How to become an Interior Designer

It always amazes me how messages I receive asking how best to get into interior design and where to start. Therefore I thought it would be useful to put together a post on how aspiring designers can do so. I think it’s safe to say there are many avenues into the world of interior design. I can only give guidance by sharing my story. Including tips and tricks I’ve learnt along the way. I thought I would share a post on my journey into the interior design world with any aspiring designers. Ultimately sharing how to become an Interior Designer.

Becoming a peoples person 

A lot of people think interior design is glitz and glamour… I hate to break it to you it is far from it! Interior Design is a service industry and you are ultimately providing a service for a client. Your role is to of course inspire them and create amazing spaces and give them pointers. You will be working for your client and/or boss as you are under contract with them. You will need to wear various hats to keep people happy. Continuing to make sure you are constantly on your A game is really important. Consider the fact that you will be person who is responsible for all of the interior design elements to your projects. To name a few, that would include day to day things like; presentations your project to your client, working with architects, trades, attending site meetings regularly, providing technical drawings which are clear and thorough for them to work to.

A thoughtful problem solver 

No matter what the budget, location, supplier relationships and so on, things go wrong! This is the nature of the industry. It’s up to you to be able to tackle these problems head on. This isn’t a reflection of the designer, it’s just the way things go. They are so many moving parts to any project. A lot of the time problems are completely out of your hands. You will need to come to an agreement with everybody involved in the project is going to be happy with. Of course, this comes with experience. New designers will not be expected to know everything on day one. Don’t be surprised or disheartened when things don’t go your way.

Excellent attention to detail & organisation 

Having passion for the industry an amazing understanding of finishes, furniture, accessories, what’s going to work, ensuring everything is on budget and on time is crucial. Even if you’re unsure on something, show willing and enthusiasm. The rest will come naturally with experience if you feel excited by design. 

Ability to multitask

More often than not you will be working on a number of projects at one given time. They will all require different things from you at different times. There are many steps to interior design and being able to multitask is a necessity. This allows your employers/clients know you’re doing a good job. Ultimately, they’re placing their trust within you to fulfil a project. It’s up to you to make sure you do this properly. Yes working on concept design is an exciting part of the job. However, it is also very likely you will also be helping with tasks like; load and unload a van, clean an interior after an installation, remove labels from accessories and order samples. Generally assisting on your first couple of years working in the industry. All of these types of tedious tasks are a necessity of the job. All jobs are equally as important to the finished product that roles like concept design. 

Do I need a degree? 

If you have creative qualities and qualifications that is certainly a good start. I studied A-Levels at college which included; Photography, Textiles and Business studies. All of these certainly helped me in one way or another along the way! This isn’t necessarily to say these are the subject that an A-Level student should take to begin their Interior Design journey, but these were my personal choices. 

I later achieved the grades required for University this was where I studied my Interior Design Degree for three years. Some students decide a year in industry is for them and study a sandwich year. This wasn’t the route I personally wanted to take at the time, however this can help incredibly towards your final results at university and making industry contacts. So if this is something you’re interested in I would certainly look into it!  

If you’re really serious about getting into the interior design industry, most interior design firms require a degree in interior design to get started. There are other ways of getting into the industry but in my own experience this is preferred and degree certificates have been requested from myself for job roles.

Industries & avenues

Luckily, once you have your Interior Design degree, there are many different avenues you can venture into, which makes the design industry exciting for most and is in some ways quite unusual. Some sectors you can dip your toe into early on in your career to work out where your passion is and then later look to specialise in certain areas. They are as follow; 

If you’re totally unsure which industry you want to start in do a bit of research, ask if you can do some work experience first and this will help give you a better understanding of each sector. 

Applying to work with Interior Design firms 

Really think about the company you’re applying to work for and what is going to stand out to them. For example; if you’re applying to work for commercial designer, make sure you include projects which are in commercial spaces and you particularly focused on incorporating branding. If you don’t have any experience this is ok too, just show interest in that specific company and why you think you’ll be good fit. Personalise your portfolio and the language you use. Think about the style of the company you’re approaching and what they might find interesting. What aligns the two of your together? Why would they hire you specifically? Having information which has been copied and pasted is not thoughtful and is obvious to employers. Come up with something a little different which is going to interest them and ultimately make them want to hire you! 

We hope you find our post on ‘how to become an interior designer’ useful and we wish you the best on your journey. Our mailbox is always open for aspiring designers for further advice.