How to Start a Career in Interior Design: A Step-By-Step Guide

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Interior Design

How to Start a Career in Interior Design: A Step-By-Step Guide

Houses are no longer simple, cohabitating spaces that merely provide a roof over our heads. Each house boasts an offbeat style that conveys the personality of the homeowners. The tones of the wall, shape and placement of the furniture – all these factors play a crucial role in granting a specific finesse to each space. However, an understanding of design might not be everyone’s strong suit. In such cases, house owners are increasingly contracting interior designers and firms to handle their requirements, spiralling the prospects of students looking to make a career in interior design.

Counted among one of the most lucrative career options, interior design is a multifaceted field brimming with opportunities. The only criteria for success are that you must target the right channels to showcase your creative acumen and rise through the ranks based on the merit of your designs.

Easier said than done, right? Don’t worry; we have crafted a comprehensive walkthrough of the career path for interior designers to assist you on your journey. Stay with us as we highlight the important steps to enter the field and analyse the career prospects.

3 Steps to Begin a Career in Interior Design

Interior design is one of the best career options if you have a keen eye for enhancing the aesthetic appeal of a space. Maybe you are someone who loves organising their room to avoid clutter and generate a specific ambience. Or, you have a keen understanding of colour palettes and possess an eye for mixing complementary colour palettes.

Whatever your skill set may be, a career in interior design begins with a relevant diploma.

Seek a Professional Diploma

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Most universities in India do not offer interior design as a separate undergraduate or postgraduate course. Instead, a short 1-year interior design course is perfect for introducing you to the fundamentals of the domain.

Most diploma courses will provide you with extensive insights into the following subjects.

  • Computer-aided design (CAD)
  • Drawing
  • Design thinking
  • Material Sourcing

Overall, a diploma in interior design assists you in understanding the terminologies of interior design and helps you focus your design acumen on increasing the appeal of internal spaces. Furthermore, completing a diploma grants you more credibility in the profession, inviting more willingness from companies to provide you with opportunities to work with them.

Focus on Projects

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The creative field is far detached from testing your theoretical knowledge. In fact, it focuses on the application of your skills in the form of projects. Start with small interior design projects to better understand the required skills and gradually build your portfolio by working with diverse clients in the industry.

You can also undertake projects by working with interior design firms as an intern or a freelancer on a particular job.

Decide your Specialisation

Interior designing is a vast domain comprising sub-fields for students looking to focus on a specific element of interior design. For instance, some of the most popular branches include the following:

  • Lighting designers,
  • Kitchen designers,
  • Production designers,
  • Exhibition designers

By focusing your attention on a specific specialisation, you have a better chance of establishing expertise and developing a reputation for your panache. For instance, specialising in furniture design might make it easier for you to connect with luxury furniture brands in India.

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At the same time, don’t be too hyper-focused on figuring out your area of interest immediately. Engage with seniors and faculty and reach out to experts through official communication channels to ascertain your course of action.’

Career Prospects: How Rewarding is the Interior Design Course?

After completing your degree in interior design, you can choose to indulge in a variety of roles. For instance, if you prefer not to stick to a specialisation, you can find work with interior design firms or similar businesses to improve the appeal of existing spaces and alter the furnishings, fixtures, fittings, colour and lighting schemes.

The job profile of interior designers makes them one of the most sought-after creatives in the industry. Hence, it is no surprise that the interior designer salary can range up to INR 7 lakhs per annum, as reported by AmbitionBox. The average interior designer career salary estimates are around INR 3 lakh per annum.

But what if you wish to pursue a specialisation?

If you aspire for a role with more creative freedom, seek opportunities on movie sets as a production designer. During your initial stints, you might be required to work as an assistant production designer to learn the tricks of the trade. But after getting acquainted with the intricacies of the role, you can apply as the head production designer for various projects.

Art and exhibition enthusiasts can find opportunities in various painting showcases, museums or exhibitions all over the country. As an exhibition designer, your focus will be on arranging the layout in an aesthetically pleasing manner to welcome guests and promote a tranquil atmosphere.

Final Thoughts

Interior designing is a field that rewards students possessing an innate ability for design and organisation. If you are someone who possesses a raw talent for design, you can join the diploma in interior designing from JD Institute of Fashion Technology to polish your skills and gain the right guidance to achieve a successful career in the field.

Begin a promising interior design career in India with a professional diploma from the institute and venture out of your comfort zone to accelerate your career trajectory!

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