Commercial Design:
Offices
Retail
Healthcare:
Hospitals, clinics, medical offices
Hospitality:
Restaurants
Bars and clubs
Hotels and motels
Resorts
Theaters
Civic:
Airports
Government facilities
Educational institutions
Residential design:
Single-family houses
Apartments
Condominiums
In-store design
Design specialties:
Bath
Kitchen
Lighting
Ergonomic design
Green design
Elder design
Renovations
Sales/marketing
Management
Education
Design firms
Architecture firms
Design divisions of corporations/institutions
Department stores
Home furnishings stores
Building and supplies dealers
Product manufacturers
Residential construction companies
Hotels
Hospitals
Federal government departments
Colleges and universities
Self-employed/freelance
Interior designers/architects study human and environmental interaction to create safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing spaces through planned use of light, color, mechanical systems, and furnishings.
Learn the creative and business aspects of the field, and how to work effectively on multidisciplinary teams including architects and contractors.
Develop computer aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM) software skills.
Cultivate creative, technical, interpersonal, and management skills for success in the field.
Create and maintain a design portfolio.
Conduct informational interviews with designers in a variety of settings to learn about specialties.
Complete an internship to gain relevant experience.
Join relevant student organizations and seek leadership roles. Become a student member of the American Society of Interior Designers.
Consider studying abroad to gain multicultural experience.
After finishing a design degree and gaining required experience, prepare to take the qualifying exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ).
Research state requirements to become licensed or and/or certified in a specialty area.
Maintain current knowledge of state and federal building, safety, and accessibility codes.
Exhibit strong communication skills including active listening to meet clients’ needs and writing to create work proposals.
Expect to work in a fast-paced environment, meeting deadlines and working on multiple projects at a time.
Designers’ schedules make be influenced by work- load, deadlines, and the economy.
Build a network of contacts, especially if you’re considering freelance work, to stay current on industry trends and build clientele.
Earn a graduate degree in design to increase opportunities and to pursue a faculty position.
Engage in scholarly research to expand the knowledge base of the profession.
Areas Related to Interior Design
Those with training in interior design may pursue the following career fields with the right experiences. Some fields may require additional training or graduate degrees. If these areas interest you, take relevant coursework, complete internships, and pursue related activities to prepare for the fields. For example, someone trained in interior design who wants to work for a design publication should develop strong writing skills, consider minoring in journalism or English, work for a campus or community newspaper, etc.
Some related fields are:
Set design for stage and screen
Industrial design: lighting, furniture, consumer products
Media: journalism, graphic design, advertising
Historic preservation
Floral design
Landscape design
Landscape architecture (degree required)
Architecture (degree required)
Engineering (degree required)
The NCIDQ Examination administered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) is the broad-based exam for all interior designers and serves as the foundation from which to build for those moving into specialty design areas.
Interior designers may focus within a design specialty such as hospitality or healthcare industries; some may also focus in a sub-speciality such as restaurants or senior living facilities.
Consider pursuing additional certifications such as Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, Certified Healthcare Interior Designer, LEED Professional Credential and/or WELL Accredited Professional.
Consult the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for industry trends including the numbers of interior designers and the number of firms.