Policies and Moderation | Tutorial Video
Other FUN Features!
Still have questions? Please email us at community@asid.org.
Your User Profile | Watch a Tutorial | Top
Q: How do I create a Design Connection by ASID user profile?
A: All ASID Members have a user profile on Design Connection by ASID through their Single Sign-On connected to their Member Account. Simply go to designconnection.asid.org and log in using your member credentials (i.e. Your username and password for ASID.org, Design Learning by ASID, etc.).
Q: How do I log in to Design Connection by ASID?
A: Log in using your credentials for your ASID Member Account (i.e. Your username and password for asid.org, ASID Academy, etc.). When logging in the first time, you will be required to agree to the Online Engagement & Netiquette Policies.
Q: What is the Activity Feed? Can I filter the content on the Activity Feed?
A: The Activity Feed is a feature of the member-exclusive home page, where ASID Members are taken after logging into Design Connection. The Activity Feed is in the center column of the Member home page. It displays content (Announcements, Blogs, Discussions, Events, and Library Entries) from all the communities to which you belong or have access to view, all in one place! The latest content is displayed at the top of the Activity Feed.
To filter the content on your Activity Feed, click on the filter icon (three lines decreasing in size) on the right side of the Activity Feed title. You may filter content by:
- Community (All communities I can see, My Communities, Specific Communities)
and/or
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Content Type (Announcements, Blogs, Discussions, Events, and Library Entries)
Q: Where can I find my Design Connection profile?
A: After logging in, you can find your profile in any of the following ways:
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Click on your profile photo in the upper right corner of the site > Click your name or “Profile”
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On the home page, click on your name or profile photo on the dark profile card
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Click on your name anywhere it is found on a thread, library entry, blog post, or event.
Q: I'm thinking about updating my Profile Photo.
A: WHY? Updating your profile photo boosts your you points, and awards you a badge on Design Connection! Not to mention, Design Connection members will be able to put your name to a face!
HOW? Profile photo editing is linked to your ASID member account, which periodically syncs with Design Connection. To change your profile photo on Design Connection by ASID, go to your profile and click the “Actions” dropdown under your profile photo. Select “Change Picture” to update your profile photo. You will be taken to your ASID Member Account Click “edit” on or “Add Image” below the profile image space to update your profile photo. A square photo is recommended.
Changes to your profile photo will be reflected in Design Connection within 24 hours.
Q: I need to update my contact details.
A: WHY? Updating your contact details completes your profile, which awards you badges on Design Connection! Even if you decide to keep some details
HOW? Contact details are linked to your ASID member account, which periodically syncs with Design Connection. Below are the following contact details imported from your ASID member account, paired with step-by-step instructions on how to update them!
| Contact Detail |
How do I change/update this info in my ASID member profile? |
| Your Name |
Member account > “Organizations” tab > Click “Link me to an organization” > Select one of the matches or click “Not listed above” and search for your Organization Name |
| Organization |
Member account > “Organizations” tab > Click “Link Me to an Organization” > Select Your Company or Add New |
| Job Title |
Member account > “Account” tab > Click “Personal Info” > Find and enter your Title |
| Address |
Member account > “Account” tab > Click “Contact Info” > “Addresses” > Choose to “Add New Address” and/or edit an existing address |
| Phone Number |
Member account > “Account” tab > Click “Contact Info” > “Phone Numbers” > Choose to “Add New Phone Number” and/or edit an existing phone number |
| Email Address |
Member account > “Account” tab > Click “Contact Info” > “Email Addresses” > Choose to “Add New Email Address” and/or edit an existing email address |
| Website Link |
Member account > “Account” tab > Click “Contact Info” > “Web Links” > Click “Add New Web Link” > Select Website OR edit your existing website |
Changes to your contact details will be reflected in Design Connection within 24 hours.
Q: Tell me more about updating my Profile Information.
A: WHY? Building your profile boosts your you points, and awards you badges on Design Connection! Not to mention, community members will be able to learn more about you. Also, you can connect to other members through networks of information that you have in common.
HOW? You can add details like your bio, education, hobbies, and more to your profile! Go to your Design Connection profile and click “Add” on any of the categories under “My Profile.”
Changes to your profile details are edited directly in Design Connection and are not shared back to your ASID member account.
Q: Can I include my other Social Accounts on my Design Connection profile?
A: WHY? You will earn a badge for each social account you link to your Design Connection profile! Not to mention, this allows members or your contacts to connect with you on other sites.
HOW? You have the choice of linking your social accounts to your ASID member account, which will share this information to Design Connection. This is optional. To link your social accounts to your profile:
- Head to your ASID member account > “Account” tab > Click “Contact Info” > “Web Links”
- Click “Add New Web Link” > Select one of the Web Link types > Add your profile-specific URL > Click “Save”
- Only one account for each type of Web Link can be added to your profile.
Note: Design Connection pulls the following social accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and YouTube.
Changes to your social links will be reflected in Design Connection within 24 hours. A linked icon will appear under your profile photo for each social account!
Q: How can I showcase my appellations and Chapter involvement?
A: There are a variety of ways that you can showcase your professional accomplishments to your contacts and community groups.
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Update your discussion signature! From your profile, click on the “My Account” tab. Default Fields, like [FirstName] and [CompanyName], are available for you to select from. These fields will automatically fill in your information. Alternatively, you may type your own discussion signature to appear at the bottom of all discussion threads you start and comments you make in a community group.
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Update your profile information from the My Profile tab including your bio, education, job history, and professional associations.
Q: How can I change the privacy settings for my profile information?
A: While some profile features have default privacy settings, you have control over the information others see on your profile.
To modify your privacy settings, go to your profile and click on “My Account” > “Privacy Settings.”
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Modify the default privacy settings for your profile information. You may choose for information to be shared with your contacts, ASID Members only, Public, or only yourself.
- Make sure to click "Save Changes."
Q: What does it mean to be included in the Design Connection member directory and community group rosters?
A: WHAT? Design Connection profile to be accessed through the member directory and community group rosters.
To have this choice, you must first be opted-in to the Univeral ASID online directory through your ASID Member Account (Privacy > check “Show my personal info in online directory).
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Don’t want to share your address and contact information on our platforms? Check the box, but select “Do not show...” for the Address, Phone, and Email
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Click “Save.”
Then, log back into your Design Connection profile. You will see that you are now opted-in to the Design Connection member directory and community group rosters. Only ASID members logged in to Design Connection will find you here.
Q: How do I set Community Group notification (digest) settings?
A: When you first join a community group, you can subscribe to an email digest of community activity. You have the choice of the following email digest options based on your desired delivery frequency:
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Real time: Sends an email every time a new message is posted in the community group.
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Daily digest: Sends one email to you each day for that community group, consolidating all the posts from the previous day.
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No Email: Allows you to be part of the community group without having emails sent to you. You can still post and read others’ messages by logging into Design Connection.
You also have the choice to include community group notifications in your consolidated digest, which allows you to combine multiple communities into one daily or weekly notification email.
Q: Can I change my Community Group notification (digest) settings after joining a community group?
A: Yes! You can do this for a specific community group from that group's Settings menu.
Or, to review Community Group notification settings for all of your communities at one time, simply go to your profile and click the “My Account” tab > “Community Group Notifications.” You have the following options for each of your community groups:
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Change the discussion email setting to Real Time, Daily Digest, or No Email (see explanations above).
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Check if you want to include this community group in a Consolidated Daily or Weekly Digest. (Note: You can enable the No Email setting and still enroll in a Consolidated Digest.
If you wish to receive not receive any community group notifications by email, toggle notification settings on (Yes) or off (No).
Q: Where are my notifications on Design Connection by ASID?
A: Your notifications are in your inbox. You can access your profile inbox in either of the following ways:
By default, these notifications are also sent to your preferred email address. See below for managing email preferences for non-digest notifications.
Q: How do I manage my email preferences for non-digest emails?
A: Preferences for non-digest related emails are separate from your community group digest settings. Non-digest notifications include:
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System Emails: Emails required to confirm user participation. Users cannot opt-out of these emails.
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Community Emails: Emails typically sent from Community Admins or the Community Manager via automation rules (ex: moderation notifications, badge notifications).
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Participation Emails: Emails reflecting one-on-one interactions (ex: reply to sender, contact requests, @mentions, real time notifications).
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Promotional Emails: Emails that promote the outcome of purchase.
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Smart Newsletter: Smart Newsletter is a periodic email that contains highly personalized content from community and other sources.
By default, these notifications are found in your inbox, but also sent to your preferred email address. To manage your email preferences for these notifications, go to your profile and click the “My Account” tab > “Email Preferences.” Here, you can change your email address for these notifications and toggle between Yes/No for Community, Participation, Promotional, and Smart Newsletter email notifications.
Q: I don't want to receive real-time emails from my followed content. How do I fix this?
A: By system default, you automatically follow all content that you create or contribute to and will receive real-time emails when other members engage with the content. To some, this may not be preferred if they already receive daily or consolidated digests.
If you wish to not receive real-time from followed content, consider one of these options:
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Unfollow via email: From the real-time content email, there is a link to unfollow the content: “If you do not wish to follow this, please click here.” You will no longer receive emails when another member comments on this content.
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Unfollow via profile: Find the content and click the “Unfollow” star icon. You can easily locate your Followed content by going to your profile. Click the “My Connections” tab > “Following.” All followed content will display in a list, which can be filtered by content type.
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Unsubscribe from Participation emails: From your profile, click “My Account” > “Email Preferences” > toggle to “No” for Participation Emails. Note that this is a universal change, and you may miss important notifications! You will no longer be notified of any one-on-one interactions like contact requests, inbox messages, @mentions, or replies.
Q: I’m having trouble viewing HTML email messages. How do I fix this?
A: If images are not appearing, it is likely that your email client is set to suppress images. This should be something you can change in your security or viewing options. If you would rather receive text-based email, go to your profile page and click on the "My Account" tab. Choose "Community Notifications" from the drop-down menu. Select the “Plain Text” format option for each of the discussions you are subscribed to.
Q: I received an email from the sender "mail@connectedcommunity.org" Is this legit?
A: Yes! Community Ambassadors can email community members within their community group. This email will display as “[Community Ambassador Name] via Design Connection by ASID,” but the sender email will be “mail@connectedcommunity.org.” This is standard for all sites hosted on the Higher Logic Thrive Community platform and cannot be changed.
Community Groups and Features | Watch a Tutorial | Top
Q: What are Community Groups? What are the features of a Community Group?
A: Community groups allow you to participate in discussions and share resources with other members. In a community group you can also read or post a blog, learn about community-related events and announcements, and find community members to connect with. Community groups are created around specified topics of interest (ex. Advocacy in Action, Trends in Interior Design) and/or for groups with similar experiences (ex. Preparing for the NCIDQ Exam, Educators).
Q: How do I find and join new Community Groups?
A: Design Connection by ASID features a growing number of community groups! You can discover new communities by:
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Browsing Communities List: Click on “Communities” > “All Communities” at the top of the page. From here, you can filter to see “All Communities,” “Communities I can join,” or “Communities I can only view.”
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Searching for Communities: Enter a keyword(s) into the search bar at the top of the page. When the search results appear, you can filter the content to view Communities only. This will display any community groups with your keyword(s) included in the title.
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Browsing Your Activity Feed: Your Activity Feed displays the latest content from all community groups you have joined and have access to viewing. If you find a post to a community group you are not a member of but want to join, click on the community group’s name and select “Join Community” (or “Request to Join”).
Each community group has different privacy settings. For some communities, you can join immediately, others you may have to request to join. More private communities may be invitation only. For communities you can Join or Request to Join, locate the “Join” button on the Communities list or “Join Community Group” button on the specific community group’s home page.
Q: Can I request a new Community Group?
A: While members are not permitted to create their own community groups, we work hard to ensure the number and type of communities available is growing for our members. We will launch new community groups in phases. If you cannot find a community group for your topic of interest, you may submit a request in email to community@asid.org with the subject line “New Community Group Request.” Member demand and ambassador-availability for the topic will be considered when processing your request.
Q: How do I leave a Community Group?
A: If you wish to leave a community group due to the number of notifications you are receiving, first consider changing your email notification (digest) settings. However, if a community group no longer lies within your professional or personal interests/needs, you can leave the community group by clicking on “Settings.” Under Status, click “Leave Community.”
Q: How do I start a new discussion thread?
A: On the community group’s page, go to “Discussion" > “Post New Message.” Enter the subject of your post, then type your post’s content. You can format your content and add appropriate images, videos, or links in the text box, or add them via an attachment. When you include an attachment in a discussion post, the system automatically places it in the affiliated library.
Your default discussion signature will prepopulate under your post. When finished, click on “Post.”
Alternatively, you can click “Schedule” to schedule your post to appear at a later date and/or time or click “Save as Draft.”
Q: How do I respond to another member’s post?
A: To respond to a discussion thread, navigate to the discussion post and click “Reply" to add your comment to the thread. You may choose to reply to the original post (labeled 1) or to any of the other numbered replies in the thread.
You will notice the thread will “branch out,” or indent, in different spots on the thread – indicating that multiple conversations are progressing within the original post. To send a message to the only author of the post, please select “Reply Privately” (located in the "Reply" drop-down).
You can also click the “Like” button on any post or reply.
Q: How do I find and view resources in a Library?
A: From the community group, click on the “Library” tab. Use the “<” and “>” arrows to click through the carousel of library entries for the community group. Or you can locate library entries in their organized folder by clicking on the name of the library’s subfolder.
Alternatively, you can use the search bar at the top of the page to search for library entries. Select “Library Entries” upon receiving your search results. You can filter by “Community” to see search results from a specific community group’s library.
Q: How do I add resources to a Library?
A: You can contribute a resource to a community group’s library in two ways:
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When you include an attachment in a discussion post, the system automatically places it in the affiliated library.
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You can upload documents directly to a library by using the “Create Entry” button found on any community group's library page. Library resources are not required to be associated with a discussion thread.
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Contact your Community Ambassador if there is no existing folder appropriate for your library entry.
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Please note that uploading a document is accomplished by completing a few steps, and each step must be completed before you can move on to the next:
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Choose a title for your document and include a description (optional). Select the library to which you’d like to upload it and select a folder to which you’d like to upload it (optional). Then, choose an Entry Type (most will be Standard Files, but be cognizant of any copyright licensed material). Once you have completed these steps, please click “Next.”
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Upload your file.
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Select “Next” if you want to further describe your files and/or add tags to your file. Otherwise, please click “Finish” to post your library entry.
Q:What are the “tags” for?
A: Tags are a great way to organize and categorize content on your site. Tags can be applied to blogs, library entries, events, and glossary terms. Tagged items are prioritized in the search results.
Q: How do I view or create an Event?
A: While ASID can share events platform-wide (ex. Gather Catalyst 2024), community groups have their own events tab and widget on the community group’s home page. Events posted in a specific community group should tie in with the community group’s purpose and provide benefit to its members. For example, a member of a Sustainability in Interior Design group could add an event for a virtual or in-person presentation in their area.
Note: Not all community groups allow their members to create events. Some communities may only allow the Community Ambassadors to add events.
If your community group allows members to contribute events, you can follow these instructions:
- Enter the title
- Enter the event type (this will customize the information fields)
- Enter a description for the event
- Enter date and time zone information for the event
- Optional:
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- Enter an external link for more information or to register
- Select an image for the event
- Enter location information (Physical Address or Virtual Meeting?)
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- Enter contact information (If you are responsible for running this event)
- Click “Save and Continue”
Q: What does "Following" content mean?
A: Following a discussion thread, library entry, blog, or event means that you have contributed to that piece of content and/or you value the content and want to easily access it later.
To follow content you have not participated in, click the “Follow” star icon at the top right of any discussion thread, library entry, blog, or event. By default, you automatically follow all content that you create or contribute to and will receive real-time emails when other members engage with the content. If you do not wish to receive these real-time email notifications, click here for instructions to unsubscribe from this content or all participation emails.
To unfollow content, click the star again.
Where can I find content I am following?
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Go to your profile and click the “My Connections” tab > “Following.” All followed content will display in a list, which can be filtered by content type.
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Alternatively, ASID Members can locate the “Followed Content” on the left side of the Member-exclusive homepage, under their profile card.
Your Contacts | Top
Q: How do I add another member as a contact?
A: You can add another Design Connection user as a contact anywhere you see their name in a community group, community directory, or on your member Home Page.
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Method 1: Simply hover over a user’s name. Click either “Connect” or “Request Contact” (depending on where you are on the site) to send a connection request.
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Method 2: Click on the user’s name to go to their profile. On the left side, click “Add as a Contact.”
The request will show as pending until the user accepts or denies your connection request.
Q: How do I use the directory to find other members?
A: Click the “Network" or "Directory” link found in the main navigation bar. The Directory lets you search for other members, who have opted to show on the directory, based on:
- First and/or last name
- Company/Institution name
- Email address
- City
- State
- Country
Q:Where are my contact requests?
A: You can find both sent and incoming contact requests in your inbox. Access your inbox from your profile photo in the upper right corner of the site or by clicking the “My Inbox” tab on your profile.
Q: Where can I find my contact list?
A: From your profile, click on the “My Connections” tab > “Contacts.” Here, you can click on your contacts’ names to open their profile, send them a direct message, or remove them as a contact. You will also see a list of People You May Know on this page.
Policies and Moderation | Video Tutorial | Top
Q: What are the policies for using Design Connection by ASID?
A: Exhibiting respectful and professional behavior is an expectation for virtual online environments such as learning management systems for educational purposes, like Design Learning by ASID, and social networking platforms such as LinkedIn. Design Connection by ASID follows a similar format and standard when engaging with others on this platform. You can find the Online Engagement and Netiquette Polices for Design Connection here. Members are required to agree to these policies when joining the platform.
Q: Can I post a job opening on Design Connection?
A: Per the Online Engagement and Netiquette Polices, job postings and other advertisements are not permitted as discussion posts or library entries in any Design Connection community groups. Members and other individuals are encouraged to use our Design Careers by ASID website to create and find job openings. You will see that job postings from Design Careers sync to Design Connection and populate in the Activity Feed!
Q: What do I do if I see another user violating the policies?
A: Design Connection continually monitors for any inappropriate language or content; this is removed from the platform instantly. Our staff and community ambassadors are also responsible for monitoring posted content to ensure it follows the Online Engagement and Netiquette Polices. However, if you see content that may be inappropriate or against user policies, click the dropdown arrow next to the reply button and select “Mark As Inappropriate.” This is an anonymous report that hides the content until it is reviewed by Design Connection administrators. We thank you for helping to keep the platform a safe place!
Q: What is a Community Ambassador and what is their role?
A: Each community group will have a designated Community Ambassador(s). These individuals are considered Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on the topic of your community group and serve as leaders of the group to help guide and spark discussion and activity. A Community Ambassador’s goal is to help build a specific Community Group into a space for engaging, informative discussions and networking. They will help to initiate and guide discussions, answer questions, and share resources. In addition, community ambassadors help to moderate the community group they serve, which includes flagging posted content to be reviewed by the platform’s administrators. For more information about community groups, view the questions related to this topic.
Other FUN Features! | Top
Q:What are “Contributions?” What are the “Leaderboards?"
A: Contributions are the featured point value on Design Connection by ASID. Contribution points are awarded when a user creates content, therefore contributing to engagement and the growth of the platform! Creating content includes but is not limited to:
- Starting a discussion thread
- Posting a reply on a discussion thread
- Creating a library entry
- Writing a blog
- Commenting on a blog
- Adding an event to a community calendar
- Your content being “Liked” by another user
ASID Members can find their number of contribution points on their Member-exclusive home page at the bottom of their profile card, and on their profile. To see a list of all the content you have contributed, go to your profile and click on the “My Contributions” tab > “My List of Contributions.”
*Note: Point updates do not reflect immediately on a user’s profile. The platform processes point updates overnight and you can expect to see your most updated point values within 24 hours.
A "Member Leaderboard" is found on the Member-exclusive homepage. The "Weekly Member Leaderboard" list is platform-wide, accounting for every users’ activity in a 7-day period.
Q: What do the different points mean on Design Connection by ASID? Where can I find how many points I have?
A: There are three different point values on Design Connection by ASID: Contributions, Reputation, and Engagement. Read about each point value below:
- Contributions: The featured point value on Design Connection by ASID. Contribution points are awarded when a user creates content, including starting or replying to discussion threads. Read more about Contribution points in the above question.
- Reputation: Reputation points are awarded when a user’s content is liked or marked as the “best answer.”
- Engagement: Engagement points are awarded based on all a user’s activity. While contribution and reputation points are subsets of this overarching point value, engagement also includes but is not limited to:
- Joining a community group
- Subscribing to a community group discussion digest
- Viewing a library entry
- Inviting another user to join a community group
- Adding a user as a contact
To find how many of each point you have, go to your profile and click on the “My Contributions” tab > “My Summary.” This page shows the number of points you have in each category, as well as a summary chart of your contributions and an achievements progress bar.
*Note: Point updates do not reflect immediately on a user’s profile. The platform processes point updates overnight and you can expect to see your most updated point values within 24 hours.
Q: What is the Profile Completeness bar on my Home Page Member Card?
A: Are you up for a challenge? Build your profile and reach 100% completion!
Find your Profile Completeness bar on the Home Page after logging in. It is located above your badges on your Member Card on the left side of the page. Actions related to building your profile, like updating information and making contacts, adds percentage points to fill the completeness bar.
Note: When your profile is "100% complete," the completeness bar no longer displays.
You are awarded badges on Design Connection for reaching 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% completeness! Can you collect all four?
Q: What are Badges and how can I earn them? Where can I find Badges on my user profile?
A: On Design Connection by ASID, all users can earn badges that are showcased on their profile. Badges are a fun gamification incentive meant to promote, recognize, and reward accomplishments and participation. Various badges can be earned in categories including Contribution, Profile, Community, Discussion, Library, and more!
Find your badges on your profile by clicking on the “My Contributions” tab > “My Achievements.” This page shows you all the available badges you can earn. Badges will appear faded until achieved, where they will then show in full color. To learn how to earn each badge, simply hover over the badge and the qualification(s) will appear.
ASID Members can also find the number of badges earned on their Member-exclusive home page on their profile card.
Q: What are Ribbons? Where can I find them on my user profile?
A: Ribbons serve as an identifier within the social environment of Design Connection by ASID. If you are an ASID Member of any type, you will have an “ASID Member” ribbon applied to your profile on the left side under “ASID Involvement " If you have more than one ribbon, only one ribbon will show under your profile photo on discussion treads and your profile card on the Member-exclusive home page.
If you wish to showcase more about your membership type and/or your credentials, appellations, or ASID Involvement, please see the question, “How can I showcase my credentials, appellations, and ASID involvement?”
Still have questions? Please email us at community@asid.org.