By Dianne M. Pogoda

 

Great ideas don’t mean a lot if designers can’t communicate them to the remodelers who must execute them or to homeowners, so November’s course theme is centered on elements of drafting and presentation standards.

NKBA is offering three introductory-level classes in the Design & Inspiration series this month, as well as continuing with the bath portion of the Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer exam prep. (The kitchen portion took place in October.)

The first class, “Design Unplugged — Creativity and Collaboration from Anywhere!” will help designers to work efficiently and effectively from almost anywhere, collaborating with other professionals no matter where anyone is located. This webinar begins at 12 noon (Eastern Time) on Nov. 2 and offers 0.1 CEU. It’s a free course presented by Vanessa DeKoekkoek, global training manager for 2020 Technologies, a software developer that helps professional designers, retailers and manufacturers in the interior design and furniture industries capture ideas, inspire innovation and streamline processes. 2020 applications allow professional designers to create kitchens, bathrooms, closets and commercial offices that look as good on the screen as they do in reality.

In this class, DeKoekkoek will explore the design process and highlight areas in which designers can improve by expanding their technology tool-sets.  Most of the tools in question are cloud-based and available to anyone.

At the end of this session, students will be able to describe and understand fundamental concepts behind virtual collaboration; learn how to engage clients in methods to which they can relate within the design environment, and develop and learn to share design concepts anytime, anywhere.

The second course, “Presentation Standards I,” is a three-day webinar taught by David Newton, CMKBD, running on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Nov. 7, 9 and 10, for two hours each day (1 to 3 p.m., Eastern Time). It offers 0.6 NKBA CEUs and 6 education hours, and the course fee for NKBA members is $179, and $219 for non-members.

The webinar describes the most common project documents used in the kitchen and bath industry today, tells participants how to prepare them, offers suggestions on presenting designs, and covers the NKBA’s Graphics and Presentation Standards to guide drawing practice.

Project documents, plans, and drawings form the basis of communication within the kitchen and bath profession, as well as throughout the building industry. They detail the designer’s vision of a project and are used to communicate a variety of details to everyone involved in the job.

At the end of this course, participants will be able to discuss the purpose of the NKBA Graphics and Presentation Standards; list the steps to accurately measure a design space; apply hand-drafting techniques to floor plans, mechanical plans and construction plans, and use common kitchen and bathroom project documents to complete those plans.

It requires that participants have the Kitchen & Bath Design Presentation (2nd Edition). Suggested readings are Chapters 1 to 3 for session 1, Chapters 4 to 6 for session 2, and Chapters 7 to 9 for session 3.

The third class, “From Measurement to Conception: Understanding Documentation,” explores the importance of the designer’s role in working with remodelers and builders, presentation standards and how the appropriate documents help designers build an effective communication plan. The class emphasizes the value of being an NKBA certified designer, how a professional set of documents enhances a portfolio, and how stellar communications can set designers apart from their competitors. The course also examines the correct measuring process to use when evaluating a project, and shares essentials that should be in the measuring “tool kit” for every project.

This free session takes place Nov. 13 at 12 noon (Eastern Time). It’s presented by Peter Albanese, CKBD, and offers 0.1 CEU.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to identify the role of a designer and who the design documents will impact for any project; explain the purpose and value of NKBA Kitchen and Bath Presentation Standards; list all the design documents to include and how they affect the outcome of a project, and design a communication plan and recognize the importance of an appropriate project evaluation.

Finally, as a reminder, in November, the certification exam prep course continues from October, which focused on the kitchen component, with the bath unit. Judith A. Neary, CMKBD, will teach six webinars specializing in bath certification, for designers who are already certified in kitchens and wish to obtain the full CKBD certification. The sessions require attendees to use the Professional Resource Library – Complete 9 Volume Set, and a Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 headset or comparable unit with a microphone. Registrants must hold the NKBA certified Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer (AKBD) designation.

The six bath modules, run Oct. 31, Nov. 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10. It costs members $399 and non-members $449, and provides 1.5 CEUs and 15 NKBA Education Hours.

Registrants must have intermediate drafting skills and mastery of NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines (including Access Standards and Code References), and the tools available to email completed assignments to the instructor. This includes scanning full size (11 x 17) hand-drafted assignments, if applicable. For the best audio and graphics, it is highly recommended that participants use a landline connection instead of wireless.

As with all NKBA webinars, registration closes two hours prior to start time, and attendees must participate in a minimum of 80 percent of the sessions in order to receive CEUs and NKBA Education Hours. The viewing of recorded sessions does not count towards this requirement.

For full details and to register, visit www.NKBA.org,  click on Learning, NKBA Courses, then on Course Calendar.

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Disaster Relief Fund Deadline Is Oct. 31

The deadline for donations to the NKBA Disaster Relief Fund and for applications for assistance is Oct. 31. We are grateful to Ferguson, Rohl, our chapters and the many individual members for their generous donations thus far.

We encourage you to support your fellow members. Your contributions will go directly to helping our members get their businesses, livelihoods and lives back on track.

If you are in the affected area and wish to request assistance, please click here to fill out this form or email our point person Julie Figiel at jfigiel@nkba.org. All requests will be kept confidential.

We thank you for your generosity!