Hundreds of floral designers have contacted the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) to learn more about its new Certified Floral Designer (CFD) recognition program, reports Tom Shaner, AIFD’s executive director.
"Despite the information being available online at www.aifd.org, our staff has been swamped with inquiries about the process since the day the program was announced," said Shaner. "Because we’re only planning one on-site design evaluation in the next year, we’re encouraging anyone who contacts us to get enrolled quickly. Design evaluation positions will be awarded on a first-come/first-serve basis."
With the ultimate goal being to obtain the coveted stature as an accredited member of the American Institute of Floral Designers, aspiring floral designers must first earn the Certified Floral Designer (CFD) designation. According to the AIFD staff, the most common question is how a designer qualifies to be able to enroll as a CFD Candidate.
In order to enroll as a candidate, a designer must first successfully complete one of five education-based pathways aimed at assuring the designer has a fundamental grasp of the elements and principles of the art of floral design, as well as design techniques and concepts.
The Education Pathways are: 1) complete online courses offered by AIFD (effective December 1), complete state florist association design courses that meet AIFD-established learning objectives; 2) complete an undergraduate degree or studies in a qualified program; 3) complete design education programs offered by AIFD-approved private floral design schools; 4) complete a series of online and classroom design classes along with a written test; or 5) have been in floristry business for more than three years and complete a personal self-analysis.
Once a floral designer has successfully completed the entry education pathway, he or she should then submit an application to enroll to be a CFD Candidate.
The application fee is $175 and it is applicable toward the two-phase (online test and on-site hands-on designing) Professional Floral Design Evaluation (PFDE). With the payment of this fee, the Candidate will receive a copy of The AIFD Guide to Floral Design: Terms, Techniques, and Traditions (1st edition). The candidate will then be instructed to go online and take a test based on information that can be found in the AIFD Guide. They must achieve a mark of 80 per cent or better on this initial written PFDE test in order to be eligible to participate in a PFDE design session.
After successfully completing the education pathway, a candidate application and scoring 80 per cent or better on the online test, the Candidate is fully eligible to participate in the PFDE design session, provided he or she does so within 12 months of having originally made his or her Candidate application. It should also be noted that the online written exam must be completed two months in advance of the PFDE design session.
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