Meet Charrisse Johnston
ASID, LEED AP BD+C, Associate AIA
2017 Chair, ASID Board of Directors

I’m so excited to be the new Chair of your ASID Board of Directors, following the small but mighty footsteps of Sandy Gordon, FASID, LEED AP. Thanks to her efforts and the 2016 Board, we have a new Strategic Plan that will continue to further the profession of interior design as well as give each of us the resources we need in our practices.

It is my job, just like it was for previous Chairs, to work with the Board and ASID Staff to help make that Strategic Plan a reality.

This year, I’d like to use the monthly Chair’s Message to not only share with you the latest ASID news but to also engage with you through various outlets. We’re going to continue the emails but use different formats including Q&As, interviews, Facebook Live, and many others.

For this first month, I’m supposed to introduce myself but honestly, is there anything more boring than an official bio? So, to make things a little more interesting, here are some facts about me – listed as Top 5s!

Reasons I am a member of ASID

1. My first Studio instructor told me I should join ASID, so I did. Thanks, Joanne!
2. The welcoming and accepting attitude: it represents all interior designers, at every stage of their career, practicing all types of interior design, in small towns and big cities.
3. ASID makes me smarter about interior design’s role in addressing today’s relevant issues, such as health & wellness, resiliency, sustainability, and active aging in place.
4. Volunteering with ASID has made me a better leader, teammate, and designer.
5. Through ASID, I’ve met amazing people, visited wonderful places, and participated in conversations that have expanded my view of our profession and how design impacts lives.

1. “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.”
2. "Smile when you talk on the phone.”
3. "Don’t give people what you want to give them or even what they say they want, give them what they didn’t even realize they wanted.”
4. "When you least expect it, expect it!”  
5. "Spend your time on what’s important, not what’s urgent.”

Things I cannot live without

1. Coke Classic, ice cold, right out of the can.
2. Wi-Fi. That is all.
3. Google. It has replaced my short-term memory and mitigated my worsening word retrieval issues.
4. Jeans. I wear them practically every day.
5. Uncluttered horizontal surfaces. I hate clutter! 

Favorite design innovations

1. Wearable technology, the Internet of Things, and using sensors to improve our productivity and health.
2. Biophilic design principles that apply nature’s designs to spaces and products.
3. Augmented and virtual reality devices such as “smart” construction helmets and holographic spaces. 
4. 3D printing for everything from custom furniture and fixtures to prosthetics.
5. The new field of neuroscience for design – understanding how the brain perceives the built environment.

Things people would be surpised to learn about me

1. I was the New Jersey stenography champ. Does anyone even remember what stenography is?
2. I have an NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse championship ring, with my name on it!
3. I never graduated from high school.
4. Design is my 3rd career.
5. I am an introvert who tries very, very hard to be outgoing.

1. The new ASID-sponsored documentary, “Thriving in Place: Designing Your Best Life, Now & Later” featuring ASID members!
2. My son’s 15th birthday. One step closer to a learner’s permit and driving himself everywhere.
3. Guest lecturing to design students at the University of Arkansas.
4. Finishing CDs for 3 big projects here in LA.
5. Attending 2 concerts: ZZ Top & Kenny Wayne Shepherd at The Greek Theater and Valentina Lisitsa in Cupertino.