Want To Become An Interior Designer? Here’s How

Interior design is an interesting field since it allows professionals in the industry to merge their creative side with business to create rooms filled with colors and textures that will catch your eye immediately. The job includes a variety of responsibilities such as space planning, product searching, interacting with clients, establishing timelines, supervising the construction process, and carrying out designs, which can be overwhelming when you’re just starting to learn the craft. Everyone needs some guidance when pursuing a new career, and if the description of this profession has peaked your attention, here is how to become an interior designer.

1.Create Your Own Portfolio

The portfolio is the first thing the clients will check to get to know your work and your style. A high-quality and all-inclusive portfolio is the most important tool for an interior designer to attract clients. Besides providing your potential clients with samples of how your work is, it allows you to professionally present yourself in a very organized way, so you must make sure you don’t leave any detail up to chance. If you’re unsure of where to start, you can include in the portfolio photographs of your work, a range of your sketches and designs, and you can also include projects you participated in. The key is to find a balance between showcasing only the work you feel it represents the best of your skills and abilities, while still showing a wide range of styles and arrangements that can suit your potential client’s different needs.

A digital portfolio should stand out from the competition based on creativity and professionalism. To start, invest some money into securing a short domain relevant to your name and rent a server to host your site. Using a custom site instead of relying on free services is an excellent way to redirect any potential customer to your portfolio in a quick manner and showing yourself as a serious prospect for their project. Nowadays, you’ll be able to create a website with free resources and templates, where you can upload images, add descriptions about your different projects and add any additional content you may find relevant. Don’t forget to add at least one page with a small biography about yourself, with your education, experience, and skills, and additional contact information for whoever is visiting your portfolio. Avoid unnecessary fluff and clutter in your portfolio and with each showcased project focus solely on describing the client’s requirements, a general description of each image, and a general summary of your contribution to the project.

2. Receive A Degree In Interior Design

Having a formal education is not a must to follow this career but most design firms demand the designers to have at least a bachelor’s degree. A degree in the specific field is favored but an Associate Degree in the field such as drawing or computer-aided design is also acceptable. According to the information found at MyDegreeGuide.com, there are accelerated classes and degrees available online that can help you finish in a much faster time frame if need be. You can expect to encounter the basics of drawing and drafting regardless of your previous background, and these degrees also consider technical and analytical thinking as an essential part of their formation.

Contrary to popular belief, formal education in interior design requires a comprehensive knowledge in science and math aside from art and drafting to execute proper designs. During an interior design course, you’ll also face different scenarios to create indoor projects that step away from your typical household, which helps you overcome unexpected obstacles and understand a client’s specific needs and requirements. When put in comparison with other interior designers, being certified will make you a priority in being accepted at a job, and it will also form a trust between you and your potential clients.

3. Train Your Eye

A good interior designer has the natural talent of picking the right colors, style, overall design for a room, and what needs to be shifted and changed to get the desired final design in the client’s mind. An outstanding professional will ensure to improve their talent by researching color theory, current trends, and even material properties to offer the best option possible according to the requirements given. No matter how good you are in other aspects, having a sense of awareness of your surroundings is an important skill that will allow you to be better at your job. Finding the perfect spot between functionality and style should always be your ultimate goal.

Practice is the best way to improve in interior design, aside from reading design magazines and keeping up to date with trends and what other experts are currently writing about the subject. To train your eyes, you need to be observant whenever you step into a new place; look and indicate what you like, what you would change, and what you would remove to enhance the style of the place. Take knowledge from visual arts by learning about composition to have a better grasp of how objects harmonize with each other and occupy spaces. Start to practice your mind to think quickly and find different suggestions in case the client did not prefer the first one, by creating hypothetical scenarios or taking actual requirements from friends and family.

 

4. Understand The Business Aspect

While we all associate interior designer’s work with matching colors, selecting the right furniture, and choosing different textures to evocate a specific style, the reality is that becoming a successful professional also requires having proper business skills. Negotiating with clients is a crucial aspect of closing contracts and starting projects, and learning to manage budgets and stick to deadlines will determine your success as an interior design just as much as your attention to detail. When working with an agency, you should learn how to collaborate as a team member and learn to deal with conflicts among coworkers or clients in a professional manner.

If you get a job with an agency, your work will focus mostly on dealing with providers, drafting designs, and working alongside the client. However, if at some point, you decide to work as a freelancer or start your own agency you may need to understand how to file for taxes and get yourself acquainted with the regulations and laws surrounding the profession and running a business. For instance, learning about accounting doesn’t cross most people’s heads when they think of becoming an interior designer, but keeping track of expenses and receipts is an essential skill for any project, especially if you want to maintain it profitable.

5. Pro Bono Projects

To be able to work in bigger companies, it is essential to have experience in the field. Many starting interior designers accept a few free projects to gain experience, and depending on how invested you are in this career, some even create prototypes on the side as a way to create material for their portfolios. It can be working with friends, family, with a local organization, or even small businesses that do not have the financial ability to hire professional designers. While you may not have the same resources compared to an actual paid job, these opportunities present unique challenges that will provide invaluable experience to your formation as an interior designer.

If you decide to pursue a degree, you can rely on networking to see whether any former professor is searching for new hires or ask if former classmates have any job opportunities that can share with you to check out. Some universities require internships as part of their curriculum before you’re able to graduate, and for many interior designers, it’s a perfect opportunity to get their foot into the agency or organization that welcomed them as interns once they’ve become graduates. You can also work on designing your own home, where you won’t have to worry about making mistakes and can easily undo what doesn’t work with your vision. This will help you practice and allow you a space to self-impose creative challenges until the actual and paid work come along the way.

Interior design is not an easy career to follow due to its high competitiveness and creative demands, aside from having the ability to deal with clients and work around a less structured schedule compared to other types of jobs. However, if shaping up interiors, color schemes, and floor plans are your thing, then the interior designing career must be waiting for you to use your imagination to good use. Regardless if you decide to work by yourself or collaborate with others on bigger projects, your collaboration can make a significant impact on the way any room can look and feel. Put in mind that having an instinctive sense of style, an eye for fashion, and the ability to create and become creative is essential in this particular field. While trends can come and go, an excellent interior designer will always aim to exceed the client’s expectations, be able to create a project that withstands the test of time, and doesn't compromise the room’s functionality.