Interior Designing is a fast-growing field in India. The country offers multiple graduate/ diploma/ graduate-diploma courses in interior designing. If you are a student, here are ways you could be better at what you do and prepare yourself such, that you would stand out in your class.
These tips will not only help you in your academics, they’ll help you develop yourself to be a real interior designer.
Talk to your seniors
This sounds like a very basic advice, unless you know what I really mean. Gauge the expectations from your vivas and your projects from your seniors. Know what exactly is a tough topic in your next semester and start preparing for it from an earlier time. Although your skill set might not be as developed when you learn about it, the concepts will be easier to understand when you do learn them.
Read up and Find Inspiration
Although Interior Designing is a very artistic field which needs practical application a lot more than the bookish knowledge, there are a lot of interior designers who have managed to change the whole idea of interior designing.
Designers like Philippe Starck, the Rockwell Group, Jonathan Adler, Kelly Wearstler have managed to change the look and importance of Interior Designing in their own way.
Find out whose design inspires you, try to create something of your own. You can experiment the most when you’re a student, you don’t have much to lose, and you have people guiding you with your ideas.
Be the observer
Practical knowledge is everything when it comes to being an interior designer. Observe spaces that have had a designer work on them, to see why the designer chose the colors, fabrics and placements as he/she has. Try to notice the flaws, if any. Observing someone else’s flaws sometimes helps you avoid your own.
Take guidance
Discuss your ideas with your mentors, their experience will help you see the flaws in your ideas and will therefore help you finesse your project and make it practical.
Be up-to-date
Interior Designing is a dynamic field; there is a surprising number of people creating style statements every week!
New ideas, new styles and new products in the market will help you understand the new designs in the market, opening up your creativity and exposing you to the unconventional products.
Know your words!
In the field of Interior Designing, it is very important that you use the exact words. And considering the fact that there are sub-types to almost everything, the right terminology holds an even more important place.
Using the wrong words can cause you to miss a lot of points, as it only goes to show that you haven’t been paying enough attention.
Learn the right softwares
If you are learning hand drawings in your college, I’d suggest you to join a class as soon as possible. Although hand drawing increase your accuracy and make you understand your work a lot better, learning the right softwares makes your work efficient.
The most commonly used softwares are SketchUp, Autodesk 3D Max and AutoCad. These will cover most of your necessities.
Along with this, learning Photoshop and CorelDraw will also be beneficial.
Case-Studies
Case-studies make the most important aspect of interior designing. Your measurements and understanding of the space decide how the space is going to look.
Practice case-studies in your/your friends’ houses. Discuss it with your friends once you’re done measuring and drawing the dimensions. If there are any flaws, re-check it.
Get as much practical exposure as possible
Internships and Part-time jobs during your final year will help you in ways more than one! You’ll have practical knowledge, you’ll know the system of designing a space, you’ll get case-study experience and your confidence will increase.
Doing all of this while getting your education will reflect on your performance, and therefore on your marks.
Although these tips are extremely useful, the most important tip would be to devote yourself to your education. You have an opportunity to make mistakes that won’t involve your or someone else’s money. Try to understand the depths of Interior Designing while you have the chance to make silly mistakes (as long as you learn from them)
