- What is Interior Design?
- What does an Interior Designer do?
- Why Build an Interior Design Career
- Pros and Cons of Interior Design Career
- Qualifications of an Interior Designer
- Interior Design Jobs in India
- Interior Design Job Roles
- Interior Design Salaries
- Interior Designing Skills
- Interior Design Tools
- Interior Design Common Career Path
- Tips to Get an Interior Design Job
- Top Interior Design Companies to Follow
- Popular Interior Designing Blogs
- Popular Must Read Interior Design Books
- Popular YouTube Videos & Channels
- Interior Design Forums
- Interior Design Webinars
Aiming to become an interior designer but don't know how to start?
Read this blog to find out all about making an interior design career, its demand, scope, and ways to get yourself a good interior design job.
What is interior design?
Interior design is about our experience with places and shaping indoor spaces with beautiful aesthetics.
By definition, it is “the art and science of enhancing the interiors of a space to achieve a healthier and aesthetically pleasing environment.”
Related to architecture, interior design involves designing man-made spaces to make them pleasant and comfortable.
An interior designer is equipped with a professional degree and training in interior designing and has knowledge of colors, fabrics & furniture.
What does an interior designer do?
An interior designer makes the wish to have beautiful, plush homes come true and makes places worth living.
Interior design is all about research, conceptual development, efficient planning and creating a relaxed environment for the stakeholders.
Professional interior designers possess the working knowledge of space planning, textiles, color schemes and more.
They work with architects, engineers & builders to plan the look and function of indoor spaces.
Why build an interior design career?
Scope:
With an evolving lifestyle and fast-paced urbanization, the scope of interior design has grown significantly, making it one of the most sought after professions in India today.
The market trend shows a remarkable growth in the demand of interior designers.
Many people rely on professionals to design spaces to achieve a comfortable and happy living.
With booming property prices, Indian homes are becoming smaller and house owners seem to have found the solution to space crisis in the face of interior designing.
People are attracted to have theme-based interiors and styles to make their homes stand out, leading to the potential increase in interior design jobs in the coming years.
Demand:
The interior design market is expected to see an exponential growth by 2025 globally.
As per MarketWatch, in 2018, interior design market was valued at 130,100 million USD and can expect a potential (CAGR) growth rate of 8.5% between 2019-2024, leading the market to be valued at 212,300.
Talking about Indian Market, in a research conducted by CII, the number of designers in India was estimated at 36,387 out of which 10.17% were interior designers.
As per a report by Brandongaille , interior design jobs are expected to see an estimated increase by 13% in the next decade.
Going by the increasing number of people opting for interior design, the demand for interior designers is bound to significantly increase in the years to come.
Pros and Cons of Interior Design Career
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Creative freedom | No fixed clientele |
| Growth prospects | Constant knowledge updation |
| Increasing demand | Work pressure |
| Flexible work schedule | No fixed salary |
| Job satisfaction | Requires attention to detail |
| Financial rewards | Pressure from stakeholders |
Qualifications of an interior designer
Any creative and passionate person with basic knowledge of designing properties can become an interior decorator.
But an interior design career isn't easy to build.
Here are some qualifications you need to become a professional interior designer:
10+2 with any stream: The individual should have passed 10+2 in any stream with minimum 50% marks to pursue a graduation course in interior design.
Take All India Entrance Examination for Design (AIEED): Some colleges select candidates based on their AIEED rank. It is conducted for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in interior design.
Completion of a Bachelor’s of Science (B.SC) in Interior Design degree: To make a successful interior design career, a B.Sc. in Interior design degree from a recognized university would be helpful.
Diploma in interior design: An individual who has passed their 10+2 or equivalent exams with 50% marks can also opt for a Diploma in Interior Design.
Further, an individual can also pursue a Master’s of Science (M.SC) in interior Design
or
MBA in Interior Design: It is a 2-year course. The individual must have completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s from a recognized university with a minimum of 45% marks.
Interior Design Jobs in India
Here is a list of Interior design jobs in India.
| JOBS | NAUKRI | INDEED | MONSTER | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Designer | 4.9k | 720 | 148 | 1.4k | 7.2k |
| 3D Interior designer | 5.4k | 214 | 97 | 854 | 6.5k |
| Interior Architect | 2.2k | 643 | 16 | 226 | 3.08k |
Interior Design Job Roles
Interior design is a multi-faceted field and designers can work on different fronts based on their area of interest.
Here are 5 popular interior design job roles:
| ROLE | MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES |
|---|---|
| Residential Interior Design | Styles homes, understands client needs, space management, color theory, and emerging trends to create unique designs and comfort |
| Commercial Interior Design | Works on designing workspaces, retail stores, hotels, etc. to provide easy functioning of tasks and add visual aesthetic |
| Exhibition Design | Works on exhibition layouts and venue decor; understands custom build designs, modular stand designs, floor management, and museum designs |
| Lighting Design | Works with luminaries, shades and light fittings to create lighting effects and ensure adequate lighting |
| Kitchen Design | Conceptualizes, Designs and executes kitchen interiors |
Interior Design Salaries
Salary packages can vary depending upon the organization, skillset & experience of the candidate.
| JOB ROLE | AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY (0-3 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE) | SALARY RANGE (LPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Designer | 469k | 228k-790k |
Interior Designing Skills
Here are the important skills required to build an interior design career.
Core Skills:
| Skill | Details|
| ------------- |---------------|---
| Spatial Awareness | Understanding spaces and utilization while planning interiors, ambiance and room function.
| Technical Knowledge |To digitally create designs for clients, designers must be hands-on with software like Vectorworks, Autodesk Revit, 3D Max, Archicad, AutoCAD, Sketch Up, 3D Homeplanner, and Chief Architect.
| Budgeting | Designers must be able to forecast expenditure, make budgets, identify hidden costs, negotiate and be good at bookkeeping for efficient use of money.
| Time Management | Designers must know how to manage calendars, delegate, and manage time to get work done before deadlines.
| Dynamic Creativity | An interior designer must be creative and know artistic styles, colors, fabrics, and emerging trends.
Soft Skills:
• An interior designer must have excellent communication skills as a major part of their job is to communicate ideas.
• They should be good at problem-solving for effective process management, prioritization of tasks and troubleshooting.
• Interior designers must be proactive and critical thinkers who can solve problems at the earliest.
• An interior designer must be organized to be able to complete projects on time and in the assigned budget.
Interior Design Tools
Some of the common tools used by Interior designers are:
| JOB ROLE | TOOLS |
|---|---|
| Interior Designer | Vector works, Autodesk Revit, 3D Max, Archicad, AutoCAD, Sketch Up, 3D Homeplanner, and Chief Architect. |
Interior design common career path
Here are some common paths you can choose to make an interior design career:
Career path 1
Complete your 10th class-----Complete your 12th class-----Apply for entrance exams-----Get admission in B.Sc. in Interior Design-----Take internships-----Apply for a job & become an interior designer.
Career path 2
Complete your 10th class----- Complete your 12th class----- Apply for entrance exams-----Complete Diploma in Interior Design-----Take Internships-----Apply for jobs in interior designing.
Career Path 3:
Complete your 10th class-----Complete your 12th class---- Apply for entrance exams-----Get admission in B.Sc. in Interior Design----Get admission in M.Sc./ MBA in Interior Designing----Apply for a job & become an interior designer.
Tips to Get an Interior Design Job
1) Research about the field
Research well and learn everything there is to know about your field.
Understand the different aspects of interior designing and gather relevant information to choose a specific area of work.
2) Learn the necessary tools
Make sure you are hands-on with important software like AutoCAD, Sketch Up, 3D Homeplanner, Vector works, etc.
All aspiring interior designers must learn these tools to help you start strong and grow early in your career.
3) Get a degree in interior designing
Earn a formal degree to get well-versed with the technicalities and details of the profession before you set out to get a job in it.
5) Make a Portfolio
A portfolio is an asset to your career. It is a collection of your best work.
Make a portfolio and include sketches of ideas, before and after images of work sites, fabric samples, etc.
A portfolio will help you take potential clients through the best of your work and will prove your credibility as an interior designer.
5) Intern to train
In a profession like interior design, work experience really counts.
Before aiming for an interior design job, do intern for 6-12 months to understand the critical aspects of interior design.
Top Interior Design Companies to Follow
Here are a few top interior design companies to follow in India
Popular Interior Designing Blogs
Here is a list of popular Interior designing blogs:
Popular Must Read Interior Design Books
Here is a list of popular Interior Design books
Popular YouTube Videos & Channels
Here is a list of popular Interior Designing channels you must follow
Interior Designing Forums
Here are 5 popular interior designing forums for you to explore
Interior Design Webinars
Here is the list of most popular Interior Design Webinars
The interior design market is driven by the influence of cosmopolitan culture, fueled by social media trends.
If you think you have it in you to learn new things and create amazing spaces, an interior design career is a good choice.
All the Best!
