Creative and design

Interior designer

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Interior designers plan the internal layout of public, commercial and residential buildings to create functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces.

Summary

This occupation is found in the design sector, typically in organisations that employ interior designers. These organisations include specialist interior design studios, architectural practices, property development companies, construction companies, care home providers and branding agencies. Interior design teams typically consist of a design director or creative director supported by one or more senior designers, designers and assistant designers. 

Interior design teams work to design interior spaces within all built environment and industry sectors including private residential, commercial residential (property developers), education, healthcare, retail, hospitality, food and beverage, workplace and transport. Interior designers may also work in other design related occupations such as architectural technology, furniture design, graphic design, product designer, textile design and interior styling and home staging.

Interior design teams work closely with their clients and the intended building users, teams of built environment professionals such as architects, structural engineers, services engineers, project managers, cost consultants and construction teams including specialist subcontractors. The interior designer is predominantly office or studio based with some supervised visits to project building sites, suppliers and other offices. 

The broad purpose of the occupation is to assist senior members of the design team to design, source and specify the specific elements required to make any interior space function appropriately and meet the needs of the people who will use that space, including analysis and definition of those requirements. In practice the successful delivery of interior design projects involves different phases, and the interior designer will be required to work on all of these. Broadly the stages are as follows: 

• Brief analysis & feasibility: Working with clients to establish their detailed requirements including project budget and duration.

• Carrying out extensive research and site analysis to determine that the client’s requirements can be accommodated on the site. 

• Concept Design - creating initial concept designs to provide the client with an overview of the design direction of their project and the research carried out up to this point. In practice this divides into space planning and the preparation of architectural layouts rendered sketches and basic 3D models may also be completed during this stage. 

• Spatial coordination and design development. 

• Developing the detail of the scheme incorporating information from other consultants including architects, structural engineers and services engineers (to ensure sufficient space is allowed for mechanical and electrical plant, cabling and service routes through the structure). 

• Dimensioned internal plans, identifying key materials for floors, walls and ceilings are also produced within this stage. 

• Technical and detailed design. 

• Preparing the full package of detailed design drawings and specifications that allow a project to be signed off by the client and priced and programmed ready for construction. 

• Detailed design drawings and specifications such as general arrangement plans, demolition drawings and floor finishes drawings. 

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for assisting the rest of the design team in the successful delivery of their projects, through the production of professional design documentation. Duties of an interior designer may include: 

• Working on projects from concept to completion.

• Researching new materials and finishes.

• Ordering samples and updating the material library.

• Developing representations of design options for further discussion by the project team.

• Contributing and assisting senior designers in the design and production of proposals.

• Assisting in the presentation of design proposals to clients, taking on board feedback and amending design proposals accordingly until finalised and signed off by the design team and the client.

• Ensuring orders are placed on time from suppliers, liaising with suppliers and tradespeople and managing time appropriately, to ensure the project is completed to agreed deadlines.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts collaboratively with other members of the design team, with the broader professional construction team, suppliers, tradespeople and the on-site team to deliver the finished interior spaces in accordance with the client’s requirements. Interior designers will also be expected to work alongside the wider interiors team to produce a deliverables document that outlines all the drawings required as part of a package of information that can go out for tender. 

Typical job titles include

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

• Knowledge
• Skills
• Behaviours