If you want a career that will make the most of all your talent, challenge you every day, stimulate you to grow and change, and allow you to make a positive difference in people's lives, then Interior Design may be just what you're looking for!
What is an Interior Designer?
An Interior Designer is a trained professional who deals with the functional and aesthetic qualities of the "inside" of buildings and spaces. The Council states that "the professional Interior Designer is qualified by education, experience and examination to enhance the function and quality of interior spaces for the purpose of improving the quality of life, increasing productivity, and protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public."
Some of the tasks that you can expect to do as a professional interior designer may include:
Analysis of the clients needs, goals and life and safety requirements.
Integration of findings with knowledge of interior design.
Formulation of preliminary design concepts that are appropriate, both functionally and aesthetically.
Development and presentation of final design recommendations using appropriate presentation media.
Preparation of working drawings and specifications for non-load bearing interior construction, materials, finishes, space planning, furnishings, fixtures and equipment.
Collaboration with professional services of other licensed practitioners in the technical areas of mechanical, electrical, and load-bearing design as required for regulatory approval.
Preparation and administration of bids and contract documents as the client's agent.
Review and evaluation of design solutions during implementation and upon completion of a project.
Work Environment
As an interior designer, your work environment would depend in part on the design specialty you choose. Usually there are more opportunities in larger metropolitan areas.
Your work environment would also depend on your area of specialty. You may be employed by an interior design or architectural firm, a retail store, or the design department of a corporation or institution. Or you may become self-employed and work out of your own studio. In any case, you probably would not spend all of your time at your own headquarters since designers are frequently on the go, meeting with clients, contractors, and suppliers or supervising at construction sites.
Professional Opportunities in the Field
Everywhere you go today, you see the influence of interior designers. The public demand for design services has grown rapidly, especially in the last decade. With that growth has come a wider range of specialties in the field. Interior design serves the expanding residential design market, the diverse needs of businesses and solves problems relative to the interior environment.
Following is a sampling of some of the work opportunities that exist for interior designers:
Interior Designer in a large or small firm, commercial or residential.
In-house designer or draftsperson in an architectural office.
Space planning and corporate office design.
Facilities management.
Specialized design, such as for health care or environments for elders.
Specialized design, such as for the retail or hospitality industries.
Universal design and ADA compliance specialist.
Design of "green" interior environments or specialist in healthy interiors.
Designer showroom employee or manager.
Design product or manufacturer's representative.
Self-employed residential interior design.
Model Home design.
Kitchen and bath design.
In-house designer for builder or contractor.
Retail furniture store designer and salesperson.
Real estate sales and interior design follow-up.
Historic preservation.
Redesign and renovation of houses for resale.
Custom furniture design.
Aircraft, boat and recreational vehicle interior design.
Lighting Design
The quality of any professional program is ultimately measured by the number of its graduates who are professionally successful. Graduates of the Bellevue College Interior Design program are in demand because of the school's reputation for excellence in design education. Bellevue College Interior Design graduates have found employment either as interior designers or in related fields, and many are successful entrepreneurs, or are working for prestigious and respected design firms. Bellevue College grads also hold important leadership positions in professional organizations representing interior designers.
