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AUGUST 2009

Interior designers are in demand for their skills at creating inviting, livable interior spaces, says DR VIBHA GUPTA

Giving an ordinary room an extraordinary appearance is what interior designers do best. They add flair and style to homes and offices through furnishings, lighting, layout and construction.

The work

Interior designers plan and design arrangements of furnishings, wall and floor coverings, draperies, lighting, and colour schemes, minor or major architectural changes and any other element that impacts the interior space. They first consult with clients to determine design preferences and budget. Based on these constraints, they prepare working drawings. Often they use computer-aided design (CAD) tools to create and better visualise a final product.

These designers are also involved in selecting materials and components like paint, furnishing fabrics, floor finishes etc. They often inspect the work of suppliers and workers and maintain time, cost and quality controls. They may also plan and give advice on structural alterations to existing buildings.

Besides designing the area assigned to them, they may be called upon to reorganise the space to suit specific requirements which may involve drastic remodelling of the existing arrangement, or even shifting of walls, re-routing of electrical wiring, plumbing etc. As interior designing requires considerable knowledge of the technical and structural aspects involved in architecture, the training generally consists of both theoretical as well as practical elements of the work.

Where to study
  • School of Interior Design, Centre for Environmental Planning
    and Technology(CEPT) University, Ahmedabad (www.cept.ac.in)
    offers a 5-year professional course in interior design.
  • National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (www.nid.edu)
  • Apeejay Institute of Design, New Delhi
    (www.apeejay.edu/aid/home.htm)
  • School of Interior Design, The Arvindbhai Patel Institute of
    Environmental Design (APIED), Anand (Gujarat) (www.apied.in)
  • College of Art & Design affiliated to University of Madras,
    Chennai (www.unom.ac.in)
  • IILM School of Design, Gurgaon (www.iilm.in)
  • Design Institute of India, Indore (www.designinstitute.in)
  • Arch Academy of Design, Jaipur (www.archedu.org)
  • Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore
    (http://srishti.ac.in/)
  • Sir J J Institute of Applied Arts, Mumbai
    (www.sirjjarchitecture.org)
  • Raffles Design International, Mumbai
    (www.raffles-design-institute.com/india)
  • Indian Institute Of Interior Designers, Mumbai (www.iiid.org)
  • Exterior-Interiors (P) Ltd., Kolkata with branches at Delhi,
    Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Calicut
    (www.exterior-interiors.com/pages/home.html )
  • MIT Institute of Design, Pune (www.mitid.edu.in)
  • Sinhgad Institute of Interior Design & Decoration, Pune
    (www.sinhgad.edu)
  • Government Polytechnic, Nashik (www.gpnashik.com)

    • Getting in

    A diploma/degree in interior design is the minimum requirement to enter this field. Various polytechnics, institutes and vocational colleges offer these courses for which the minimum eligibility is 10+2. The duration of the course varies from two to five years.

    A good course starts by introducing the students to the various principles of form, elements and space, which will enable them to create comfortable public and private interiors. It also develops their ability to manipulate space, light, services, furniture and furnishing of all types of interiors. It covers subjects like art and basic design, furniture design, construction and materials, display, Computer Aided Designing etc. Other areas covered include lettering, properties of materials and paint technology, exhibition design etc.

    A portfolio, representative of a designer's best work, is sometimes more important in finding a job than an extensive education. You can always find successful designers who had no formal training of professional designing. Still a course from a good institute certainly helps to sharpen your skills, later you can develop the instinct through talent, experience and practice.

    Key skills

  • Good sense of colour, form and a sense of balance and proportion.
  • Ability to communicate and promote ideas, verbally and visually.
  • Artistic and drawing skills.
  • Creative ability and imagination.
  • Good oral and written communication skills.
  • Good marketing skills and strong visual presentation skills.
  • Skills and knowledge in graphics, computer-aided design, interior structures and materials, furniture design, and office practices.

    Admission process

    Different institutes follow different admission criterion.
  • Joint Entrance Examination (NEED): conducted by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad for seven Institutes all over India.
  • Direct admission: Many institutes admit students on the basis of their own aptitude test/interview, for example, MIT Institute of Design, Pune.
  • All India level entrance examination: conducted by individual institutes like that of CEPT University.

    Remuneration

    Earnings of designers depend on individual ability, the size of the employing firm, and the kind of designing involved. Salaries in a reputed design firm for beginners may start from Rs 10,000-12,000 per month. For experienced designers, companies are ready to shell out any money.

    A good portfolio — a collection of examples of a person’s best work — is often the deciding factor in getting a job. The person who wishes to be a successful designer must expect a long hard struggle. Years of experience and training are necessary in order to advance.

    Hot locations

    Interior designers may work for architectural and design firms, builders, for group of hotels or department stores, airline companies. Many multinational companies have in-house architectural departments and employ interior designers. Some designers start their own consultancy after gaining some experience.

    Career prospects

    Continuous use of design services in both residential and commercial establishments has contributed to an increased demand for qualified interior designers. Today with growing two income families, even salaried people are turning to professional interior designers to shape their spaces. Thus this highly competitive field has a bright future.
    Dr Vibha Gupta is the author of Careers: A Pathfinder
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