An interior designer is a professional whose basic job is to enhance the aesthetics and functionality of a space. The space here could be a commercial, industrial or a residential space. Most people think that an interior designer’s career is the epitome of creativity but the fact is a bit far from thought. Most interior designers agree that the amount of business skills involved in their job far surpasses the creativity required. Contrary to popular opinion, interior designing is not all about picking colours and working with lush beautiful fabrics only. It is largely about making the sale, organizing details and making sure that everything is done perfectly within the tight deadlines. It involves negotiating with installers, bargaining with shopkeepers, keeping in touch with the local municipalities for approval and more. If you are willing to go the interior designer way then read the following section for preparatory help!
Becoming A Successful Interior Designer
Requirements
Eligibility
A common misconception is that interior designing requires no formal educational training and just about any graduation degree is good enough as long as you have the right taste, creativity and passion. But the truth is that in order to fully understand concepts like ‘flammability’ and ‘toxicity standards’ or read a blueprint or even know how to communicate with engineers, architects and clients, a minimum graduate .level education in this field is a must. Accredited college programs offer a four year Bachelor’s degree post which you may or may not require a license depending upon the requirements of the nation that you seek to practise in.
Courses Required
Over and above a regular graduation, one can take up the following courses to add an edge to their profile:
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Master’s program or a post graduate diploma in designing
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Diploma or degree course in networking, marketing and selling
Skills Required
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Creativity is the basic backbone of this profession. It is easy to choose decor for our personal needs but catering to the client’s whims and fancies require adaptability and versatility too.
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They must have analytical skills to interpret a client's vision as well as evaluate a room's potential and determine what’s best suited. The ability to mix-&-match and coordinate unrelated pieces to integrate a room’s decor in a sublime symmetry is not an easy feat.
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Since an interior designer’s work revolves around interacting with the clients, electricians, architects, shop-keepers, etc, team skills also form an essential part of the skill set. Working in harmony with a big group of people also requires you to have good communication skills and knowing the local language is an added advantage.
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Good organisational skills are also crucial since decorators have to plan and implement ideas keeping in mind that the project is completed to the customer's specifications and financial demands.
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Perfectionism and detail-orientation when it comes to colours, patterns and textures is an obvious requirement to be successful in this profession.
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Good work etiquettes which include time-management, dedication, hard-work and integrity are what set apart a successful interior designer from an ordinary one.
Roles And Responsibilities
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The main duty of an interior designer is to make the dreams, wishes and imaginations of the client come true.
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After understanding the specifications and the measurement of the area needed to be decorated, a designer is responsible for purchasing furnishings and materials to make the desired design come together.
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Being a good sketch artist is a must since the need to adequately plan and prepare sketches is a cheaper option on paper.
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In the course of the job, designers have to team up with a variety of people ranging from suave art dealers to local plumbers and it is the designers’ responsibility to manage smooth communications with all the parties to ensure a proper flow of work.
Career Prospects
With an interior designing degree, there are so many different fields to enter in the design profession. You could be a residential interior designer serving home owners or you could practice commercial interior designing. Commercial designing allows you to work with offices, restaurants, banks, malls, hotels, etc, while residential designing has the potential of introducing you to the who’s who of your side of the world. You may freelance also but only after gaining a good name for yourself in the market. Whatever it is that you choose to do, this field has immense potential and the reasons are obvious – the burning desire of people to live, eat and work in state of art places.
With the right educational background and enough experience in your kitty, an interior designing career can make you realise that the sky is indeed your limit!
