What is an Interior Designer
Interior Designers are responsible for the selection and arrangement of colors, furniture and lighting in a given space in order to affect its functions, safety and general aesthetics. An interior designer not only works on residential spaces, but also commercial spaces (offices, restaurants, hotels, airports, hospitals, etc), and each discipline requires its own set of rules, regulations and guidelines. Most interior designers choose to specialize their niche of expertise. These niches all require a subset of knowledge and skills that interior designers must know in order to successfully complete the project.
Traditionally, interior designers only focused on the decorating aspect of the room; however, the profession has evolved, and interior designers of today are now responsible for much more such as architectural detailing (crown molding, built-in cabinetry) and ground up remodeling as part of their services. Generally, any structural change would still need a stamp by a licensed engineer or architect, and good interior designers will help and guide you through that process. An interior designer in today's world would be able to guide you through any remodeling/redesigning/redecorating project that you have in mind. The role of a designer would include the ability to read blueprints, understand fire and safety codes, understand building codes and requirements as well have a strong sense of aesthetic and a defining concept for the space in order to drive the design.
Interior Design Process
Regardless of the type of project or space, the design process remains consistent for interior designers. The designer needs to come up with a master plan for the project. In order to come up with this plan. The designer must identify and document exactly what needs to be done. This is known as the programming phase. The first step is to understand the client's needs and the scope of the work to be done. Things to take into account in the first preliminary meetings are function, preferences, budget and general design direction. The next step is to visit the actual site where the work is to be done. The designer must document the space by taking note of its measurements and existing conditions. Designers traditionally drew their plans by hand, but those of today use CAD (computer-aided drafting) software. Once this information has been gathered, the designer will formulate the design plan and propose a budget for the client. The designer and client will continue to meet several more times until every piece of the design package has been reviewed and confirmed with the client. Due to the nature and scale of an architectural interior design project, it is absolutely essential that the designer eliminates as many surprises as possible. Surprises can end up being very costly. It is also important for the designer to foresee any issues that may occur in order to prevent them from happening. This comes with a proper education and experience.
Upon completion of the programming phase of the design process, the designer goes on to specify materials, finishes, furnishings and the equipment to be used in the space. Depending on the scope of the project and its parameters, the designer may need to submit drawings in to building planning departments. Most designers are not licensed architects, and licensed architects or engineers are needed for an approval stamp on the drawings.
When the entire planning process is completed and the project is ready to begin, the designer will help oversee the implementation phase. Some designers work with their own contractors, others leave the contractor selection up to the clients. Either way, the designer must oversee the contractors to make sure that the design is being executed properly and not compromised.
How to Become an Interior Designer
A bachelor's degree in interior design is recommended; however, any sort of education from an accredited postsecondary educational program will do. Some organizations such as The Foundation for Interior Design Research (FIDER) have set the standard for interior design accredited programs that are available. Art schools and design colleges looking to meet these standards must be accredited by FIDER in order to be recognized as a proper interior design training facility. Other accreditation organizations out there are the National Association of School of Arts and Design who have accredited over 200 schools and the National Council for Interior Design Accreditation who have also accredited over 140 bachelor's degree programs across the nation.
Students looking to pursue a career in interior design would need to have a strong portfolio developed from the work they've done while getting their education. This portfolio is the only self-defining tool a prospective designer has to portray themselves.
After graduation, prospective designers will normally enter a 1-3 year apprenticeship of some sort. This beginning level is normally referred to as a design assistant. Design assistants will normally work under the tutelage of a licensed designer or architect for several years before needing to take a licensing exam.
Approximately half of the states in the US require interior designers to be licensed. The National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) administers a licensing exam which requires applicants to have had 6 years of a combined education and experience under a licensed designer or architect under their belt. Upon completion of this exam, designers will then be legally allowed to refer to themselves as a Registered, Licensed or Certified Interior Designer.
Interior Designer Jobs
In order to determine anything about your future career as an interior design, you will first need to determine what kind of designer you want to be. Perhaps you just want to spruce up a space and not worry about any of the architectural elements. You could just market yourself as a decorator. Home decorators can be just as successful as designers but their job scopes are generally not as vast and are considered a specialization. Designers can specialize in different niches. Healthcare, hospitality, office planning, space planning are all examples of specialized niches of the industry. Some designers will want to focus on green design in all of their projects. Green Design is environmentally conscious design and is currently the hottest trend in the interior design industry.
Interior Design Salary
So how much do interior designers get paid? Unfortunately, this number can vary. About ¼ of all interior designers are self-employed, and their income is obviously directly related to their success as a designer and the status of the economy. Other designers working for major architectural design firms can have a salary starting off anywhere from $35,000/year and up.
|
