID differs from your appointment as an Executive Board Member of the IFI?
In general, the role is very much similar. However, one will be focusing on the national level at the MIID, while the role at the IFI has an international focus. At the IFI, we work with the national body of countries, whereas at the MIID, we work with the members and other stakeholders. As the Honorary Treasurer of MIID, my duty is ensuring that our association finances are in good order. Budget planning, managing incoming and outgoing funds, record keeping and financial reporting are part of my duties, as sound finances help sustain the institute and run our programmes. Although different, my role in MIID helps complement my duties at the IFI as well.
As an Executive Board Member of the IFI, you have the opportunity to connect with many like-minded creatives from different countries. What do you think binds all of you in IFI’s pursuits?
What binds us is our passion for interior architecture/design and our common goal of betterment for human through interior design. As you mentioned, we are all like-minded people and we welcome the diversity of thinking and design approaches from different countries. It is something we can learn from each other and impart to others.
“What binds us is our passion for interior architecture/design and our common goal of betterment for human through interior design… We are all like-minded people and we welcome the diversity of thinking and design approaches from different countries.”
Do you feel that more Asian interior designers/architects are taking a greater interest in elevating the industry? If so, can we look forward to more Asian interior designers/architects receiving greater exposure on the global stage?
Interior design has evolved and progressed significantly in the past two decades, especially in Asia. The standard of interior is now on the international stage. I attribute this to Asian interior designers who have been playing a critical role in elevating the industry. Today, we can definitely see more Asian interior designers and architects gaining exposure and prominence on the global stage. It is quite evident as you can see a lot of high-profile projects designed by Asian designers, who are globally recognised and recipients of prestigious design awards and recognition.
