INTERIOR DESIGN
WHAT IS INTERIOR DESIGN?
Does this workplace function well and appeal to the eye? Is this retail space inviting to shoppers? Is this home efficient and attractive? Interior designers help us improve the spaces we inhabit, not only making them more esthetically pleasing, but also ensuring that they serve their intended purpose in the best way possible. As a result, interior designers must do more than select carpet and wallpaper. They must understand space usage, lighting, budgeting, material requirements, and project management.
WHAT COURSES DO YOU NEED TO TAKE?
In addition to your liberal arts and sciences core curriculum, you will take a balance of design theory classes along with the practical hands-on courses you'll need to get started as an interior design professional. Many programs ask that you complete an interior design proposal and project before you graduate, an exercise that takes you through the entire interior design process from solving an interior design dilemma through final plans.
Here are some classes you might have to take:
- Color Theory
- Computer-Aided Design
- History of Design
- Interior Design
- Interior Design Codes and Safety
- Interior Finishes
- Lighting Design
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN INTERIOR DESIGN?
People with interior design backgrounds start their own businesses, work in design and architectural firms, take jobs with furniture manufacturers and distributors, as well as find employment with airlines, automobile companies, government agencies, and real estate companies. Interior designers don't just design homes, they help to design spaces ranging from hospitals, hotels, and restaurants to specialty shops, health clubs, and university classrooms. Interior design majors end up in a variety of roles, becoming color consultants, commercial interior designers, residential interior designers, project managers, product managers, product designers, and feng shui consultants.