What are the Essential Skills for Aspiring Interior Designers?

Suppose you have a passion for creating beautiful and functional spaces. In that case, you might have wondered what are the qualities of a good interior designer – the kind who can plan, design, and decorate the interiors of a building no matter what the client’s needs, preferences, or budget are. Now, we know that interior design is one of those sketchy fields where creativity matters as much as skills.

Hence, in this blog, we take a look at a course that we’re sure will impart those essential skills for interior designers that they cannot do without. Read on to find out what these skills are and how to master them.

All About the PG Interior Design Course

A PG in interior design course is a postgraduate program that offers advanced training in interior design, with projects spanning several realms such as retail, hospitality, residential and corporate. Designed for graduates who want to enhance their knowledge, portfolio, and skills for interior designers to pursue higher-level positions or start their own interior design business, a PG interior design course typically covers topics such as:

• Design theory and history
• Design research and analysis
• Design communication and presentation
• Design project management
• Design technology and software
• Design sustainability and ethics
• Design specialisation and trends

For more information regarding the interior design masters degree at JS Institute of Design, check out the table below.

Also Read: Why Should You Consider Studying Pg In Interior Design Course?

Essential Skills Every Interior Designer Should Have

A PG interior design course can help you acquire and master the following interior designer required skills:

Creativity

The ability to come up with original and innovative ideas is one of the most important skills for interior designers, as it allows you to create attractive spaces that:

• Solves practical problems
• Meets client needs
• Is unique, and
• Reflects your style and vision.

To develop your creativity, which is perhaps among the ultimate soft skills for interior designers, you need to:

• Open yourself up to find inspiration in the most random things, whether it is nature, art, culture, or history.
• Sketch your ideas on paper or use digital tools to experiment with different materials, colours, textures, etc. 
• Get feedback from others and learn from their perspectives
• Challenge yourself to try new things and explore different possibilities.

Technical Skills

Technical skills are the skills that enable you to use various tools and methods to execute your design ideas. Interior design technical skills include:

• Drawing and drafting
• Measuring and scaling
• Modelling and rendering
• Lighting and acoustics
• Furniture and fixture selection
• Fabrication and installation.

Technical skills for interior designers help them communicate design concepts clearly and ensure that their designs are feasible and functional, which is why they are so important. You can take the following steps to improve your technical skills in interior design:

• Master the confusing variety of different tools in software applications such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Photoshop, etc.
• Practice your drawing and drafting skills regularly
• Familiarise yourself with different materials, products, and suppliers and stay updated with the latest technologies and trends in the field
• Collaborate with other professionals such as architects, engineers, contractors, etc. whenever you get the chance to build practical experience.

Communication Skills

Communication skills for interior designers are vital, as they enable them to express design ideas and concepts both verbally and nonverbally. They include skills such as:

• Listening and understanding
• Speaking and presenting
• Writing and documenting
• Negotiating and persuading

Good communication is considered among interior designer key skills, as it helps you to: 

• Establish rapport with your clients
• Understand their requirements and expectations
• Present your proposals and solutions convincingly
• Negotiate contracts and fees
• Coordinate with other stakeholders involved in the project
• Document your work process and outcomes.

To enhance your communication skills for interior designers, you need to:

• Be clear, concise, courteous, and confident in your speech
• Use appropriate language, tone, gestures, and body language
• Use visual aids such as sketches, models, diagrams, etc. to support your message
• Adapt your communication style according to the situation, audience, and purpose
• Listen actively, ask questions, and provide feedback

Business Skills

Business skills for interior designers are important as they enable you to manage the financial, legal, and operational aspects of your interior design projects. They include skills such as:

• Budgeting and costing
• Marketing and branding
• Client relations and service
• Contracts and agreements
• Ethics and professionalism

Scope of PG Interior Design Degree

You might think that the scope of interior designing is limited to getting the role of an interior designer or an interior design studio owner but that is not the case at all. Professionals with proper qualifications in the field of interior design can get hired for a variety of roles, such as the ones listed in the table and graph below.

(Source: Self-Created with Data from AmbitionBox)

Conclusion

Interior design is a rewarding and challenging career that requires a combination of creativity, technical skills, communication skills, and business skills. By pursuing a PG in interior design course, you can acquire these essential skills for interior designers and prepare yourself for the opportunities and challenges in this field.

FAQs

1. What are 3 skills necessary to be successful as an interior design profession?

The 3 absolutely necessary skills to become a successful interior designer are business skills, technical skills of interior design, and communication skills.

2. What are the qualities of an interior design?

The main qualities that an interior designer needs to have to be successful are creativity, a good sense of business, the ability to understand others’ needs and problems, and the ability to communicate well.

3. What are hard skills in interior design?

The hard skills in interior design are also referred to as technical skills and include skills in modelling, sketching, drafting, fabrication, etc.

4. What qualifications do I need to be an interior designer?

To get started in interior design, you don’t really need any qualifications as experience will suffice, but if you’re serious about a career as an interior designer, we’d recommend pursuing the PG interior design course after graduation.