05/10/21

AMES, Iowa — Interior designer Susan Hoffman, ASID, is a recipient of the 2020 Design Achievement Award presented by the Iowa State University College of Design.

The award recognizes outstanding creative and professional achievements of alumni in all of the college’s disciplines, which include architecture, art and design, community and regional planning, graphic design, industrial design, integrated studio arts, integrated visual arts, interdisciplinary design, interior design, landscape architecture, sustainable environments and urban design.

Hoffman, from Wayzata, Minnesota, received a bachelor of arts in interior design from Iowa State in 1973. She was recognized during the ISU Alumni Association’s 89th Honors and Awards Ceremony, held virtually April 7, and at a special virtual College of Design reception.

As the founder and principal designer of Susan Hoffman Interior Designs — doing business as DESIGNS! — Hoffman specializes in both new home construction and in remodeling/renovation, which she defines as “seeing possibilities where others see problems.” Her portfolio of residential interior design work crosses the United States from California to New York and extends to the Caribbean. Her projects frequently are photographed for publication, including a recent designer showhouse interior featured on Houzz.

Hoffman’s career began with Tom Klemuk Interiors in Cedar Falls. She later worked with Dayton’s interior design studio in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, prior to earning her National Council for Interior Design Qualification certification and founding her own interior design firm.

An active member of the American Society of Interior Designers, Hoffman has served multiple roles on the board of ASID Minnesota and the Dakotas, including chapter president in 1998-99. She received the ASID Minnesota Presidential Citation seven times in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and was awarded the national ASID Presidential Citation in 1999.

Hoffman has been a tireless supporter of the ISU Department of Interior Design for more than 14 years, providing design studio field trip opportunities and curated learning experiences in residential design. She sponsored a student competition to redesign a campus fraternity and inspired an ongoing series of aging-in-place wellness projects.

Hoffman served on the ISU Interior Design Advisory Council from 2007-10. She is a member of the ISU College of Design Dean’s Advancement Council, ISU Foundation Order of the Knoll and ISU Alumni Association.

Contacts

Susan Hoffman, DESIGNS!, susan@susanhoffman.com
Rachel Moylan, Design Events and Alumni Relations, rmoylan@iastate.edu
Heather Sauer, Design Communications, hsauer@iastate.edu

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