What is Interior Design Today?


Interior design is all about how we experience spaces. It’s a powerful, essential part of our daily lives and affects how we live, work, play, and even heal. Comfortable homes, functional workplaces, beautiful public spaces—that’s interior design at work.

The best interior designers make it look easy, crafting spaces that anticipate our needs and appeal to our emotions, but in reality a broad set of skills and technical knowledge is required. Interior design has changed dramatically since the early 20th century when it was just beginning to emerge as a profession.

Today, interior designers work with contractors, architects, engineers, craftsmen, furniture dealers, and business and home owners. To become a successful interior designer, you need a well-rounded education and the skills to work within many disciplines (architecture; graphic design; decorative arts; and textile, furniture, and lighting design). Interior designers are expected to have working knowledge of:

• Textiles, materials, color, space planning, sustainability, and more

• Software applications for 2D & 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM)

• Structural requirements, health and safety issues, and building codes

Career Options
Within the field of interior design, there are a wealth of career options. You can start your own practice, work for a small or large firm, or specialize in a particular skill (such as lighting) or a specific area (such as hospitality). The possibilities are endless—and they’re expanding every day.


RESIDENTIAL DESIGN: Residential professionals work with private living spaces, primarily designing rooms for new or existing homes. Some even prefer working with a specific room such as the kitchen or bathroom, or planning and creating closet spaces.

COMMERCIAL DESIGN: Commercial interior designers plan public spaces—government buildings, private businesses, or other corporate entities. Offices are a common focus of these professionals, but they may also work with schools, banks, retail establishments, and other public spaces. Some work to make hotels and restaurants functional and appealing, while others design areas in hospitals and other healthcare facilities; each field often requires specific knowledge about how the space can be used effectively by both customers/clients and employees.

1. There Is a Difference Between Decorators and Designers
What’s the difference between interior decorators and interior designers? In one word: education.

Literally anyone can become an interior decorator. Someone who loves playing with colors, fabrics and textiles can become a decorator by simply printing business cards and promoting themselves to clients. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but educational background is also important.

On the other hand, an interior designer must have an accredited education; an associate or bachelor’s degree is a requisite for working in the interior design field. Do you want to pursue an education, or jump immediately into the decorating world? Keep reading to see if interior design could be the right fit for you.



2. You Must Have a Knack for Design

It may seem obvious, but in order to become an interior designer, you need to have an innate flair for color, spatial arrangements, architecture and textiles. Do you enjoy decorating your home and get lots of compliments on your decor? That doesn’t necessarily mean you should be an interior designer, but it’s certainly a good sign.

The first step to a successful career is to follow your passion. After all, doing something you love will never feel like work. Take this fun quiz to see which field you should consider majoring in. Is a career in interior design in your future?



3. Interior Design Isn’t All Fabric and Fun

While fabrics, furniture and color may play a large role in interior design, there are plenty of other tasks that are required of interior designers — many of which may seem less like fun and more like work.

Interior designers need to be educated in the history of design, the structural integrity of buildings, building codes, ergonomics, spatial concepts, ethics, psychology, computer-aided drawing (CAD) and much more.

It might seem that interior designers are expected to be Jacks (or Jills) of all trades, doesn’t it? This broad range of skills is required because designers work with not only homeowners, but also builders, architects, government agencies and business owners.  To become a successful interior designer, one needs to be educated and well-rounded.


4. The Salary Isn’t as High as You Think

Show me the money! After all, shouldn’t someone with such a vast education get paid well? It depends. Statistics show that the median salary of an entry-level interior designer in the U.S. is $42,380 per year.

Of course, this depends on a lot of factors, such as education, location, work experience and size of the firm/company. An interior designer at a furniture company will most likely make less than a designer who works for a high-end architectural firm.

Essentially, you can dictate your rate of pay by gaining as much exposure and experience as possible. Someone with education in the fields of architecture, building codes/laws and structural design will more likely become financially successful.



5. You Need to Be a People Person

Ask interior designers to share their experiences, and they will surely relate some horror stories of past clients. People are finicky, especially when it comes to their homes. While some clients have clear goals in mind, others may think they know what they want only to discover that they hate the final product and are dissatisfied with your work.

A successful interior designer is a people pleaser and a mitigator (and sometimes a mind reader) — someone who can steer clients toward a favorable outcome while making them feel they are in full control of the design choices. Interior designers are constantly balancing their design decisions and their clients’ desires. It’s not a cakewalk, to say the least.



6. You Need to Develop a Portfolio

A picture says a thousand words, and this is definitely true when it comes to an interior designer’s portfolio. You can talk all day long about colors and textiles, but unless you have an outstanding portfolio that showcases your designs and projects, your successes will be few and far between.

If you are just coming out of school and are new to the job market, it may be necessary to offer your services for free or at a reduced rate. This is probably the best way to get a portfolio started; it’s also a great way to get to know local merchandisers and suppliers, and develop a rapport for future projects.

Everybody starts at the bottom. With some effort, experience and proper marketing, you can become a successful force in the interior design field.



7. Competition Is Fierce in Interior Design

Interior design is a competitive business. The key to success is getting yourself noticed. As mentioned above, an amazing designer portfolio will certainly help you land jobs.

Another important factor is acquiring an extensive education. The more you know, the better off you will be. Consider looking toward future trends such as population growth, designing for the elderly, modern architecture and green design; education within these specific fields of design will give you the upper hand in the job market.

It is also a good idea to stay abreast of design trends by reading design publications and websites such as Freshome, communicating with fellow designers and following a mentor. When competition is high, you need to work hard in order to get noticed and rise to the top.


Interior designers can telecommute, thanks to virtual room-planning tools.

8. Virtual Designers Have an Opportunity

When people hire an interior designer, they may not realize that they can actually hire from anywhere in the world. Yes, designers can telecommute, too! Thanks to technological innovations such as Skype and design software, designers are discovering a whole new world of virtual design.

Although several free online virtual room design tools available to the general public, interior designers have an edge on this competition thanks to their exclusive relationships with elite design lines. Several high-end textile companies offer discounts to designers working in the trade, thereby allowing them to get their clients the best prices.


Designers need to stay abreast of local plumbing and electrical codes.

9. Designers Must Know Local Laws and Codes

This is where would-be designers may opt to avoid the education and become decorators, thereby avoiding some of the doldrum of learning building codes and local laws.

Some of the details can certainly be boring, but they are required knowledge for interior designers. Learning about plumbing codes, electricity and load-bearing walls may not excite you, but it is required. Staying abreast of such things gives interior designers an advantage and marketability that decorators simply do not have.


10. It’s Not About Your Style, It’s About Theirs

While designers can offer their clients a wide range of design styles to choose from, it is important to remember that it is up to the clients to choose what style suits them best.

Just because designers are educated and have good taste does not make their choices superior to their clients. The interior designer’s job is to offer a variety of styles and direct the client toward the right design choice while allowing the client to feel in charge.

For example, you may work as an interior designer for years and never design a house that suits your personal tastes. It is all about the clients’ style — and you must put your own aside.

After reading all the pros and cons of becoming an interior designer, do you think it’s one you’d like to pursue? If you’re considering interior design as a career, then remember all 10 of the things mentioned above. The field may be competitive, but with a little hard work and a stellar portfolio, you can become a successful interior designer.

The term “design” covers a wide range of disciplines, each offering its own specialist skills and services. These are some of the more common design disciplines: architecture, engineering, exhibition and display, fashion & textiles, graphics/visual communications, interiors, multimedia, packaging, product/industrial.

Architecture
Architects design offices, homes, factories, warehouses and other buildings, taking responsibility for structure, interiors, exterior and services. They have a deep understanding of materials, aesthetics, structures, surfaces, building techniques and planning and building regulations, as well as specialisms such as design for disabled access or healthy buildings.
Architects may draw on other design specialisms such as interiors, landscaping and engineering. As well as their design services, architects also operate as project managers, coordinating the specialists and suppliers involved in a building project.
Architects benefit businesses by maximising the use of available space, and ensuring that buildings function efficiently, remain a productive asset and support strategic business activities. They can also redesign existing buildings to improve functionality or meet new requirements. If you employ an architect to design your building you have the added security of knowing that all architects in the UK are professionally trained and required by law to hold professional indemnity insurance. Indeed, the name "architect" is protected in law.
Related disciplines Engineering design, interior design, landscape design, product/industrial design.

Engineering design
Engineering designers produce structural and mechanical solutions to improve the performance of materials, products and buildings. They apply science and mathematics to design and combine traditional mechanical, electronic and electrical skills with computing resources. Engineering designers may work as integral members of a product design or architectural team.
Engineering designers benefit businesses by using their specialist knowledge of materials and structures to enhance product performance, improve quality, or reduce production or maintenance costs.
Related disciplines Product/industrial design and architecture

Exhibition and display design
Exhibition and display designers use structural, graphic and spatial design skills to provide a range of services, including the design of exhibition stands, showrooms, retail environments, display units, point-of-sale material and posters. They offer specialist, practical experience of materials, environments and construction, frequently in three dimensions to create the right impression and make the best use of space and budget. Exhibition and display designers frequently collaborate with other disciplines such as graphics, multimedia, interiors and architecture to produce a coordinated solution.
Exhibition and display designers benefit businesses by offering an environment or product that communicates product or company information with real impact. Exhibition stands and showrooms also provide an effective environment for selling, promoting or displaying products.
Related disciplines Architectural design, graphic design, interior design, product design, multimedia design.

Fashion and textile design
Fashion designers create clothes and accessories, such as footwear, gloves and bags, for all age groups. Textile designers create or decorate fabrics, using natural or manmade materials. Their products may be exclusive, limited edition items or mass-produced ranges.
They offer skills that reflect an understanding of human form, movement and emotions, combined with practical knowledge of material performance and production processes. Increasingly, designers use computer-aided design (CAD) to supplement their traditional skills of drawing and creating test pieces. Textile designers may also work with architects, interior designers and product designers as specialist consultants on the application and performance of materials.
Fashion and textile designers benefit businesses by creating clothing ranges that can increase sales, improve the company image, or broaden the company’s appeal to different sectors of the market.
Related disciplines Interior design, product/industrial design and architecture.

Graphic design and visual communications
A graphic designer uses visual communications to persuade and inform through media such as brochures, leaflets, direct mail, newsletters and magazines, websites, presentations, product catalogues and data sheets, training/instruction material, books, posters, displays, logos, packaging and signs.
Visual communications brings together many different disciplines including photography, copywriting, illustration, typography and print. The graphic designer prepares layouts and other visual representations of the finished “product”, then progresses the project to completion, managing the input of other specialists. Digital technology means that much of the creative and production work is now carried out on computer.
Graphic designers benefit businesses by improving the quality, clarity and effectiveness of printed and multimedia communications. Effective communications can increase understanding and awareness of the company and support sales, marketing and public relations initiatives.
Related disciplines Multimedia design, exhibition design and packaging design, interior design, architecture

Interior design
Interior designers plan and design the interior space of commercial, leisure, retail and domestic buildings in close cooperation with the client, considering both the aesthetic and practical requirements. An interior designer will usually have a specialism, such as retail, commercial or domestic interiors.
They have a deep understanding of all aspects of a project, including colour schemes, product display, furnishings, materials and fabrics, as well as surfaces, building and decorating techniques and relevant planning and building regulations. Interior designers are particularly used to working to tight timescales in buildings that are in use. Interior designers may work as part of a multi-disciplinary team led by other professionals. They may also operate as project managers, coordinating the specialists and suppliers involved in an interior design project.
Interior designers benefit businesses by optimising the use of interior space, and ensuring that buildings and individual areas function efficiently and support strategic business activities. They can also redesign existing interior spaces to improve functionality or meet new requirements.
Related disciplines Architecture, multimedia design, display design, textile design

Multimedia design
Multimedia designers work in a rapidly-evolving medium, where communications can be published in many different formats, including video and DVD, audio, electronic documents, interactive web sites, interactive slide presentations incorporating video, CD-ROMs and interactive kiosks. Designers bring together skills and resources from many different disciplines including graphic design, web design, scriptwriting, programming, audio and video production.
With the greater spread of high-speed Internet connections, businesses and consumers now have better access to multimedia presentations previously only available on CD-ROM. Many websites incorporate features that allow visitors to interact, view live multimedia broadcasts, download high-quality audio or video, and receive colour brochures via Portable Document Format (PDF) files exactly as the original, anywhere in the world.
Multimedia designers benefit businesses by improving the impact and effectiveness of communications. Effective communications can increase understanding and awareness of the company and support sales, marketing and public relations initiatives.
Related disciplines Graphic design, exhibition and display design.

Packaging design
Packaging designers create packaging that protects products in transit and storage, and communicates important messages “on the shelf” to potential buyers. Designers work with both consumer products and products sold direct to other businesses. They provide an understanding of materials, logistics, graphics and retail display, as well as relevant health, safety and labelling regulations to meet packaging’s dual role as product protection and promotional vehicle.
Packaging designers benefit businesses by developing packaging that ensures the product reaches the customer in the best possible condition. For companies who market their products through retail outlets, designers develop packaging that gives the product impact on the shelf and makes the product stand out against competitors.
Related disciplines Graphic design, product/industrial design, display design.

Product/industrial design
Product designers work with businesses to develop new industrial or consumer products or modify existing products to enhance performance, improve quality, or reduce production or maintenance costs. They take into account the relationship between the user and the product, the method and materials used in manufacturing, maintenance and disposal at the end of product life.
Product design brings together many different disciplines including engineering, market research, production engineering and packaging. The product designer prepares models, prototypes and other representations of the finished product, then progresses the project to the pre-production stage, managing the input of other specialists. Digital technology means that much of the development and 3-dimensional work is now carried out using computer-aided design (CAD).
Related disciplines Engineering design, packaging

Product design is concerned primarily with the relationship between products, systems and those who use them. The product design programme at NID inculcates user-centric approach and processes. Responsibility and concern towards the social, physical and ecological environments is emphasized in the process of developing innovative ideas. The product design programme assimilates inputs in diverse domains such as human factors, cognitive ergonomics, form studies, studio skills, advanced cad, research methods, design management, materials & manufacturing processes & social sciences. Emphasis is on process centric approach which shapes a student’s education through participation and teamwork. Design projects form the core of a product designer’s education, with gradual increase in level of complexity and cover broad areas that product designers are likely to encounter in their professional careers. Students are actively encouraged to participate in collaborative projects with industrial houses, social sector, government & mncs design projects can be broadly classified into domains of:

Design for industry: explores creative opportunities for partnerships with small, medium and large scale industries across India to develop core competencies in design and manufacturing for a globalized presence. Projects focus on products and services for consumer needs, manufacturing and economic impact.

Design for quality of life: explores unique social and cultural responses to existing and emerging technologies as reflected in the creation and adoption of everyday objects of life. Projects focus on design and development of products and services that improve the quality of living in home, office and public environments.

Design for healthcare: explores a growing movement among designers to design cost-effective healthcare solutions for people who have no / limited access to institutionalized healthcare. Projects leverage the power of design thinking to find unique ways to address the basic challenges of health, survival and progress faced by underserved populations in the Indian context.

Design for social impact: explores the role of design-led solutions at the national level to the infrastructural challenges of a rapidly growing Indian economy. Projects look at developing scalable solutions to problems of urban mobility, sustenance and social equity that are people-centric and embrace sustainable values.

Design for sustainability: explores the power of design to influence an ecologically responsible approach to development of products, systems and environments. Designers evolve new systems of development which improve the quality of life and the human experience, while simultaneously restoring the environment, rebuilding the community and creating a sense of oneness with the natural world.

Design led futures: explores global trends, challenges and opportunities to shape the future. Projects focus on the enormous challenges that India will face in the coming decades in terms of population, health, mobility, sanitation, energy and ecology. Today’s technologies are used as a basis to project the future, and concepts generate frameworks to evolve and guide society and behavior in the future.

Best Product Design Institute
National Institute Of Design

The National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) measures the aptitude of the applicant for specific field of study, i.e. Architecture. The test measures drawing and observation skills, sense of proportion, aesthetic sensitivity and critical thinking ability that have been acquired over a long period of time, and that are related to specific field of study, i.e. Architecture.

The NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) is a national level aptitude test organized by Council of Architecture. This exam is organized for those aspirants looking for admission in architecture courses like B.Arch offered by top institutions of the country. This test measures the aptitude of the candidate for the field of architecture. From 2017 onwards, NATA exam will be conducted once in a year on 16th April 2017 via offline mode. NATA score cards are considered by various government, government aided and private colleges or universities for admission in B.Arch programme. Here in this article, we are providing information regarding NATA 2017 including the eligibility criteria, important dates, registration, etc.

NATA 2017 Registration

The NATA 2017 Registration will start from 24th December 2016 and will be open till 29th January 2017.
The registration form will be filled and submitted only through the website.
Candidates are advised to fill the registration form as per the given instructions.
candidates have to upload the scanned images of photograph, signature and thumb impression.
There is no need to send the application by post.

Registration Fee:

The NATA registration fee is Rs. 1250/- for all the candidates. Fee payment can be done through online mode (debit/credit card, net banking) or offline mode (by cash payment in any branch of ICICI Bank).

Eligibility Criteria
Candidates should have completed or appearing 12th or equivalent examination with Mathematics to apply for NATA.
10+2 (diploma) in any stream candidates are also eligible to apply.
International Baccalaureate diploma passed/appearing after 10th are also eligible to apply.
There is not any lateral admission criteria for admission in any stage/year of B.Arch.
The minimum age limit is 17 years as on 31st July 2017.
NATA Exam Pattern
Type of Exam: The NATA exam pattern comprises of three parts, i.e. Mathematics, General Aptitude & Drawing.
Mode: The exam will be conducted through offline mode (pen and paper based).
Questions: Total 62 questions will be asked.
Marking Scheme: In Mathematics & General Aptitude section, 2 marks will be given for each correct response.
Duration: The exam duration will be three hours.
Negative Marking: There is not any provision of negative marking in this exam.


NATA Syllabus

The NATA syllabus has been divided into three parts, i.e. drawing, Mathematics & General Aptitude. The drawing test will measure the ability to sketch a given object, sense of perspective drawing, understanding of proportion and scale, etc. The detailed syllabus is mentioned below:

Mathematics:

Algebra, Logarithms, Complex Numbers, Quadratic Equations, Matrices, Binomial Theorem (positive integral index), Trigonometry, Coordinate geometry of two dimensions, Coordinate geometry of three dimensions, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, Application of Calculus, Vectors, Sets, Relations & Mapping, Permutation & combination and Statistics & probability.

General Aptitude:

Objects, textures related to architecture & built environment. Interpretation of pictorial compositions, visualizing three dimensional objects from two dimensional drawing. Analytical reasoning, mental ability (visual, numerical and verbal) awareness of national/international architects and their creations. Visualizing different sides of 3D objects.

Drawing Test:

Understanding scale and proportion of objects, geometric composition, shape, building forms and elements, aesthetics, colour texture, harmony and contrast. Drawing of patterns – both geometrical and abstract. Conceptualization and visualization. Form transformations in 2D and 3D like union, subtraction, rotation, surfaces and volumes. Creating 2D and 3D compositions using given shape and forms. Generating plan, elevation, and 3D views of objects. Perspective drawing, sketching of urban scape and landscape.