What You'll Do

  • Estimate material requirements and costs, and present design to client for approval.
  • Confer with client to determine factors affecting planning of interior environments, such as budget, architectural preferences, purpose, and function.
  • Advise client on interior design factors, such as space planning, layout and use of furnishings or equipment, and color coordination.
  • Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art work, and accessories.
  • Formulate environmental plan to be practical, esthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity or selling merchandise.
  • Subcontract fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, art work, furniture, and related items.
  • Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
  • Plan and design interior environments for boats, planes, buses, trains, and other enclosed spaces.
  • Coordinate with other professionals, such as contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, to ensure job success.
  • Review and detail shop drawings for construction plans.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.0/5
Active Listening 4.0/5
Speaking 4.0/5
Critical Thinking 4.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.75/5
Coordination 3.75/5
Service Orientation 3.75/5
Writing 3.62/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.62/5
Persuasion 3.5/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.5/5
Time Management 3.38/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Integrity, Dependability, Cooperation, Adaptability/Flexibility

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Fluency of Ideas 4.12/5
Originality 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Visualization 4.0/5
Near Vision 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 3.88/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.75/5

Technologies & Tools

20-20 Technologies 20-20 Design Adobe Acrobat Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Autodesk 3ds Max Autodesk Architectural Desktop Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk Revit Autodesk Revit Architecture Autodesk VIZ AutoDesSys form Z Computer aided design and drafting software CADD Email software Graphisoft ArchiCAD IBM Notes iPhotoMEASURE Maxon Cinema 4D McNeel Rhinoceros 3D

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.76/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.56/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.52/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.36/5)
  • Adaptability/Flexibility (High importance: 4.33/5)

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How to Become One

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Some positions may also require experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level work to strengthen your candidacy.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Bathroom Designer (Bath Designer) Certified Kitchen Designer Color and Materials Designer Commercial Interior Designer Decorating Consultant Decorator Design Consultant Designer Furniture Arranger Home Decorator Home Designer Home Lighting Advisor House Designer Interior Decorator Interior Design Consultant Interior Design Coordinator Interior Designer Kitchen and Batch Designer Kitchen and Bathroom Designer (Kitchen and Bath Designer) Kitchen Cabinet Designer Kitchen Designer Lighting Designer Registered Interior Designer Residential Designer Residential Interior Designer Room Designer Stylist