5 skills every interior designer needs

1. Train your communication skills

One of the most important aspects of interior design is communication. You will have to communicate with;

•       Clients
•       Contractors
•       Manufactures
•       Suppliers.

When you have an initial consultation with a client it is incredibly important that you pay attention to the discussion. You must understand the client requirements, tastes and the way in which they would like you to work. The first impression your client gets of you as an interior designer is your communication. This speaks before your portfolio or previous design work. Successful interior designers have a strong list of connections within the design field built up through years of strong communication. In this phase, communicating effectively is essential to ensure that you can convince clients that you are perfect for the job. To communicate you will have to use the following methods;

•       Face to face conversations
•       Telephone conversations
•       Email
•       Written communication
•       Video Calls

Effective communication is key to continuing to secure clients and to remaining a successful interior designer.

2. Some Interior Design Technical Skills are needed

Design programs, specifically interior design programs are the most vital tool in conveying your design scheme to the client. Studying these softwares, using design courses or computer aided design CAD courses to ensure your skills remain sharp is important.

Using Interior design technical skills to share the design ideas in your head in a visual format means that there is no ambiguity in terms of the finished interior design space. This increases efficiency and reduces the risk of a client being unhappy with the final product. Successful interior designers are proficient in one or more interior design programs. Interior design technical skills mean an interior designer can.

•       Sketch ideas
•       Draw floor plans
•       Draw Furniture layouts
•       Create lighting plans

Being able to complete these quickly and effortlessly helps to demonstrate their design ideas. Computer aided design software such as HomeByMe are the industry standard and most firms require knowledge of these to be employable. There are however more intuitive web based creative suites that are becoming common in interior design. They allow quick 3D renders with furniture sourced from real retailers and provide a different dynamic to the computer aided design industry norms. Being proficient in one of these more cutting edge softwares is a great way to diversify your portfolio and skill set and ensure you can offer the most complete service to your client.

3. Develop your Design Skills and Sustainable Practice  

The career choice of becoming an interior designer means that you have to dedicate your time to understanding the ever developing culture and fashions within design. Interior design can be influenced by;

•       Architecture
•       Fashion
•       Music
•       Popular holiday destinations

Identification of the newest interior design and furniture trends in the interior design field and how to implement them in to a variety of spaces whilst maintaining originality and high standard is arguably the most important skill in interior design. Each interior design project will provide you with a different space and scheme.

For example understanding how to fuse a clients wish for modern design in their Victorian home in an aesthetically pleasing and practical way, is, in short, what makes a successful designer so successful. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified the importance of environmental sciences and Eco friendly manufacturing in the modern era. Sustainability in interior design is using the interior design principles such as functionality, space, colour, accessibility and line with a focus on reducing energy consumption, pollution and waste.

Understanding sustainable practices in the current climate is vital for an interior designer. Most large companies are looking to employ people with sustainability understanding. There are sustainable interior design courses that can further aid your skills in sustainable interior practice. As construction and architecture evolve to more Green credentials it is important that interior designers are evolving too.

4. Take Attention to Detail

 Attention to detail and creativity is another skill that is vital in interior design. It is important to not only keep up to date with current trends and styles but also have the spatial awareness to understand how different spaces can be used and maximized.

Being detail oriented means that you understand how small differences to artificial or natural lighting, furniture position and paint colour can completely transform a space. Successful interior designers are regularly researching cutting edge design and techniques to stay ahead of their competition. Further to this, once you have understood your clients requirements you must be able to include every detail and potentially push their boundaries and comfort zone. This can lead to a design that exceeds your clients expectations. An interior design course is a great away to harness your creativity and attention to detail.

5. Improve your sense of Organization

Organization and problem solving are highly necessary in interior design. Continual organization and the ability to solve problems in pressure situations ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. Ultimately this ensures client satisfaction and the potential for repeat business.

Liaising with contractors, suppliers and manufacturers to ensure timelines and delivery dates are being met is important to ensure smooth delivery of design schemes and projects are completed on time. This requires keeping diaries, records, responding to emails and phone calls, chasing leads, pressuring slow work and generally keeping your client in the creative loop. This also means managing the budget, forecasting for breakages and delays as well as having contingency plans in place.

You are legally required to keep any technical drawings provided to clients for 7 years therefor filing cabinets more importantly cloud based storage are an interior designers best friend, allowing you to access your work on the go.