Anyone who is considering a career in interior design should already know and understand that this is a highly competitive field. Here are a few useful guidelines that should be able to make it easier for budding interior designers to get a foothold in the marketplace.
Beginning as an Interior Designer: Skills Over Experience
Experience in any professional field is invaluable and that holds true for interior design as well. However, unlike most of the other, regular fields, interior design is highly reliant on one’s artistic mastery and sense of aesthetics. This means that a talented interior designer, even if he/she is new to the field, could within a very short amount of time overshadow more experienced designers with less skill.
The innate and practiced skills we are talking about can be divided into the following categories for a better understanding of what the job requires most.
- Artistic, creative talent is by far the most important skill that every aspiring interior designer should possess; learn to sketch what you envision
- The ability to use software applications and digitize (2D & 3D) your visions via the likes of AutoCAD, Photoshop, and Mydoma Studio, for example, is essential
- You need to know how to keep track of interior design trends, market demands, target audiences, etc.
Qualifications and Training in Interior Design
Technically, you may or may not need a specific education and training in interior design to get started, but practically, that’s a bad idea! An aspiring interior designer should first work under a more senior interior designer, or at a popular interior design firm, to gain the experience required. In order to launch your own business, you must gain some insight into how the business side of things work first. Before you are able to get such a job, however, here’s a small list of qualifications that are preferred by the top interior design firms in the UK.
- At least a bachelor’s degree in interior design, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design or the Council for Interior Design
- Supplemental certifications in digital 2D and 3D design
Additional qualifications might be required, depending on the kind of jobs the designer wishes to undertake.
Create an Impressive Design Portfolio
If you wish to get the best jobs or launch your own business as an independent interior designer, you need to have an impressive portfolio. An interior designer’s portfolio consists of photos, videos, sketches, 2D and 3D models, and everything else that aids in professionally showcasing their best projects. When you are just starting out, getting that portfolio can be difficult. This is why new interior designers will often choose to do their initial few projects at a fraction of what they should charge.
Despite what it may seem like at times, becoming a successful interior designer is not impossible. Depending on factors such as your location, qualifications, skills, connections, and everything else that matters in this field of work, you may have to struggle more or less than others for sure. However, as long as you persevere, interior designing still remains a lucrative career option for talented and creative individuals.
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