What Is an Interior Designer?
Interior designers create layouts and plans for the physical interior spaces of buildings that will best meet the needs of the people who will be living or working in them. They consider features like lighting, furniture, colors, and textures and determine how they can be best utilized for functionality and aesthetics. They apply creative design solutions, such as styles and color palettes, with technical design solutions concerning architecture and perspective to make rooms, halls, and other types of spaces more productive.
Interior designers often work alongside building contractors, architects, and electricians to make sure that their design plans fit certain requirements. Once all design plans are approved, they then supervise the project until it is complete, and coordinate with contractors, oversee installations, and make corrections if needed.
These types of designers can work in an office environment or freelance from home, and their work often takes them to other locations like design centers, showrooms, manufacturing facilities, and work sites. They usually maintain regular business hours but from time to time they may work on nights and weekends to meet deadlines.
How to Become an Interior Designer
To become an interior designer, one must earn a bachelor’s degree in interior design or complete an interior design training program at a professional design school. These types of degree and training programs involve a curriculum that focuses on design theories and architectural principles. Common courses include design studio, interior design finish materials, spatial planning, CAD, architectural drafting, ergonomics, and interior architecture.
As specialization is becoming more important in this field, students may want to consider taking courses in specific areas such as environmental design, elder design, ergonomic design, residential design, or commercial design. Internships and apprenticeship within the interior design industry are highly beneficial as they provide amateurs a chance to work alongside professionals and receive on-the-job training. Some states may require individuals to take a qualifying exam in order to become a Certified, Registered, or Licensed Interior Designer.
Interior Designer Career Outlook & Salary
Fortunately, those who want to pursue careers as interior designers have a pretty good chance of being successful. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment within this field is expected to grow 19% by 2018. This is due to more businesses and homeowners realizing the importance of good design when it comes to productivity, décor, and appeal.
The largest demand for interior designers will be within the healthcare industry, business industry, and the hospitality industry. Those who have an educational background in interior design, relevant work experience, and training in a specialized area, especially environmental design, will have the best chances of establishing a career in this field. Employers are most likely to higher designers who are extremely creative, visually minded, and have excellent computer and problem-solving skills.
The Bureau reported that the median annual wage for interior designers was $44,950 in May 2008, with those working in architectural, engineering, and design services earning the highest amounts.
