Overview of Interior Design

          Interior Design is a relatively new field that is continuously developing. The responsibility of an interior designer is to use problem solving skills to design a safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing interior environment that includes the wants and needs of the client.  Interior designers do much more than furniture and fabric selection.  Interiors designers take on many different types of projects ranging from residential kitchen design to commercial hotel interiors.  Interior designers are responsible for creating environments on the interior of a building designed by an architect.  Clients contact interior designers to design spaces that will better their lives and others using the space. Interior designers produce designs for interior spaces both residential and commercial.  For example, an interior designer would be contacted to design the interior of a hospital because interior designers are trained to know ADA codes to ensure safety.  Interior designers are also trained to understand how people think and what affects their moods.  For example, certain colors evoke different types of emotions from individuals.

A multi-step process is taken to design an interior space beginning with a meeting between an interior designer and their client. The design process involves countless meetings with clients, gathering research, developing a plan, revising that plan, and ultimately turning the plan into a tangible environment.  Meeting with the client is crucial to the design process.  This meeting is the interior designers chance to figure out exactly what type of space the client wants the designers to create.  The interior designer has to act almost as a mind reader during this phase of the process because most clients do not know how to articulate the design ideas in their minds.  The interior designer would ask questions pertaining to the purpose/function of the space they will be designing, color scheme ideas, like/dislikes of the client, budget, etc.  After meeting the client the interior designer then goes onto the next step of the design process: schematic design.  During this step of the process the designer comes up with different concept ideas that will help guide the design of the floor plan and furniture/finishes that will be used in the space.  A concept, or parti, is any word or image that tells the basic idea behind the design of a space.  For example, a concept for a spa interior might be tranquility, or a concept for a children’s center might be energy or growth.  After coming up with a concept the interior designer begins to translate it into a floor plan.  In this phase the designer drafts a floor plan, elevations, sections, and perspectives of the space being designed to present to the client.  Multiple drawings are created in order to make it easy for the client to be able to visualize the space.   More often than not the first design presented to a client is rejected no matter what type of client that designer is working with; interior design is an industry that focuses on collaboration between the designer and the client.  The interior designer is then sent back to the drafting table after being rejected to adjust all of the work they did for the first presentation; this step can be extremely frustrating.  After the client approves of the plans for the space the interior designer drafts construction documents for the architect and contractors working on the project.  Once these plans are approved the space can finally be constructed.  An interior designer is not only responsible for communicating their through drafting to their client but also to the people responsible for constructing the actual space.  One of the many jobs of an interior designer is develop strong communication skills; without these skills it would be impossible for a design to be safely executed. 

Interior designers are faced with many different challenges, the two main challenges being the challenge of collaborating with peers and clients for projects as well as the challenge of working with a set budget.  The interior design industry is a collaborative industry.  Designer’s cooperation and collaboration skills are put to the test for every project that they are a part of.  Interior designer’s patience is also tested when working with difficult clients.  The most irritating client to work with is a stubborn one who is not willing to listen to the designer’s professional opinion.  It is in these types of situations that the interior designer is challenged with satisfying the client without losing their voice on the project.  In an interview with interior designer, Eileen Ulrich, I asked about the challenges she faces as a designer; she responded saying, “It is very challenging working with partners and learning how to share responsibilities peacefully.”

The other major challenge that an interior designer is faced with is staying within budget on a project.  A designer is usually given a set budget by a client.  It is the interior designer’s responsibility to keep track of every dollar spent on the project.  Failing to do so could cost the client more money than they are willing to spend or could cost the interior designer their job.  Fortunately interior designers are taught how to manage a budget in school so this task should not be too hard to mess up.

All interior designers share the common goal of designing a safe, interesting space within budget, while satisfying the client and making a positive impact on their quality of life.  Interior designers achieve this goal by listening to the client’s requests while following IBC codes (International Building Codes) and ADA codes (American Disabilities Act) when designing a space.  The end result of an interior design project should leave the client with a space that betters their lives, business, and the lives of others who will experience the space.