Interior design is a fascinating field that involves creating visually appealing and functional spaces within buildings. An interior designer is responsible for planning and designing the interior of various structures, including homes, hospitals, hotels, and banks, among others. Some interior designers even specialize in designing interiors for boats and airplanes.
Interior designers not only use their creative minds to design the interiors of buildings but also pay attention to their appearance. The term "interior" encompasses designing well-planned layouts and ensuring the aesthetics of both the inside and outside of a house. They usually work for interior design companies, architectural firms, or the design departments of large businesses. In some cases, skilled interior designers may choose to start their own companies and become entrepreneurs.
The Role of an Interior Designer
Interior designers often collaborate with architects. Their main responsibilities include:
Site Inspection
An interior designer cannot simply rely on drawings. They must visit the site to get a better understanding of the actual conditions. To become a successful interior designer, you must always be present to measure and gather the necessary technical specifications. This ensures that the actual design matches the original drawings.
Understanding Client Needs and Preferences
Understanding client insights is crucial, regardless of the type of business you're in. Consumer tastes and research methods are constantly evolving. Analyzing demographic information based on gender, age, and more is no longer the same as it was 5 or 10 years ago. Understanding client insights helps interior designers quickly update their design concepts and produce more timely products.
Determining the Dominant Style
A person's home often accurately reflects their personality. Clients often desire to "see themselves" through home design. Therefore, determining the dominant style of the client is a key task that interior designers must accomplish. You must identify whether the house will have a classical, modern, simple, contemporary, or vibrant style.
Designing Colors and Materials
Based on the style, client preferences, and characteristics of the walls in the living area, an interior designer will have to select the main colors for the entire space. You will need to extensively apply your knowledge of colors and materials at this stage. To become an excellent interior designer, you must constantly read and study various types of materials, their features, and distinctive characteristics, in order to create beautiful and high-quality interior products.
Selecting Furniture and Décor
Ultimately, the decision that leads to the consistency of the entire space lies in the selection of furniture and décor, such as tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets. These elements are not only functional but also ornamental for your home. Therefore, the inappropriate shape or mismatched material of these furnishings can break the overall structure of your living space.
Required Skills of an Interior Designer
Creative Skills
It's not surprising that an interior designer needs to have creative abilities. Being able to think creatively in designing buildings is essential for creating unique value and establishing a position in this highly competitive industry. Creative abilities are often demonstrated through the use of patterns, colors, and lighting systems in a space.
Listening Skills
Any profession related to design requires good listening skills. Sometimes, clients may have unreasonable demands or be overly demanding, but you can always learn something from their expectations. To be successful as an interior decorator, you need to ensure that clients are satisfied with the final product.
Communication Skills
To become a trusted interior designer, you must be able to communicate difficult professional concepts in a language that is easily understandable to the general public. Consumers want a tangible product that is aesthetically pleasing and meets their needs. With good communication skills, you will undoubtedly deliver what your customers desire.
In addition to clients, you also need to connect with suppliers, service providers, and other entities in the industry. Therefore, mastering communication skills is crucial.
Planning Skills
Effective planning skills are an indispensable characteristic of interior designers. The workload of an interior designer is substantial, so you need to plan well to tackle each task. Design plans usually include detailed information, not just a presentation of the final product, but also analysis of the cost and duration of the project.
Management Skills
In all business industries, including interior design, meeting deadlines, scheduling, and understanding how to use resources efficiently are key. An interior designer must know project management techniques. Knowledge of management strategies will always be an advantage in your career development as an interior designer.
Attention to Detail
As an interior designer, you need to pay attention to every detail to create practical and aesthetically pleasing spaces. This is also one of the qualities that clients frequently look for in an interior designer.
Salary of an Interior Designer
In the United States, experienced interior designers can earn up to $60,000 per year. In Vietnam, salaries in the interior design industry vary greatly. Depending on experience, qualifications, and location, the income of an experienced interior designer can reach 30-40 million VND per month. However, for young graduates, their salary typically ranges from 8-12 million VND per month.
The Difference between an Interior Designer and an Interior Decorator
Interior Designer and Interior Decorator are two terms that are often confused. This is understandable because there are many similarities between the two professions. However, it is important to distinguish between the two in order to make a better career choice or seek accurate advice when needed.
Here are the differences between the two roles:
Interior Designer
- Education: Interior design is a profession that requires specific education and formal training. Interior designers are involved in diverse and complex activities, including color research, material selection, computer-aided design, drawing, spatial planning, interior design, architecture, and more.
- Work: Interior designers not only enhance the aesthetics of a space but also enhance its functionality.
- Collaboration: Interior designers often work closely with architects and contractors to achieve clients' desired appearances. An interior designer usually works with a fixed group of partners, with minimal changes for any customer.
Interior Decorator
- Education: Interior decorators do not require formal training because their focus is primarily on aesthetics and not structural renovation or planning.
- Work: Interior decorators primarily focus on beautifying the interior of a space.
- Collaboration: Interior decorators do not always need to work with architects or contractors to deliver aesthetic advice. They often run their own companies, furniture stores, or interior decorating shops. Interior decorators frequently consult and interact directly with homeowners to find a decorating style that meets their needs.
Where to Study Interior Design?
Vietnam has several universities that offer training programs related to interior design. Here are some of the universities you can consider:
- Hanoi Architecture University
- Ho Chi Minh City Architecture University
- Hanoi Construction University
- Industrial Fine Arts University
- Hanoi Fine Arts University
If you are a non-design major student but have a passion for interior design, you can also learn on your own. Nowadays, there are many online courses and intensive classes that allow you to learn any skills and knowledge you desire.
Where to Find Interior Designer Jobs?
Apply directly to design and construction companies
Interior design is a hot job, which means there are countless job opportunities. You can consider working in small or large studios or stores, from basic to high-end. Designers' working hours are not fixed and they often face pressure to meet deadlines.
Find jobs through job search websites and apps
Using job search websites is an ideal choice. They not only provide detailed job information but also offer free advice on CV presentation, career choices, and more. Among the job search websites in Vietnam, JobsGO is highly recommended due to its continuous ability to find and introduce high-quality, attractive job opportunities. Their advisory team deeply understands job seekers' issues and provides the most in-depth career analysis and guidance.
JobsGO - Your top platform for finding jobs, applying for jobs, and creating CVs.