Work Plan for Interior Designer - Assignment Example

 Formal Report and Work Plan MEMO To: Geraldine Schliermacher From: Full Name Date: Subject: The Definition, Duties, Qualifications, Personal attributes and Job Opportunities of Interior Designers. Following your request that I prepare a formal report that gives oversight on the Interior Design career, I have attempted to provide the basic information on the qualifications and duties of interior designers. Definition Interior designers' primary role is to turn interior spaces into functional, beautiful, and safe places in any residential or work place. Interior designing is carried out in nearly all buildings including homes, offices, shopping malls, hotels and restaurants. The designers achieve their end through professional selection and specification of colors, fabrics, finishes, furniture lighting, wall and floor coverings such as carpets giving the building interior the best possible look (Duncan, 1986). An interior designer's work usually runs in a well laid out sequence. The designer starts by determining the client’s requirements, tastes and preferences before undertaking the project. At this point they have to consider the number of the building users and hence making enough interior space for them to move comfortably making sure that the taste of client does not hinder motion within the building. After the initial considerations, the interior designer has to make the preliminary sketches of the design plans. These plans will enable them identify the material they need for the projects such as lighting, furnishes, furniture, tiles, carpets and decorations. After the preliminary designing, the interior designer has to make a preparation of the final plans usually by the use of the appropriate computer software and present the same to the client. In a case the client is not satisfied by the expected appearance, the interior designer has to make the corrections and adjustments to suit the client's needs. After the designing process, the interior designer has to make an estimate of the cost of the project and create a realistic time-line for the implementation of the same. They then have to oversee the project implementation to ensure that everything goes along with the plan. It is also imperative that they carry out a post- project survey to make sure that the final product satisfies the client. Interior designing is multifaceted and the designer has to work closely with other professionals within the construction industry such as structural engineers, architects and builders. It is therefore imperative that they are able to read blueprints. It is also compulsory for interior designers to be adequately knowledgeable of building codes as well as inspection regulations. As most interior designers make use of computer-aided designs, they ought to have the appropriate software to effectively do their work. However, some interior designers may use their hand to sketch or draw the designs if they are properly talented to do so. Specialization Designers have to be knowledgeable in various styles of interior designing for them to be competitive in the market. Such styles include but are not limited to Early American, French Renaissance, Medieval Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Italian. Each of the architectural designs calls for a unique interior designing style. A designer may also opt to specialize in certain types of architecture, certain rooms such as kitchens or bathrooms or certain buildings such as hotels, homes or hospitals. Others may opt to produce only the designs and leave the implementation to their colleagues (Hunter, 1972). Types of Interior designers. Sustainable designers come up with strategies that improve water and energy efficiencies and the quality of air indoors. They make extensive use of environmentally preferred such as cork and bamboo for floors and water hyacinth for the ceilings. These designers usually get certification from organizations and bodies such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the U.S. The certification is an indication that a building and/or its interior was designed using sustainable products and concepts. Universal designers specialize in renovating spaces to increase their accessibility. In most cases, these designs are made to cater the needs of s specific group with special needs such as the elderly or physically impaired. Universal designs however, increase accessibility to the rest of the building users as much as they do for special needs groups. Lighting designers specialize on the effect of lighting in a building. Lighting designers may also work on other lighting- affected areas such as stage productions, museum spaces, in galleries or in health centers where the amount, pattern and quality of light are imperative. Kitchen and bath designers focus on kitchens and bathrooms. They are experts in different cabinet varieties different types of appliances, fixtures electric and plumbing for kitchens and bath rooms. Closet designers aim at maximizing storage space in homes while increasing orderliness in the same. Education and other Qualifications An aspiring interior designer ought to have a bachelor’s degree in interior design, or in art and design with interior design as their major. They also ought to take lessons in drawing, design and or computer- aided designing. Taking a master’s degree in the same equips the designer better. There are at least 300 postsecondary institutions from all over the United States that offer interior design courses with over 150 being accredited to offer bachelor’s and masters degrees in interior design programs. A designer may also opt to specialize in a degree or certificate program that specializes in Kitchen and bath designing. Such courses are offered in at least 46 institutions in the US. Before admission to interior design courses, some institutions may require a display of artistic skills through requiring the applicant to submit either drawings or sketches. Due to the increase in preference of Japanese materials for their beauty and décor in internal designing, most interior designers are opting to attend short Japanese design causes to be able to offer their clients a wider range of oriental products (Spacious Planet, 2011). The y may also choose to attend Japanese exhibitions (Design Sojourn, 2009) Licenses Before being fully recognized as interior designers, interior designers are required to pass a common exam set by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). Licensing follows pursuant to passing this exam. To sit for the exam, one must have a Bachelors degree in interior design and 2 years of active experience as the least qualifications. Pay Interior designers’ median annual wage for the year 2010 was $46,280. The lowest decile in the profession earned less than $26,380, while the topmost decile earned more than $84,900. The hourly pay of an average interior designer is $22.25. (Labor Department, 2010) In 2010, the median annual earning for interior designers in engineering, architecture and other related industry was $51,990 Important Attributes of an interior Designer Artistic skills and Creativity- Interior designers must possess a sense of style as they use this to come up with beautiful and unique designs. The work also calls for great levels of imaginativeness. Detail oriented- Interior designers must pay attention to the most minor details if they are to be successful in their quest. Their work must be faultless and the work on the ground must exactly march the design on paper. Communication skills- Interior designers need to have effective communication skills so as to learn exactly what their client needs and to communicate well with others in construction projects such as engineers and building contractors. Communication skills also come in handy when the designer is soliciting for new projects (Yang, 2003). Innovativeness- Interior designers must come up with immediate innovative solutions to emerging challenges that are inevitable in their line of work such as delays in construction and a sudden hike of price or unavailability of materials if they are to finish their projects in the scheduled time and be within their budget range. Visual Perception- Interior designers must have good visual awareness to be able to predict which material or color would be best fitted together. Able to work for long hours- It is common for interior designers to work for long hours as they are under stress to meet clients’ deadlines. Their work may also involve wide travelling. Job opportunities in the career. For new market entrants, establishing their own practice may not be the best option as they require to build a client base and having some completed projects which they can use to solicit for projects when they finally go solo. There are many large, medium and small firms that employ interior designers. It may be advisable to first seek employment in these firms to gain experience and build a customer base before establishing their own practice. When they finally set up their practice, high-rise areas are the best to solicit for work as they have many new buildings. Resources Duncan, Alastair. (1986) .Art Deco Lighting. The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Vol. 1 . Retrieved from 7 Principles Of Japanese Interior Design. (2011) Spacious Planet Retrieved from http://www.spaciousplanet.com/world/new/7-principles-of-Japanese-Interior-Design. How Japanese Culture influences their Designs. (2009) Design Sojourn. Retrieved from http://www.designsojourn.com/how-japanese-culture-influences-their-designs Hunter, Penelope.(1972) Art Deco: The Last Hurrah. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. New Series, Vol. 30. #Yang, Jian. (2003).Art Deco 1910-39. Craft Arts International, Issue 59. Earnings", Occupational Outlook Handbook: 2009-2010 Edition, US Department of Labor Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/interior-designers.htm#tab-5 References Duncan, Alastair. (1986) .Art Deco Lighting. The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Vol. 1 . Retrieved from 7 Principles Of Japanese Interior Design. (2011) Spacious Planet Retrieved from http://www.spaciousplanet.com/world/new/7-principles-of-Japanese-Interior-Design. How Japanese Culture influences their Designs. (2009) Design Sojourn. Retrieved from http://www.designsojourn.com/how-japanese-culture-influences-their-designs Hunter, Penelope.(1972) Art Deco: The Last Hurrah. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. New Series, Vol. 30. #Yang, Jian. (2003).Art Deco 1910-39. Craft Arts International, Issue 59. Earnings", Occupational Outlook Handbook: 2009-2010 Edition, US Department of Labor Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/interior-designers.htm#tab-5 Read More