Interior design is an art. It is the ability to arrange indoor furniture for any given space, like home or an office space, in perfect balance so as to bring out a desired beauty in the room. Most people tend to think that as long as you have the capacity to put two and two together and come up with a strategy, you qualify to be an interior designer. There is much more to it than what meets the eyes. Do you necessarily need an interior design degree? No, but there are nuances and subtleties to being an interior designer.
1. Designers and Decorators
First things first, let’s start by highlighting the difference between these two. A decorator’s work is limited to increasing the aesthetic value of a room; beautifying it, in other words. They mostly know their way around matching colors and patterns to come up with something attractive: this is not interior design.
When it comes to design, attending an interior design school is crucial. One has to be educated on the different elements of design which include space, texture, harmony, balance, dominance, and emphasis. For you to learn this, you need to go through an interior design college and graduate with at least a degree in interior design for you to be called one.
2. Passion for Design
For you to be an interior designer you need to have a passion for design, or rather in art generally. An interior design degree can only take you so far because design requires a lot of attachment to it. Most of the times you may not be able to get it quite right quickly, and you end up losing hope and giving up, and this is where the passion comes in as you cannot let go of something that you are passionate about.
3. What to Expect
Designing is fun as you get to interact with physical components as you find ways of doing your job, but this is not always necessarily true. As a designer, you have to learn several other details that may be considered irrelevant but largely influence your craft, such as the history of design, psychology, ethics, and several others, all of which are covered in interior design schools. These are not quite exciting to learn, but their knowledge enables you to become a competent designer as you are nearing the completion of your interior design degree.
4. Earnings
According to Payscale.com, the average salary of an interior designer is almost $43,870 annually. Most people think of a figure way above that when it comes to an interior designers paycheck. A lot of factors are at play when it comes to the amount of salary earned, for example, your level of study, years of experience, skill competence and the size of the company you are working for. There are so many interior design colleges that you have to make an informed design right from the beginning. And once you’ve completed your interior design degree, you will have to work a lot and gain a lot of experience to increase your earnings.
5. Networking
This is a field that primarily requires as many interactions as possible. Networking is imperative in the field of design. Starting with the relationships you build in interior design school, in time, you get to create a client base amongst the people you get to meet and socialize with. It is from this customer base that you will be able to grow as a designer through references and recommendations, and build a successful and reputable public image for yourself and firm in the long run. Making connections may be an easy task but maintaining them can be quite tricky. Interpersonal communication plays a significant role in making meaningful connections, and again, one of the easiest ways to meet people and network is when you are getting your interior design degree.
6. Developing A Portfolio
As a beginner, this is the primary method of showing off your work. Before your progress further into the industry, you need to be able to showcase whatever you have worked on in the past so as to capture the attention of potential clients. This is a method of advertisement, and it has been made easier so far by social media platforms where you can create an online portfolio by posting pictures of your milestones in design for the world to see.
7. Acknowledge Competition
In the world of design, there is no shortfall of stiff competition. So many people venture into the field with the notion that it is a unique and lucrative career. In a real sense, there are so many interior designers out there in the world with skills just as honed and impressive as yours, or perhaps many who are even better. Acknowledging this makes you come to the realization that you need to stand out from the crowd to establish a strong client base. You may be asking yourself, “Well, how do I stand out?” The answer is simple: be you and be unique. Standing out is a matter of personality, creativity, and then exposure. The ability to transform ideas, not only your own, but also those derived from others, and making them work for you will surely make you stand out.
8. Laws and Codes of Conduct
For you to be a designer, you have to possess knowledge of the laws applicable in the trade and the codes of conduct that govern interior designing. Numerous ethical issues are related to design, and a lack of knowledge of them could result in putting you on the wrong side of the law.
9. Virtual Design
In this world of high-speed internet, improved communication technology, it is entirely possible to try out your luck in the virtual world of interior design. This is how direct contact is made between clients and designers without physically meeting. The parties discuss their ideas through communication platforms such as Skype and Slack. This has proven to be much more financially efficient for both clients and designers.
10. Prioritizing the Client
This is the understanding that the client is the most important part of your business. Whatever ideas you have to put in the project handed to you should always be in line with what the client wants for him or herself.
Sourced from: Freshome
