5 Technical Skills Required for Interior Design

Are you thinking about becoming an interior designer? Whilst many people believe that a sense of style is all it takes to break into this career, you’ll actually need some technical skills to go with it to ensure you can produce spectacular designs for your clients.

The interior design industry is a lucrative one to enter with a value of £1.5 billion in the UK alone and the everyday challenges you face will keep the job feeling fresh and interesting, making it rewarding for those that start working in it.

Whether you’re opening your own interior design business or simply applying to roles at big companies around the UK, the following are the necessary skills you’ll need to wow potential customers and ultimately, make money in this industry. Read on to find out more.

1- Digital Imaging

Many of the designs you’ll make will be done online and so understanding how to use popular tools like Photoshop to bring your visions to life is a must. Some of the basic tasks you’ll need to know how to do include photo retouching, scanning, special effects and adding filters. Once you can do this, you’ll be able to bring your concepts to clients and wow them.

2- CAD – Computer-aided design

CAD design software is often used within mechanical and industrial engineering to design products, but it also has a place in interior design. This software offers you a unique set of applications to put your ideas on screen with ease and lets you do things like create two-dimensional floor plans and comprehend blocks.

3- Architectural Detailing and building codes

When designing your interiors, you’ll need to know what building regulations and codes you need to comply with and then learn how to work them into your work. Some of the areas you’ll need to focus on include stairs, doors and windows.

4- Precision Sketching

Sketching is one of the main ways you’ll bring your concepts alive and they’re great for showing clients the proportions of the room and where everything will go including furnishings and other design elements. Knowing how to do this is easier said than done and takes a while to master, so we recommend frequently practising to get up to speed quickly.

As you can see, there are a lot of digital skills needed to get into the world of interior design and having these before applying for jobs may make you a much more employable candidate. This is important as there are almost 35,000 other interior designers in the country and you’ll need these skills to hold your own against them and win over clients.