About The American Society of Interior Designers

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a non-profit association committed to advancing the interior design profession and communicating its impact on the human experience. With over 20,000 members across residential, workplace, healthcare, education, hospitality, and other design sectors, ASID supports a diverse and vibrant community of practitioners, students, industry partners, and affiliate members.

Katie Festerman, Education Services Associate, plays a pivotal role on ASID’s three-person Education Services team. Festerman is the Community Manager for Design Connection by ASID, the online member community platform using Higher Logic Thrive. She also provides production support for Design Learning by ASID, the learning management system that is also managed by the Education Services team. Festerman contributes to instructional design and production of educational products, in-person and online event planning, and expert speaker coordination for GATHER, the national conference by ASID, and other presentation opportunities around the interior design industry.

Challenges Before Higher Logic

Before adopting Higher Logic Thrive, ASID lacked a digital platform to sustain member interaction beyond occasional in-person events such as their annual conference. They relied primarily on virtual town halls for updates and training, which are valuable but reached a limited audience and offered little room for continuous dialogue.

“We asked ourselves, ‘what if these connections could continue all year long?’ That vision became a reality with the launch of Design Connection.”

Members consistently expressed a need for resources and peer support, especially those running independent practices. Topics such as contracts, insurance, project management, and general business operations were commonly raised, and are areas where ASID wanted to offer greater value. The community’s growth has allowed ASID to address these member challenges more effectively.

Choosing Higher Logic Thrive

Initially in search of an engaging LMS, ASID discovered that Higher Logic’s community platform offered even more value—transforming annual event energy into a dynamic, year-round experience.

“We found a solution that brought the energy and connection of our national conferences into a year-round experience.”

The team chose Higher Logic Thrive over other options to separate structured learning from social engagement. The platform’s customization and gamification features resonated with ASID’s mission and its diverse member demographics, particularly younger audiences. ASID phased out the use of a platform called Circles, which had previously hosted virtual meetings, consolidating functionality into Higher Logic Thrive’s private community groups for ongoing, topic-specific interaction.

Implementation & Integration

ASID launched their community with Higher Logic Thrive while simultaneously transitioning to a new AMS, adding complexity to implementation. Despite this, the Higher Logic team provided responsive, patient, and thorough support in establishing key integrations, including:

• SSO (Single Sign-On) AMS Integration: via Re: Members for seamless member access
• Job Feed Integration: Design Careers by ASID (powered by Higher Logic Thrive Jobs) highlights jobs directly into the Community Activity Feed
• Profile Linking: Design Finder by ASID connects member community profiles to their public profiles

These integrations contribute to a cohesive, meaningful member experience.

Driving Member Engagement

Since its launch, Design Connection has significantly increased member engagement, especially for those unable to attend in-person events. Members use the platform to ask for advice, exchange business insights, and share peer recommendations (on things like vendors) in a supportive, members-only space.

The platform has also become a key engagement channel for Industry Partners and Affiliate Members, who initiate discussions and foster relationships that benefit the whole network.

“Design Connection fosters an inviting, welcoming space for all members, aligning perfectly with ASID’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Favorite Features

ASID values Higher Logic Thrive’s ability to customize the member experience. Some of the most valued tools include:

• Custom Widgets: Tailored Quick Links for each membership type
• Automation Rules & List Builder: Streamline onboarding and identify top contributors
• Discussion & Library Widgets: Highlight trending topics and active users

Operational Efficiency

Higher Logic Thrive has helped ASID automate key workflows and free up staff resources. New members are automatically onboarded and added to relevant groups. Staff use the platform for gathering feedback and promoting opportunities that might otherwise require email campaigns, alleviating pressure on their Marketing and Communications team.

“Posting in Design Connection and receiving almost immediate responses is an incredible benefit.”

This shift from staff-driven engagement to member-led dialogue has made a measurable impact, and the new community serves as an alternative to email and social media. It offers members a more interactive and flexible channel to participate and stay informed.

Results That Matter

As Design Connection nears its one-year anniversary, ASID is seeing strong growth in:

• Total and unique logins
• Number of discussions and replies
• Unique contributors
• Average replies per thread

Where ASID staff initially seeded most content, the community is now self-sustaining, seeing steady month-over-month growth with more members initiating and leading discussions — a key marker of success in any professional community.

Strategic Alignment & Future Plans

Design Connection directly supports ASID’s Strategic Plan, which focuses on:

• Growing and diversifying membership
• Strengthening engagement and communications
• Establishing ASID as a thought leader

Future goals include:

• Expanding to chapter-based and topical community groups
• Offering member-exclusive content to deepen value
• Exploring the Higher Logic Thrive Mobile 365 App and other add-ons/features like Mentoring, Volunteering, Smart Campaigns, and Template Designer to enhance utility and reach

Final Thoughts

ASID’s journey with Higher Logic Thrive highlights the power of a well-designed community platform to foster deeper engagement, streamline operations, and deliver meaningful value to members. By creating a dynamic space for connection and collaboration, ASID has transformed member interaction, turning one-time event energy into ongoing, year-round engagement.

With continued support from Higher Logic and a clear vision for the future, Design Connection has become a cornerstone of ASID’s member experience strategy, helping the organization meet its goals and elevate its impact across the interior design profession.