There are many emerging professions these days and one of those is Interior Designing. It is a conceptual, inventive, and creative field. This post is to surely provide with you a solution to your query of becoming an interior designer.
It calls for entrepreneurial prowess and the capacity for creative problem-solving. Profitable interior design is possible in today’s generation where interior designing is not considered a mere luxury but a basic necessity.
The majority of people view interior design as a passion or pastime, but in recent years, it has gained popularity and you can make a full-fledged interior design career path.
1. A Brief Introduction
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The artistic and scientific process of upgrading a building’s interior or inner space to provide a visually appealing environment for those using the area is known as interior design.
A person who designs, investigates, manages, and supervises such remodeling projects is known as an interior designer or interior decorator.
Many times people tend to need clarification on an architect and an interior designer, but the fact is that both have different roles to play concerning a structure.
While an architect is primarily responsible for the construction of buildings both inside and out, an interior designer is responsible to make the place more appealing visually and its usability i.e. how it will be humanely utilized and how will it look.
An Interior Designer is a professional personnel responsible for the internal arrangement of a structure or building to meet the requirements of the client.
The official definition of an interior designer as per the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is as follows:
“Interior design is the professional and comprehensive practice of creating an interior environment that addresses, protects, and responds to human needs (s). It is the art, science, and business planning of a creative, technical, sustainable, and functional interior solution that corresponds to the architecture of a space while incorporating process and strategy, a mandate for well-being, safety, and health, with informed decisions about style and aesthetics.”
2. Tasks/ Role of an Interior Designer
2.1. Meet Client Requirements
It is the primary responsibility to meet the client’s requirements and to transform the interior spaces according to the vision of the customer with creative inputs. Clients and interior designers need to meet to discuss needs, tastes, and financial constraints.
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Interior designers need to evaluate the room’s possibilities while taking into consideration the client’s habits, aspirations, and preferences.
2.2. New Trends
Keeping up with the new trends and incorporating the same in the plan for interior spaces. As new trends emerge and go, an interior designer needs to stay on the leading edge of them.
If you can recognize and foresee trends, you’ll remain competitive and in want. In addition, identifying affecting trends might also help you maintain your career’s viability for decades ahead.
2.3. Outcome
Ensuring that the results are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. To achieve a perfect outcome interior designers need to recognize the vision and needs of their clients. Visualize it first, then implement it.
Even if your designs aren’t always well received by your clients, keep trying. Being persistent is the key to success. Start working on a fresh visualization following their needs. Do not be afraid to persuade clients with your concepts and imagination.
2.4. Proper Selection of Raw Materials
Interior designers should generate design concepts that include floor plans, color schemes, materials, and furnishings based on the evaluation of the area and the needs of the customer.
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The interior designer is responsible for the selection of furnishings, finishes, furniture styles, and materials to the client’s needs and financial constraints. Interior designers must inform clients about the types of raw materials and finishes they have selected.
2.5. Vision
Understanding the vision of the client and being able to put that in the design plan and get it approved before beginning actual work. Having a point of view is good in this profession but one needs to be adaptable to the needs and wants of the client.
An interior designer needs to carefully look into the minute as well as the larger details to create a unique space. Being creative is of utmost importance to become a successful interior designer though it is not the only quality of an interior designer.
2.6. Safety
One cannot undervalue the significance of health and safety as an interior designer. Interior designers must ensure that appropriate safety measures have been taken at the construction site to safeguard the interest of the workers.
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2.7. Legal Compliance
A licensed interior designer must know building codes, safety standards, and other legal restrictions laid down by the appropriate Government. An interior designer must comply with these laws and regulations.
3. Interior Design Qualification Exam
Well, the most basic answer to this question is by acquiring formal education in the interior designing field. The length of time depends on the type, of course, you chose to become a certified interior designer.
It will take around a year to pursue a diploma in interior design, and three years to complete an undergraduate bachelor’s degree program.
However, it will take about two years to complete a postgraduate diploma in interior design and become a professional interior designer.
These are basic qualification that serves as an answer to your question about becoming an interior designer.
There are various institutes both government and private providing formal education. You can pursue a diploma in Interior design after the 10th standard from an appropriate board or take admission for Undergraduate Diploma in Interior Design after the 12th class.
3.1. Duration and Eligibility of Interior Design Programs
3.1.1. Course: Diploma In Interior Design & Decoration
Time: 2 Years
Eligibility: Candidate must have passed 10th Standard
3.1.2. Course: Undergraduate Diploma in Interior Design
Time: 3 Years
Eligibility: Candidate must have passed 12th Standard or must have passed Diploma In Interior Design
3.1.3. Course: Postgraduate Diploma in Interior Design or Master’s Degree
Time: 2 Years
Eligibility: Candidate must have passed an Undergraduate Diploma In Interior Design & Decoration
While this is a standard duration and eligibility of the course, it may still vary depending on the colleges and universities and other various interior design programs and schools.
4. Skills that an Interior Designer Must Possess
4.1. Creative Mind
This field is for those with an artistic mind. An interior designer’s design is expected to be unique while also keeping in mind the requirement of the client. He should be able to creatively input the thoughts and views of his customers in his design.
4.2. Realistic Ideas
Although an interior designer should be imaginative and innovative, he must also ensure that his designs are practical and realistic.
For the client to be comfortable using the designs, they need not only to be visually pleasing but also functionally sound. Hence emphasizing realistic ideas is a crucial factor for an interior designer.
4.3. Recognizing Current Trends
Designing is a field where often the trends and patterns keep on changing and hence an interior designer must be at par with the new trend going on in the market. He should be able to creatively incorporate the current trend with the requirement of the client.
Also, an interior designer should be able to set a trend through his imagination and work rather than following existing trends.
4.4. Communication Skills
To convey their concept to clients clearly and concisely, interior designers are expected to possess great communication skills.
Also, an interior designer is expected to work with a line of people and so it’s important that he can explain his designs to the executors properly to avoid any confusion.
4.5. Farsightedness
An interior designer should be able to visualize his work even before the actual work has started. Having far-sightedness will help in the optimal utilization of resources and space planning will lead to less wastage. To avoid unpleasant shocks, it’s crucial to visualize the space.
4.6. Management Skills
An interior designer plans on paper. It is the laborers and other professionals with the required skills who bring plans on board from paper, so an interior designer must possess the skill of managing people.
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4.7. Adaptive Nature
Interior designers should be adaptive to any given situation. He should always be ready with plan B for unseen circumstances so that the work is not hampered. When one possesses adaptive nature he is likely to be more resourceful and handle the situation more efficiently.
4.8. Time Management
A talented interior designer needs to be well organized and have good time management skills to finish undertakings on time and within costs. If the service is excessively time-consuming or the costs exceed what the client was promised, it’s unlikely that you will receive repeat business.
5. Role/ Position of an Interior Designer
Due to shifting lifestyles and the rising urbanization of the world, interior design is today one of the most in-demand professions both in India and internationally. If you’re going through this article, there’s a good chance that you are already motivated to start looking into a career in interior design.
A well-rounded interior designer can be appointed by a company or interior design firm, or organization in a position to carry on the following roles and responsibilities:
5.1. Residential Designers
A Residential Designer is someone who focuses on creating trendy and practical residential interior designs for houses, apartments, bungalows, row houses, and other residential buildings. They might work in jobs ranging from modest apartments to huge, luxurious estates.
5.2. Corporate Designers
These specialize in constructing appealing as well as practical interiors for commercial projects like corporate offices/ workplaces, hotels, eateries, restaurants, and retail shops. They could be hired to work on anything from modest retail spaces to huge corporate buildings.
5.3. Complex Designers
These designers focus on designing welcoming and useful interiors for lodging facilities including hotels and resorts. They might work on assignments ranging from tiny hotel rooms to sizable public areas like lobbies and dining rooms. They have expertise in designing architectural lighting for huge spaces.
5.4. Home Staging Designers
These designers are hired to design sample apartments shown to potential buyers. Basically, in home staging, the living area/ space is neutralized and depersonalized in a way to appeal to purchasers.
5.5. Modular Kitchen Designers
As the name suggests these are the designer having specialized knowledge in designing the most important part of the house i.e. the kitchen. Based on the anticipated use of the kitchen, kitchen designers draw up plans for the space.
5.6. Healthcare Designers
For hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, these designers develop aesthetically pleasing designs with practical uses. They emphasize issues including the patient’s convenience, security, and accessibility as well as the requirements of the medical team and other carers.
5.7. Set Designer
Set designers to design the sets that we see in serials/ web series/ films. These designers focus on constructing interiors for stage, screen, and television productions. They might design sets that authentically depict a certain era or region.
5.8. Exhibition Designer
You will create huge commercial public exhibitions, showcase occasions, trade displays, and conferences for business, industry, or education, and professional and trade associations as well as cultural exhibitions for museums, libraries, and galleries as an exhibition designer. Additionally, you may create transient displays for shops and enterprises.
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6. Scope of an Interior Designer
As opposed to earlier, when people were unaware of the importance of decorating their homes, today’s population is motivated to create attractive dwellings.
The demand for interior designers is increasing noticeably, according to industry trends. Many people rely on experts to create rooms to live comfortably and joyfully.
Indian homes are getting smaller as a result of rising real estate prices, and interior design appears to be the answer to their lack of room problems.
There may be an increase in interior design jobs in the upcoming years due to people’s attraction to theme-based interiors and styles that make their homes stand out.
6.1. Scope in Construction Work
An interior designer plays a pivotal role in the underlying architecture, including planning, project management, and guidelines for new projects. These projects are developed with the help of interior architects, civil engineers, principal interior designers, and other significant construction team members.
An interior designer will develop and design residential and commercial areas in addition to performing many other construction-related tasks. An interior designer is responsible for laying down the internal structure and necessary elements to accommodate the project’s intended use by humans.
The principal engineer and senior designers sketch out their concept for the ostensibly finished project on paper or in computer renderings while considering construction practices. The vision will then be anticipated to take shape by the building crew.
6.2. Scope in Renovation Work
Renovation means modernization or restoration or redecoration of an existing structure without changing the base. Here an interior designer is expected to comprehend the rationale for the renovation as well as the motives of the requestor.
An interior designer working under this scope is expected to consider the existing components of the structure and make sure the additional work is in alignment, completeness, and uniformity of it.
6.3. Scope in Designing and Development Work
The ability to design is the very base of an interior designer’s profession. But because the phrase “designing” is influenced by so many things, including but not limited to fine arts, society, environmental factors, and more, it is important to bring them all together by designing the scope of what interior designers work on.
This document informs the designing team and the client of the various designing components of the work and details how they will be carried out.
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7. Tips to Become an Interior Designer
Many new interior designers are well-qualified in the market. Aspiring interior designers need to stand out in the crowd by building a solid professional portfolio for themselves.
The following tips will guide you in establishing a successful career as an interior designer:
7.1. Finish the Project on Time
A senior interior designer is expected to supervise the execution of the design. Also, ensuring that the deadline is reached and expenditures are kept within the allotted budget.
When the project is over, the designer should interact with the clients to inquire about their overall satisfaction with the completed project.
7.2. Prioritize the Client’s
An interior designer should always bare in mind the needs and design ideas of his clients as a priority. The client’s needs wants, and other crucial factors should be considered while developing a soft plan.
One must analyze factors such as whether or not he or she has a disability or is elderly or a child, and accordingly, a design should be created. Because interior design is a necessity rather than a luxury, we should fulfill the client’s request to make the interior space functional and comfortable for living or visiting.
7.3. Take the Help of Other Professionals
Designing is not a one-man job, it needs an army to achieve the desired results and hence an interior designer must collaborate with other professional personnel having expertise in their field. Here an interior designer should acquire business skills.
An intelligent interior designer knows what each team member’s responsibility is and recruits them early on in every project. Additionally, adopting collaboration tools would make it quite simple for an interior designer to handle agile projects.
7.4. Create a Contingency Plan
Unseen elements play a big part in the realm of interior design. An interior designer should always be ready for unforeseen circumstances and be ready with a contingency plan or plan B if things don’t work out as expected.
Not planning for contingencies is problematic when a project takes days or months to complete. There will inevitably be days when team efficiency is low or specific portions don’t go as expected given the factors at play.
It’s critical to recognize the existence of a plan and contingency rather than lamenting the lost chance and worrying about your team. It would assist you in remaining organized and inspiring the group.
7.5. Finalize Design Before Actual Work
A fundamental guideline that every interior designer should abide by is to finalize the design on paper or computer software before the actual work begins in consultation with the client to ensure that the job is clear.
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For a client’s approval, an interior designer should offer sketches and product samples. Additionally, this aids in comprehending the project completion costs.
7.6. Start Early
It takes a lot of work to succeed in interior design and pursue interior design careers. Start by taking an interior design certification or professional exam or obtaining a bachelor’s degree program or associate degree.
If you truly want to succeed as an interior designer, you must dedicate your heart and soul to your career and start early.
One must take up internships and other small-level projects or work as a junior designer and understand technical aspects so that one can learn from scratch to have a successful interior design career.
7.7. Critical thinking
Interior designers need to be able to think quickly because they often have to present their ideas to potential clients. Interior designers should possess practical skills.
When dealing with difficulties in construction and remodeling, as well as when renovating, flipping, or starting from scratch, interior designers are constantly required to conduct objective analyses of problems.
Successful designers continuously evaluate their prior understanding and apply it to produce useful, practical ideas.
7.8. Become Sustainable
Many interior designers comprehend how to accomplish sustainability and integrate environmentally friendly techniques into their designs. Effective designers know how to build useful and beautiful settings without causing side effects to its surrounding and environment.
These days more and more people are worried about the environment and hence customers are demanding more environmentally sustainable materials in their homes.
To satisfy the expectations of their clients, interior designers must possess the necessary knowledge of the technology and features to transform a conventional home into a sustainable one.
7.9. Never Stop Learning
An interior designer to be successful in the long term should never stop learning. Since the art form is continually changing, it is essential never to cease learning. You should be eager to expand constantly to increase your art as an interior designer, from comprehending colors to engaging with numerous designs.
7.10. Embrace New Techniques and Technologies
Designers have numerous opportunities to use technology and advance their skills at work as it is growing quickly.
Interior designers must incorporate technology into their work, from producing 3D renderings to utilizing Building Information Modelling.
Additionally, they must be adept at using the most recent technology to create collaborative and coherent designs.
7.11. Diversity
Outstanding knowledge of a wide range of styles, aesthetics, and techniques is a requirement for a great interior designer. Every place you work on is like a blank piece of paper, and you should never cover it with the same things you’ve done before.
You could want to include a certain liking or a distinctive flair in each of your designs. Understanding the many modern interior design trends is a wonderful place to start.
Conclusion
One needs a thorough understanding of the methods utilized to produce artistic creations and designs to become a great interior designer.
An interior designer should be creative and must take inspiration from anywhere possible, whether it’s through environment or imagination but it should be unique.
The scope and demand for an interior designer are increasing, so it is an excellent career choice.
Last Updated on by Sathi
