Why should you be an interior designer?

Promising opportunities
Design is a future-safe skill.
Creativity, imagination, and innovation
Make a difference and get paid to do so
Diverse sectors and industries

If you have a knack for decor, different designs, and creating cohesive color schemes, the interior design might be an excellent career choice for you. Choosing an interior design course can be a life-changing decision to make, as this is a fascinating field of study and practice. Interior design is both creative and challenging, meaning you can never get bored or run out of ideas on how to handle the field.

As more and more people turn to live in major cities and towns, the issues of space comes up. With the continued rise in population, space becomes scarce, therefore, we must learn how to design awesome spaces while using the limited resources at our disposal. Specializing in interior design will enable you to come up with solutions to these issues.

Interior designers are often hired by individuals, companies, and also by real estate agents. One of their key roles includes decorating spaces such as offices, bedrooms, living rooms, etc. An interior designer usually considers a lot of things like the client’s budget and taste. These highly impact the decisions undertaken by the designer.

In a conventional world, most students and parents often opt for careers that have a very narrow spectrum, such as engineering or medicine. However, this is usually mainly because of the lack of information on the other industries not pursued by the masses. This is mostly so because of the lack of awareness of what these careers entail.

The design field is one of these highly lucrative industries flooded with huge opportunities and different ways to display your creativity and get paid for it.

A career in interior design has many specializations and flavors that you can pick from. In this post, we will take you through the nitty-gritty of interior design as a career and the top five reasons why you should go for it as your main career.

What are the different careers in the interior design field?

Interior design is a broad field, and depending on your training and passion, you can choose to focus on a particular area. Some of the specializations for an interior designer include:

Corporate designers develop interior designs of professional workplaces in various setups, such as small to large buildings. These individuals work to get workspaces that are functional, efficient, and safe for all employees. Corporate designers need to be creative as they also have to look at ways to make the design simple but still incorporating elements of the company’s brand.

Healthcare designers have the expertise to plan and renovate healthcare centers, doctor’s offices, clinics, hospitals, and even residential care facilities. Their designs are centered in a way that provides a safe, positive environment to the patients and healthcare providers.

Kitchen and bath designers specialize in kitchens and bathrooms. They come in handy if you’re looking for better designs that will fit your lifestyle. Such designers have a lot of experience with plumbing structures, cabinet fixtures, and electrical solutions for such spaces.

Universal designers are also termed as the ‘Jacks of all trades’ in the interior design world. Although most of them have their specializations, they can still handle much of the work brought their way, no matter the field it is in. For instance, they can create perfect plans that would come in handy for people with special needs, the elderly, etc.

Other categories of interior designers are:

Furniture arrangers
Home lighting advisers
Interior decorators
Sustainable designers

Duties of an interior designer

To get a better taste of what awaits you once you decide to get into interior designing, take a look at some of the roles and responsibilities of an interior designer:

Search for and bid on new projects
Determine the client’s goals and requirements for the project
Consider how the said space will be used and how people will move through it.
Sketch preliminary design plans, including electrical and partition layouts
Specify materials and furnishings, such as lighting, furniture, wall finishes, flooring, and plumbing fixtures
Create a timeline for the interior design project and estimate project costs
Place orders for materials and oversee the installation of the design elements.
Oversee construction and coordinate with general building contractors to implement the plans and specifications for the project
Visit the site after the project is complete to ensure that the client is satisfied.

Typical employers

Interior designers are some of the most sought after professionals. This is because any company or group that wishes to create spaces for people to live, work, shop, or be entertained in, is a potential employer for an interior designer. Some of them include:

Architectural firms and construction companies
Interior design companies
Exhibition centers and events management companies
Consultancies offering a wide portfolio of design services
Retailers
Theatre, TV or film companies, and many more.

Interior designers can either work in-house for a company or work as freelancers.

Skills needed to be an interior designer

To become an interior designer, one typically needs a bachelor’s degree in interior design. To secure a job at a reputable company, you also need classes in drawing and computer-aided design (CAD).

However, if you don’t have a degree yet, you shouldn’t beat yourself up. You can also take part in a number of short courses for interior designers and have a keen eye for detail. Most employers will want to see your creativity side first before you even get the papers to do the talking for you.

Apart from these technical skills, it is crucial for an interior designer to learn some soft skills, essential for them to become successful in their trade. Some of the soft skills you need to become an interior designer include:

Communication

As a designer, you will have to meet with clients and discuss their needs, so one must learn how to communicate effectively. You also need to train yourself on how to communicate with contractors and other professionals you’ll be working alongside to get the best results on your projects.

When learning to communicate effectively in your line of work, some factors that you need to concentrate on include:

Active Listening
Problem Sensitivity
Oral Communication
Written Communication
Presentation
Negotiation

Vision

An interior designer needs to look at spaces differently from other people. They are always imagining and visioning how space could appear. Just by looking at an empty room, an interior designer can already envision what could work best in that space.

By looking at an already decorated space, such professionals would be having tens of other ideas on how it could look differently and better – perhaps they’ve noticed the potential of more natural lighting, better angles of walls and ceilings, and many others.

Some of the things to highlight in terms of an interior designer’s vision include:

Spatial Awareness
Space Planning
Room Function
Furniture Arrangements
Appliance Arrangements
Ambiance

Creativity

Design is a creative field and one must be able to keep up with current trends and styles. One needs to translate their artistic eye to sketch details that convey ideas to their clients.

An interior design degree would help boost your creativity, but the equivalent experience can also be gained through internships and apprenticeships with other designers. Either way, creativity in interior design is a must.

Some things to consider regarding creativity in the interior design industry are:

Color
Styles and Trends
Innovation
Open-minded
Brainstorming
Collaboration

Flexibility

Interior design is not always a typical 9 to 5 job. You are likely to be meeting with clients and working on projects in the evenings or weekends. If you work for both business and residential clients, it is paramount to be flexible to meet all their different needs.

To become a successful interior designer, being flexible means:

Scheduling of projects well
Calendar management
Delegation of tasks
Setting and managing expectations
Being goal-oriented
Being trustworthy

Problem-solving skills

Most projects hardly ever go as smoothly as planned. If you do not have effective problem-solving skills, you may find it difficult to navigate through the field of interior design.

In your field of work, important requirements might suddenly become unavailable, renovation plans might change for whatever reasons, unexpected delays that turn into unforeseen costs, etc. On top of that, you might find that some clients become fickle along the way, which means you must adapt on the fly.

Budgeting

Although often overlooked as one of the most important soft skills for an interior designer, it is necessary for such professionals to have strong budgeting skills. This comes in handy, especially when the clients want so much to be achieved but with only a tight budget.

Succeeding in interior design also requires financial creativity. Apart from being good with numbers, it is also crucial to know how to work well with vendors to gain their confidence to enjoy huge discounts in future projects.

Some of the factors that can help you to boost your budgeting skills include:

Negotiation
Forecasting
Transparency
Recordkeeping
Identifying Hidden Costs

5 reasons to choose interior design as a career

Not yet convinced? Take a look at these five reasons to choose interior design as a career:

1. Promising opportunities

By becoming an interior designer, you end up opening doors of tremendous career opportunities in front of you. There is a huge demand for interior designers all over the world. New projects are always being set up, and you can never exhaust the need for superior spaces.

According to a MarketWatch study in 2018, the interior design market was valued at a whopping 130,100 million USD. A potential (CAGR) growth rate of about 8.5% is expected between 2019 and 2024, which means the market will be valued at over 200,000 million USD.

The Indian market is another place where interior design seems to flourish even more in the coming years. According to research done by CII, there are an estimated 40,000 designers in India, out of which 11% are interior designers.

The Brandongaill report indicates that careers in the interior design world are set to increase by 13% within the next decade.

Going by the increasing number of people searching for professional interior design, it is no brainer that the demand for interior designers is bound to increase in the years to come significantly. When this does, you need to be ready with your skills and an outstanding portfolio.

2. The design is a future-safe skill.

The dawn of technological advancements has made work easier for many companies. The work has become so streamlined using machines and computers in a way that they no longer need human input. This has pushed for many organizations to lay off some of their workers, all thanks to wave automation.

Today, if you want to plan ahead for your life, you need to choose a career path that might not be declared redundant a couple of years from now.

Well, if you picked interior design, then you’ll be in luck. According to a report recently done by the Institute for the Future (IFTF) on future work skills in 2020, there are at least 10 skills listed as future-proof. Design is one of those jobs as it involves novel & adaptive thinking and transdisciplinarity.

3. Creativity, imagination, and innovation

Interior design is all about having an imaginative, creative, futuristic, and artistic approach towards everything you interact with. If these factors explain your approach to things, then interior design is for you.

Choosing an interior designing career path will provide you with immense possibilities to express your creative side while using your imagination to the fullest. You can also get your artistry to play by coming up with innovative ideas that fit the client’s needs.

4. Make a difference and get paid to do so

Interior designers are provided with an opportunity to make a difference and change the world we live in in a positive way. These designers make a lot of impact on the lives of the people within a given environment. Designing a particular space has the possibility of making the lives of people easier.

Interior designers impact the lives of people in a given environment, whether meeting their needs in corporate spaces, restaurants, fitness centers, libraries, etc. Interior spaces can make a difference in how people experience life.

For instance, you can make an office have a vibrant and beautiful environment that supports the employees and provides a positive environment for their visitors. Think of a project merely designed to house the downtrodden or impoverished segments of society. There, you act as a cause to change the way they live by designing an affordable lodging project.

5. Diverse sectors and industries

One very good thing about being an interior designer is that there are many places and platforms that you can use to display your prowess. As an interior designer, you the chance to work in diverse sectors and industries. Some of the places you can work at include:

Homes
Offices
Restaurants
Education sector
Health industry
Public spaces
Library
Religious spaces
Resorts
Art galleries
Museums, etc.

All these industries function with different requirements, tastes, goals, and costs. If you prefer diversity in life, then this is for you. You won’t get bored with the same work; using the same formula over and over as interior design provides you with different unique problems to solve every other day.

Interior designers are constantly learning, improving their knowledge, and recreating themselves. This profession requires continuing education and a mind for research.

Conclusion

Interior design is a very lucrative field of study and work. It is quite simple if you have a passion for design and an eye for creativity. We hope this post has been of great help in shaping your dream of becoming one of the best interior designers in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the basics of interior design?

A: There are five basics that summarize interior design. They are balance, rhythm, harmony, emphasis, and proportion & scale.

Q: Is interior designing a promising career?

A: Yes. Interior Design is a rewarding and thriving industry. It is an excellent career choice for anyone who craves to blend their creativity with a technical perspective.

Q: Do you need to be good at drawing to be an interior designer?

A: Yes, drawing is an essential element of interior design. Before the design is executed, interior designers need to create initial sketches of their project and make the necessary changes using a computer-aided design (CAD).

Q: Is interior design hard?

A: Yes. Interior Design is hard until you have proper knowledge and skill in it. Once you have skill and credibility on the same, it becomes simpler and intriguing.

from Bawabba Blog https://blog.bawabba.com/freelance-interior-design/5-reasons-to-choose-interior-design-as-a-career/

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Thursday, November 5, 2020