Our five-pronged approach focuses on your individual strengths to develop your unique qualities towards making you an exemplary pi- designer.
Saili Sawant
29/05/2023
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If you’re always curious about the elements that go into building spaces and stay fascinated with the distinct materials, colours, and textures of a room, interior design could be a career path for you. With the importance of interior spaces increasing with each passing day, the industry is a boon in seeking modern living solutions.
The jobs in the interior design realm are expected to hike by 13% in the next decade while the overall growth of the industry is said to be increased by 20%. Whether you’re a fresher planning to step into interior design or a creative head looking for a career transition, here’s a 101 guide on how to become an interior designer.
Interior design is a creative field that focuses on how to make internal spaces aesthetically pleasing and functional. Through the adaption of design principles in the process, interior design results in beautiful spaces catering to the client’s demands along with maximising the utility of the room.
The profession demands a skillset along with education to transform the pictured spaces into a reality. Interior design is all about realising the potential of a space and styling it with your creative thoughts. It assesses the practicality of the design, blends them with design theory and curates spaces with preferred aesthetics and finely-detailed craftsmanship.
From picking the right tones to working in compliance with building rules and regulations, an interior designer keeps an eye on all the nitty gritty involved. A professional interior designer is someone who curates a pleasing environment that’s healthy to live in and beautiful to look at.
As the demand for healthy spaces is increasing with each passing day, the role of an interior designer is becoming vital in the overall planning and designing of spaces. About 60.650 individuals are working in the industry as per 2019 Bureau of Labor statistics.
Although Interior design dates back centuries, with evolution in lifestyles and living standards, it witnesses changing trends and styles. Let’s learn about what are the qualifications required to work as an interior designer and what role a designer play in enhancing the visual appeal of the space.
To start practising as an interior designer, you need to attain formal education. Enrolling on an educational program is the first step to entering the competitive industry. A few of the popular degrees in interior design are:
Along with these degrees, diplomas or certified courses in the field can add to the advantage as these reinforce your knowledge further.
With the constant upgrades in our lifestyles, work cultures, and basic demands, it’s the role of an interior designer to integrate the brief into the spaces to make them feel stylish and alive. Different responsibilities handled by an interior designer are:
Practising as an interior designer demands a pool of creativity and unique skills that help you stand out from the rest. Apart from a clear understanding of materials and play of tones, textures, and finishes, there’s much more that goes into curating an interior design. A few of the key skills required to excel in the field are:
Whether you’re fresh out of design school or a professional with working experience, building a portfolio is important for interior designers. It’s a way to showcase your skills and abilities. With a portfolio being the voice of your creative thoughts, here are a few pro tips to create a comprehensive portfolio.
Apart from theoretical knowledge, experience has a major role to play in the interior design industry. The profession is all about working with lights, colours, patterns, and textures. There is a wide range of opportunities available through internships and apprenticeships, you can gain a hands-on experience of designing.
Theory means nothing unless it's put into practical use. In this highly competitive industry, enrich yourself with practical knowledge to understand more about design ideologies and how to build a reality through your creative and problem-solving skills.
Building a network is a key to success in any profession. The more you connect, the more you understand, get ideas and develop connections that help in the longer run. Through active participation in trade shows, industry events, and exhibitions, you can interact with top designers and have an informal talk.
There’s immense value in building networks as it helps in driving the career. The major advantage of staying active in the core events is that it keeps you looped with the reality of the domain while keeping you inspired.
As an interior designer, you can either opt for a professional experience from a renowned firm or consider the idea of setting up your own firm. Practice makes a man perfect– this philosophy sits well in the design realm. Hands-on with this craft will eventually lead to enhanced visualisation and creative abilities.
Whether you join a firm or set up your own business, the mantra is to invest your creativity and deliver efficient results. While working with a firm helps you get to know the real design world, the long working hours come as one of the cons in this case. Whereas, while setting up your own firm, the initial phases prove to be challenging with limited clients and a fresh step in the business.
No matter which choice you go ahead with, unleash creativity to flaunt your unique and astounding design ideas.
Interior designing opens doors for a variety of job roles . A few of the top job profiles for an interior designer are:
This job profile focuses on enhancing the quality of space through innovative lighting design. The designers focus on adding a variety of lights and assessing their impact on the overall appeal and functionality of the space.
The designers in this role specialise in the renovation and designing of internal spaces. Their responsibilities include curation of the mood board with a selection of apt tones, lighting, furnishings, and fixtures, and proposing structural alterations if needed.
An exhibition designer takes up large-scale projects for commercial exhibitions.
The task of a visual merchandiser is to propose creative ideas in order to interestingly display products at retail outlets.
These professionals are linked to the entertainment industry where their role is to visualise, maintain, and execute the ideas for set designs. They also help in the execution of the director’s thoughts.
If you’re constantly intimidated by spaces, their feel, and their aesthetic appeal, interior design is the best career choice for you. Step into the world of designing by enrolling on a professional course and start building wonders within the enveloped zones.
For the ones who always work with creative imagination, interior design is the best career choice.
The average salary offered to an interior designer is 25,000 INR per month.
An interior designer needs undergraduate qualifications like B.Sc, B.Des, or B.A. to get the right skills and training for a career.
An interior designer has a good scope in various sectors as several architecture firms, MNCs, retailers, the entertainment industry, consultancies, etc. approach interior designers for their projects.
About The Author
An Architect turned Writer, Saili has worked as an Architectural Writer, Marketer, & Curator. For the past 3 years, she has collaborated with multimedia publication houses, firms, studios, organizations, luxury brands, & educational inst ... itutions; both national and international to communicate and market the AEC industry as an Architect in Marketing. She is a commentator on the design industry’s upkeep through her social handles while also being an avid reader and traveller.
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