Interior Design

Is interior design a field for me?
Do you enjoy rearranging your bedroom or rooms in your house? Do well-designed products or stores intrigue you? Do you notice lighting in retail stores or the colors that are painted on walls in other people's homes, restaurants or offices? Do you enjoy the challenge of solving a difficult problem or trying to come up with another way to accomplish a task? Do you enjoy drawing, writing, painting, drafting, building models, or working on a creative science project? Do you have an ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation? Can you communicate information and ideas clearly so others understand your meaning? If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you might want to find out more about the profession of interior design.

The interior design profession is a booming field. In the Best Jobs For the 21st Century (JIST Works, 2001), interior design is listed with a growth rate of 27%. According to the 2002-2003 Occupational Outlook Handbook, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, "The employment of designers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2010" (JIST Works, 2002).

Career Opportunities
One of the exciting things about interior design is the variety of projects and people that come your way. Some interior designers choose to focus on designing homes or residential design. Others decide that creating interiors for businesses or corporations is more intriguing and become commercial or corporate designers. Other specialties include hospitality (designing hotels, restaurants, cruise ships or other entertainment venues), retail (stores), healthcare (hospitals and medical offices), and institutional (schools). Some interior designers create theater or set designs, design yacht interiors, or even airplane interiors! Interior designers often are self-employed or they work for other interior design firms. Some interior designers choose to work within larger architectural and engineering firms, collaborating with those professionals on various projects. Another option is to work for a large hotel, store or restaurant chain, designing interiors for different locations around the country or world.

Salary and a Typical Day
Entry-level interior design positions, for a candidate possessing a four-year degree in interior design, can range from $24,000 to $35,000 per year. Typically an interior designer works full time, 40 hours per week. However, often projects will require that an interior designer work over-time to meet a deadline. Meetings can occur during typical work hours (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) but can also occur in the evenings or on weekends if one is designing a house.

Interior designers spend a lot of time interviewing people to determine what they need in their space – whether designing a home or office. They have to be excellent listeners, make astute observations about a person's surroundings, communicate ideas to building contractors by writing clearly and drawing well, and select and present colors, fabrics and materials that will be used on the walls, floors, ceilings and furniture of a space. They need to understand how lighting and color can change the character of an interior and know how to select the proper light fixtures and furniture depending on the clients' needs. Interior designers must understand fire codes and life-safety codes, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so they can design spaces that are safe and accessible to everyone. Interior designers must learn how to draft by hand and also with the use of a computer (CAD or computer-aided drafting). Providing floor plans and construction plans so that a contractor can build a project is an essential part of an interior designer's job.

Sounds Great – So, How Do I Become an Interior Designer?
Three things will start you on the right path: 1) education, 2) experience and 3) passing a national examination. This is a similar path that many related professions require, including landscape architecture, architecture, and engineering. Twenty-four U.S. jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and eight Canadian provinces legally regulate interior design. In those regulated jurisdictions, people interested in practicing interior design must complete these three steps (education, experience, and examination) and may also need to meet additional requirements as established by the state or provincial regulatory board.

Step 1: Education
Obtaining a Bachelor of Interior Design is the first step towards the profession. Interior design programs at colleges and universities in North America are reviewed and accredited by the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER). Its mission is to "provide the foundation for excellence in the interior design profession by setting standards for education and accrediting academic programs that meet those standards" (www.fider.org). When students attend a FIDER-accredited school they receive an education that is recognized by the interior design profession as meeting educational requirements for entry into the profession. (The states that legally regulate interior design typically require a FIDER-accredited education.)

Courses within an interior design program include freehand drawing, drafting, perspective drawing, computer-aided drafting (CAD), writing, math, history of art and architecture, history of interior design and furniture, color theory, textiles, lighting design, human factors and codes, mechanical/electrical/plumbing/structural and building systems, business courses, and design studios. In design studios, students study the principles of design, learn how to solve problems, build models, create floor plans, and understand three-dimensional design. If it sounds like fun, it is! But interior design studios also require a lot of hard work and extra hours drawing and creating plans and models.

Step 2: Experience
Work experience is the second part of the professional equation. A minimum of two years' experience is required before an interior designer is allowed to take the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination. Participating in a training program by working under the supervision of an NCIDQ-certified interior designer allows interior design graduates to obtain a broad and diverse range of quality experience. NCIDQ has created a monitored, documented training/experience program called Interior Design Experience Program (IDEP). IDEP assists entry-level interior designers in obtaining experience and establishes performance guidelines for their work experience. Upon enrolling in IDEP, interior designers receive a logbook to record the number of hours they work at different tasks. Students who complete the two-year IDEP process are then well situated to take, and pass, the NCIDQ examination.

Step 3: Examination
The NCIDQ examination measures minimum competency for practicing interior design. The exam is developed and administered in the United States and Canada by an agency that is independent from the professional interior design organizations. The exam is based on performance testing, placing emphasis on practical experience. The examination consists of two multiple-choice sections that have a total of 225 questions, and one design-practicum section. The design-practicum section of the exam is a daylong exercise where an applicant creates floor plans and other drawings for a building interior.

More Information, Please!

www.asid.org—ASID – American Society of Interior Designers (professional association)

www.fider.org—FIDER – Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (accredits interior design programs)

www.iida.org—IIDA – International Interior Design Association (professional association)

www.ncidq.org—NCIDQ – National Council for Interior Design Qualification (creates national examination and IDEP – Interior Design Experience Program, a monitored experience program)

Editorial provided by Lisa Whited, IIDA, ASID, IDEC, Program Director, Interior Design of Boston Architectural Center.