Skills that every interior designer should have

If you love design and creating spaces with cohesive colour schemes and beautiful decor, a career in interior design could be a great choice for you! Within the interior design profession, the possibilities of what you can do with space are endless. Interior design requires you to have a set of skills that help you create beautiful spaces. While creativity and passion are at the top of the list, there is also a mix of artistic and business skills that make interior designers successful. Let us see together what set of skills every interior designer should have.

Creativity

Following the current trends and knowledge of complementary colours are important. Interior designers should have an artistic eye but should also be able to convey their ideas to clients through sketches. Being creative means you understand colours and how they mix and match, follow styles and trends, are innovative and open-minded.

Vision

A successful interior designer is able to see what space could be. This translates to the ability to look at an empty room and envision what could work in that space. It requires seeing and understanding the potential of natural lighting and the angles of walls and ceilings. The space needs to be functional, so good planning is a must when it comes to furniture and appliance arrangements, as well as setting the ambience. 

Organisational skills

Interior designers not only have a project to run but also a business. As an interior designer you will be working on multiple projects at once, each one in a different phase of the process. This is why it is important to have clear, organised processes to help keep track of all projects to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding with the client, the deadlines or the budget. 

Technology

Making good use of technology not only helps interior designers stay organised, but it has become an industry standard. Learning software programmes like AutoCAD will help you lay out your vision of a space more clearly. It will also allow you to make easy adjustments and share your design with architects, contractors and clients. 

Budgeting

Being an interior designer means having strong budgeting skills. This sometimes requires financial creativity as much as it requires design expertise, because some clients will be expecting a lot from a space for as little money as possible. In addition to being good with numbers, budgeting is also a matter of establishing good relations with vendors. Successful interior designers are also good negotiators, can identify hidden costs and are always transparent with their clients.

Flexibility

If you think that being an interior designer is a 9-to-5 job, you are mistaken. You will likely have to meet with clients in the evening or on weekends on occasion. You might also need to visit your project on-site out of those hours. If you are working with both business and residential clients, it is important to be flexible to meet at any time. This requires skills in planning out meetings, calendar management, delegating tasks and setting and managing expectations. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog posts on the set of skills that every interior designer should have. If you are interested in studying interior design, here at Berlin International University of Applied Sciences we offer both a bachelor’s degree in interior design and a master’s degree in interior design.