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Interior Designers
Overview » Industry Pathways » Visual Arts 
Interior designers love to create beautiful and attractive looks on new and old spaces. They often feel they are getting paid to go shopping! These workers improve the function, safety, and quality of interior spaces of private homes, public buildings, and business or institutional facilities, such as offices, restaurants, retail establishments, hospitals, hotels, and theaters. They also plan the interiors of existing structures that are undergoing renovation or expansion.
Some interior designers may concentrate on residential design, while others focus on business design. Still others may specialize further by focusing on particular rooms, such as kitchens or baths. With a client’s tastes, needs, and budget in mind, interior designers prepare drawings and specifications for non-load-bearing interior construction, furnishings, lighting, and finishes.
Interior designers also design lighting and architectural details—such as built-in bookshelves or cabinets—coordinate colors, and select furniture, floor coverings, and window treatments.
Interior designers must design space to conform to federal, state, and local laws, including building codes. Designs for public areas also must meet accessibility standards for the disabled and the elderly.
Designers held about 72,00 jobs in 2006.
Salaried designers worked in a number of different industries, depending on their design specialty. Interior designers generally worked in specialized design services or in retail furniture stores.
Rising demand for interior design of private homes, offices, restaurants and other retail establishments, along with institutions that care for the rapidly growing elderly population should increase employment growth of interior designers.
Overall employment of designers in general is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2016 as the economy expands and consumers, businesses, and manufacturers continue to rely on the services provided by designers.
However, designers in most fields are expected to face strong competition for available positions. This is a very enjoyable occupational area, and many talented individuals are attracted to careers as designers. Individuals with little or no formal education in design, as well as those who lack creativity and determination, will find it very difficult to establish and maintain a career in the occupation.
Creativity is crucial in all design occupations. People in this field must have a strong sense of the esthetic—an eye for color and detail, a sense of balance and proportion, and an appreciation of beauty. Designers also need excellent communication and problem-solving skills. Despite the advancement of computer-aided design, sketching ability remains an important advantage in most types of design, especially fashion design. A good portfolio—a collection of examples of a person’s best work—often is the deciding factor in getting a job.
A bachelor’s degree is required for most entry-level design positions. Interior design is the only design field subject to government regulation. According to the American Society of Interior Designers, 22 states and the District of Columbia register or license interior designers. Passing the National Council for Interior Design Qualification examination is required for registration or licensure in these jurisdictions. To be eligible to take the exam, an applicant must have at least six years of combined education and experience in interior design, of which at least two years constitute postsecondary education in design. Because registration or licensure is not mandatory in all states, membership in a professional association is an indication of an interior designer’s qualifications and professional standing.
Formal training for some design professions also is available in two- and three-year professional schools that award certificates or associate degrees in design. Graduates of two-year programs normally qualify as assistants to designers, or they may enter a formal bachelor’s degree program. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is granted at four-year colleges and universities. The curriculum in these schools includes art and art history, principles of design, designing and sketching, and specialized studies for each of the individual design disciplines, such as garment construction, textiles, mechanical and architectural drawing, computerized design, sculpture, architecture, and basic engineering. A liberal arts education or a program that includes training in business or project management, together with courses in merchandising, marketing, and psychology, and art is recommended for designers who want to freelance.
Employers increasingly expect new designers to be familiar with computer-aided design software as a design tool. Interior designers use computers to create numerous versions of interior space designs—images can be inserted, edited, and replaced easily and without added cost—making it possible for a client to see and choose among several designs.
Beginning designers usually receive on-the-job training and normally need one to three years of training before they can advance to higher-level positions. Experienced designers in large firms may advance to chief designer, design department head, or other supervisory positions. Some designers leave the occupation to become teachers in design schools or in colleges and universities. Many faculty members continue to consult privately or operate small design studios to complement their classroom activities. Some experienced designers open their own firms.
Typical annual earnings for interior designers were $43,970 in 2007.
If you are interested in this occupation or are wondering about related occupations, use the links below to continue your exploration. Always remember, the more effort you put into exploring possible careers, the easier it will be for you to discover the best career choices for you!
For career information and links to employment resources contact:
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Occupational Information Network, O*NET Online: http://online.onetcenter.org/
For general information about art and design and a list of accredited college-level programs, contact:
National Association of Schools of Art and Design: http://nasad.arts-accredit.org
For information on degree, continuing education, and licensure programs in interior design contact:
American Society for Interior Designers: http://www.asid.org
For a list of schools with accredited programs in interior design, contact:
Foundation for Interior Design Education Research: http://www.fider.org
For information about planning and paying for college, visit Junior Achievement’s Financial Aid Center .
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