4 Secrets to Studying Interior Design and Manage Your Projects
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Interior design. It’s just picking out throw pillows and paint colors? Must be an easy college major. This is a thought process many people have as they discern whether to study interior design. Now there are the aspects of the major that reveal themselves as you progress through courses - like learning to draw floorplans to an architectural standard, referring to building and life safety codes, and understanding all the psychology behind designing interior spaces for a variety of people and uses. But what I want to share with you today, as a recent graduate and emerging designer are these 4 unexpected lessons I learned as a student.
1. Use Criticism To Your Advantage
As an interior design student, it is crucial to develop a resilient mindset when it comes to receiving criticism. You are in a vulnerable state starting college, but you also are when you put your creative choices on display for comment.
It is a big shift in mindset to embrace criticism as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Understand that feedback is not a personal attack, but rather an evaluation of your work. While professors and classmates should be giving objective feedback- you may encounter some subjectivity. Most subjectivity is rooted someone’s personal experience or opinion, and not rooted in solid facts or design theory. Instead of becoming defensive to any range of evaluation, listen attentively and ask questions to clarify any uncertainties. Asking questions openly is the best way to clearly find a direction in applying their evaluations. Maintain an open mind and actively seek out constructive criticism from trusted mentors, professors, and industry professionals.
Remember that every comment, even if it is negative, holds valuable insights that can help refine your skills and does not take away who you are. Developing the ability to take criticism gracefully will not only enhance your design abilities but also shape you into a more confident and adaptable designer in the long run.
Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash
2. Push Your Creative Boundaries
While studying interior design, I came to understand that true artistic breakthroughs occur when stepping outside the familiar and “flipping your design on it’s head”.
Most of your projects as an interior design major will remain hypothetical. Might as well challenge the conventional norms, dare to combine unexpected elements, and explore new design techniques- before having to take into account many limitations a real project might have. Pushing your boundaries and emphasize your range of skills to express your understanding of design theories and codes all rooted in research. This allowed me to develop a distinct design style and taught me the importance of taking risks, trusting my instincts, and continually seeking inspiration. If you can navigate criticism positively in all this, taking creative risks you will make leaps in developing as an individual designer.
Photo by Ryan Ancill on Unsplash
3. Taking Control of Your Time
Studying interior design not only provides you with creative and artistic skills but also instills a strong sense of time management. The different aspects of a project, such as researching, sketching, developing documents and presentations can take a lot of time.
As an interior design student, you learn to effectively manage your time in order to meet project deadlines AND create strong designs. This discipline requires careful planning, organization, and prioritization of tasks, allowing you to complete various projects within specific timeframes. You develop a valuable trait that you can apply to other areas of your life, such as career and personal goals. So, studying interior design not only enhances your creative abilities but also equips you with the ability to manage your time effectively.
Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash
4. Presentation
As a student studying interior design, developing the skill of presentation is crucial for success in the field. Presentation not only means the graphic design but also as a professional profile development.
Graphic presentation involves creating eye-catching and informative presentations, whether in the form of mood boards, floor plans, renderings, or 3D visualizations. To excel in graphic design, students should familiarize themselves with various software applications commonly used in the industry, such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator. But take the time to find how you best express your ideas with these tools.
A well-crafted professional image also showcases a student’s best traits to potential employers and clients. Students can start by creating a professional portfolio that highlights their best works and academic achievements. Networking is a great way to develop as a student designer. Actively seek opportunities to connect with industry professionals, attend industry events, and engage with design communities. These interactions not only broaden your horizons but also enable you to create a support system for a career as a designer.
Now you know…
Behind every design degree is a set of skills outside of the creative and design specific. It's not merely about colors and furniture arrangement; interior design students have work to develop a set of soft skills to also express their creative work well. How will you use these secrets to actualize your potential as a design student?
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