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Interior Designers plan and design room arrangements of furnishings, accessories, and color schemes for homes, offices, commercial, and institutional establishments.

NATURE OF THE OCCUPATION

Interior Designers may:

Confer with clients to determine needs, preferences, budget, types of construction, equipment to be installed, and other factors which affect planning interior environments

Create a logical interior environmental plan to meet a specific need, such as raising productivity or improving the life style of the occupants

Be available to advise during execution of the plan

Advise clients on such interior design factors as space planning, layout of furnishings and equipment, and color coordination

Describe design ideas in the form of paste-ups/drawings/illustrations

Estimate material requirements and costs

Present design to client for approval

Design/select/purchase furnishings, art works, & accessories

Contract with suppliers for the creation, installation, & arrangement of materials according to the design

Work with architects and other experts on areas of overlapping skill

Interior Designers must design in accordance with federal, state, and local building codes and plan spaces that meet accessibility standards for the disabled and elderly. They must also be knowledgeable about legal codes and toxicity and flammability standards for furniture and furnishings.

Interior Designers use computers to create numerous versions of space designs. Images can be inserted, edited, or replaced, making it possible for a client to see and choose from several replications of a design.

Tools, work aids, and materials used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

142.051-014 INTERIOR DESIGNERS plan and design room arrangements of furnishings, accessories, and color schemes for homes, offices, commercial and institutional establishments. They may plan and design interior environments of boats, planes, buses, trains and other enclosed spaces. They may also specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following CEscripts:

Interior Designers work alone but coordinate their efforts with many other people.

Interior Designers' working conditions differ with each job, place of employment, employer, and duties. Designers' studios usually provide a pleasant work environment. Some Designers work in their homes, Subcontractors' offices, and establishments that sell various materials with which they work. A good deal of time is spent at the location for which they are designing.

Designers working for retail establishments or design offices usually work a 40-hour week. Self-employed Interior Designers who hold responsible positions in design establishments may work evenings and weekends. Such duties might include meetings with clients or subcontractors as well as shopping and planning for presentations.

Interior Designers must travel in all types of weather and may work in buildings that are under construction or renovation.

Since their work is varied, Designers are seldom bored. They are often under pressure to meet deadlines, to coordinate the work of laborers and suppliers, and to keep within established budgets.

The American Society of Interior Designers is the largest organization of Interior Designers. Other associations include The International Interior Design Association and Interior Designer Society. Members usually pay dues. The Foundation for Interior Design Education Research sets standards and accredits academic programs in Interior Design.

You Should Prefer:

• Work that provides opportunity for artistic self-expression

• Activities involving business contact with people

• Activities which provide satisfaction from working on/producing  things

You Should Be Able To:

• Rate information by using personal judgment

• Understand the meanings of words/ideas/present information effectively

• Get along with other people

• Demonstrate artistic talent and imagination in your work

• Notice detail and see differences in shapes, shadings, or measurements

• Visualize three-dimensional objects from diagrams

• Influence others in their judgments about ideas and things

• Plan, organize, and carry out projects to completion

Math Problem You Should Be Able To Solve:

You are asked to carpet a room that is 12 x 13. How much carpet will be needed?

Reading Example You Should Be Able To Read and Comprehend:

You are asked to work with your client's builder in decorating a new home. You would need to be able to read and understand blueprints in order to effectively work with the builder.

Writing Example You Should Be Able To Produce:

Document a detailed explanation of changes to be made and projected costs.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able To Demonstrate:

You are asked to renovate a home. You need to be able to think about what changes can be made, should be made, as well as time and cost factors in order to give an accurate estimate to your client.

Formal training is becoming more important. Most well-established design firms and other employers hire only graduates from a college or professional school of interior design. It is highly recommended that students have a working knowledge of computers and especially applications of computer-aided-design (CAD).

Licensing is not required in Michigan      , however, more than 20 states do require Interior Designers to be licensed. Some states require passing the qualifying exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification.

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: A Certificate (program of up to one year of study beyond high school) or a Bachelor's Degree (four years of study beyond high school) or a Master's Degree (five to six years of study beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation. According to the American Society of Interior Designers   at least half* of all practicing designers in the U.S.    have completed two or more years of college or vocational training.  These are projected figures.  Based on the findings of a number of private studies, it would appear that about 40-45% of U.S. designers have completed a 4 year college program.  Of these, about 40% received their degree in Interior Design, the remainder have degrees in architecture, fine arts, liberal arts, (various arts & sciences majors), industrial design, education and business administration among others.  About 13% have completed two year programs, 16% have post-graduated degrees and the remainder have completed less than 2 years of college.  The ASID Educational Foundation and various partners offer a wide range of scholarships, awards and competitions.  In addition, many schools, foundations, philanthropic institutions as well as the federal government offer scholarships grants and financial assistance. 

*ASID, The Interior Design Profession: Facts & Figures.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the CEscript:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS ***

0200ART , 0600 BUSINESS , 0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 1100 ECONOMICS , 1300 ENGLISH , 1400 FASHION , 2000 LIFE MANAGEMENT , 2200 MATH , 2800 PUBLIC SPEAKING , 2900 SCIENCE , 3000 SOCIAL STUDIES , 3100 STUDY & WORK OPTIONS , 3200 TECHNICAL DRAWING , 3300 TECHNOLOGY

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS ***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this CEscript.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS ***

085  INTERIOR DESIGN

Programs in Interior Design provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and artistic skills needed for employment in planning and implementing the design of building interiors which will serve the functional and aesthetic needs of people.

Courses vary from school to school but may include:

Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES ***

There are no Apprenticeships related to this CEscript.

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS ***

There are no Military Programs related to this CEscript.   

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Individuals may sell fabric, lamps, or other interior furnishings in department or furniture stores to gain experience in dealing with customers and to become familiar with the merchandise. Jobs in Designers' studios may provide the opportunity to observe Designers at work. Postsecondary programs in interior design may offer a co-op portion to gain experience in this field.

The most common method of entering this occupation is applying directly to employers. Assistance in locating a job may be available through high school, vocational school, or college placement offices or a local office of Michigan Works!. Newspapers and professional journals list job openings through their want ads. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

International Interior Design Association

Michigan Talent Bank  

America's Job Bank

Classifieds Employment

Yahoo! Careers

MONSTER.COM

Michigan Works!

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Interior Designers and assistant Designers may be paid straight salaries, salaries plus commissions or bonuses, or straight commissions. Most Interior Designers working for department stores are paid a percentage of their sales. Firms in large metropolitan areas usually pay the highest salaries in this field.

Earnings of Interior Designers are closely geared to sales. Therefore, income is affected by the volume of business, professional prestige, economic level of clients, and business competence.

According to a 2003-2004 survey of the top 100 design firms in the United States       , the annual salaries of Interior Designers were:

Salaries for top Michigan Design firms were comparable to national salaries. 

Typical consultation fees run about $100 per hour. Designers often tailor the fees according to the amount of work on the contract, sometimes taking a retainer ($1,000) from a company to cover expenses for materials.

In early 2004, most of the graduates of one Michigan      university interior design program received entry-level annual salaries ranging from $18,000 to $22,000.

Depending on the employer, Designers may receive profit sharing plans and bonuses. Designers employed by a firm may receive paid holidays and vacations; health, life, and accident insurance; retirement plans; and paid sick leave. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the employer.

Beginning Interior Designers usually start in a trainee position which lasts from 1     to 5 years. After obtaining considerable experience, Interior Designers may advance to design department head or to other supervisory positions in large design firms or department stores. If they have the necessary funds or enough clients, they may open their own Interior Design business. A possible career ladder for Interior Designers may include: Interior Designer trainee, Interior Designer, supervisor or self-employed Designer. Advancement of Interior Designers depends on talent, training, business ability, and creativity.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, about 40,700 Interior Designers were employed in 2002. Employment is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. About 25.3% of them were self-employed. The industry distribution for Interior Designers looked like this:

Individuals seeking beginning jobs in interior design are expected to face keen competition. Designers will be expected to have more technical knowledge in specialized areas such as energy efficiency, interiors for the handicapped and elderly, and environmental safety. The outlook is favorable for well-qualified Interior Designers. The increasing demand for interior design is expected to continue. However, interior design is affected more by the overall state of the economy than are many other occupations.

There are about 1,150 Interior Designers employed in Michigan      , mostly in the larger cities. According to the American Society of Interior Designers, private studies suggest that most (60% to 80%) of the Interior Designers were women. Studies that included a sampling of architectural firms tended to report somewhat higher percentages of male Designers.  States with the highest client populations such as California     , Texas , Florida and New York rank highest among all U.S. states in the total number of employed designers.

As employees of large firms, most Interior Designers work independently with their clients or as assistants to senior Designers. Many Interior Designers own their own establishments, either alone or in partnership with other Interior Designers. Other Interior Designers may work for large department or furniture stores, hotel and restaurant chains, architects, furniture suppliers, antique dealers, and manufacturers in the interior furnishings field, such as furniture and textile manufacturers.

Employment of Interior Designers in Michigan  is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010. An average of 30 annual openings is expected with 20 due to growth and 10 due to replacement of those who retire, die or leave the labor force for other reasons. Additional openings will occur as workers change jobs or occupations.

Future demand for Interior Designers in Michigan      will be based on a number of factors, such as growth in population, personal incomes, expenditures for home and office furnishings and use of design services in both home and commercial establishments. New uses for glass, plastic, and aluminum and new combinations of fabrics, metal, and wood have created additional fields in interior design.

MICHIGAN  'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2010

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.

Copyright © 2004 Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth