Which degree is best for interior design?
A career in the world of interior design is a choice for creative people who have an eye for style and enjoy working with other people to create functional interiors. For those interested in this field, there are many things to consider when deciding what degree level to pursue.
If you want to work as an interior designer, a degree in interior design is essential to a career. In most states, there are no specific licensing requirements for becoming an interior designer. Most people pursuing a career as an interior designer have a degree from an accredited college or university.
A bachelor's degree in interior design will generally require students to draw and use computer-aided design (CAD) programs to create a finished product that a client can review. Some schools allow students to specialize in residential or commercial design, built-in addition design, or design for historic buildings, depending on the school's emphasis.
Master’s degrees may require two years of additional coursework and provide students with specialized knowledge of architecture, drawing, aesthetics, etc.
Best degree in interior design:
There are several options when it's time to study interior design. The optimal program will depend upon the applicant, their goals, and particular strengths and weaknesses. Associate in interior design can be an excellent way to get started. It takes a shorter amount of time to complete and requires fewer classes. The downside is that programs at this level don't include as much design theory as a bachelor's degree program. This makes them a good choice for students who plan on practicing their skills locally after graduating. Still, it also excludes those who might want to go into architectural design or furniture design.
Given that interior designers are required to have a degree to become one, it is often hard to get entry-level jobs without some experience. However, there are different types of degrees out there for this profession. And the best out of these is a bachelor's degree in interior design, the most common degree needed to become an interior designer.
Section: What is interior design?
Intuition can sometimes lead us to the wrong answers. Many people, for example, think that interior design is what you do before building a house.
Interior design is the art and science of making things look good. It is part art and part science. The science part has to do with the psychology of how people react to things. A well-designed room feels pleasant, calm, relaxing, and harmonious. A poorly-designed room feels cold, tense, chaotic, and discordant.
The art part has to do with using colors, shapes, and textures to create a sense of harmony.
We have a lot of intuitions about interior design. When we walk into a house, we judge it instinctively. It doesn't feel right if all the rooms look alike. If everything in the house is black, it can feel oppressive. If everything in the house is white, it can feel sterile. If everything is blue, it can feel depressing.
We make a lot of assumptions about how other people will react to a room. They like it if it has lots of light, can see all the objects, and feels relaxing. They hate it if it has too little light if they can't see everything, if it makes them think sweaty, or if it is too confusing.
These assumptions are based on a lot of experience. But if you change any of these assumptions, it will change the reactions.
If I put a door between the living room and the kitchen, most people will now like it better than before. But if the hallway is now too narrow, they will hate it. If I move the sofa away from the wall, people will feel more relaxed. But if the couch is much big or too small, they will hate it.
An interior designer gets paid to make these kinds of changes.
Section: How to get a job in the field of interior design
Some people seem to think it's obvious what degree is best. They believe that interior design is a creative act, that the degree doesn't matter, and that anyone who wants to be an interior designer should have the abilities and creativity required to do the job. However, the degree matters a lot.
People who graduated with a bachelor's in interior design earned the highest hourly wage. People who graduated with an associate's degree earned the lowest hourly wage. Not surprisingly, people who graduated with a master's or a professional degree earned higher hourly wages than those who had only a graduate certificate.
The degree matters because employers use degrees as a proxy for other attributes, as with many other professions. A good degree shows that you have the abilities and skills to do the job and that you are committed to learning those skills. A degree also shows that you are willing to do the hard work to master the knowledge and skills.
The path to a career in interior design can be a long one. The compulsory education is extensive, and the years spent learning while working also can take their toll.
On the other hand, many of those who have pursued careers in interior design have done so after first working as freelance interior designers, learning on the job, and gaining valuable experience.
The following steps will help you in getting a job as an interior designer.
Prepare Required skillset
Try to get practical exposure as much as you can
Apply for various internship
Build a rich portfolio
Take part in college placement drives
Visit and apply to a various job fair
Upgrade yourself with the latest tech trends from time to time
Section: How much does an interior designer make?
If you're thinking of becoming an interior designer, it's helpful to know what other designers earn.
There are three basic ways to answer this question. One, you can ask interior designers. Two, you can ask people who hire interior designers. Three, you can ask people who graduated from internal design programs.
These methods are, of course, not that reliable. But if you ask interior designers what their income is, they will probably say it varies widely, depending on their area of expertise, the experience they have, and so on. Most designers won't say precisely how much they make, so to get a reliable answer, we have to take multiple answers from them and average them.
Based on the data available following table shows the salary of an interior designer:
| Experience Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Freshers | 1.8 - 3.6 LPA |
| Assistant interior designer | 4.8 - 7.2 LPA |
| Senior interior designer | 9.6 - 12 LPA |
Conclusion:
If you are pursuing an education in interior design, make sure you plan to graduate with marketable skills. Bachelor in Interior Design is great for anyone looking to get an entry-level position in the field of interior design or a gateway to pursue a master's in interior design.
