Interior Design

What is Interior Design?

A dictionary definition of Interior Design is...

'...the process of shaping the experience of interior space, through the manipulation of spatial volume as well as surface treatment.....draws on aspects of environmental psychology, architecture, product design and furniture design in addition to traditional decoration.'

Interior Designers are likely to be involved with commercial projects (offices, hotels, gyms, restaurants, and other public spaces) or if the work is domestic they tend to design the entire property.

In contrast Interior Decorators deal with...

'....the surfaces (walls, floors, windows) of a property - usually domestic.    They chose the colour scheme, style, paints, wallpaper, flooring, fabrics, furniture.    They are not normally involved in the major structural changes, but deal with the simple refurbishments.'

Which ODL QC Providers offer Interior Design Courses?

Accredited providers offer a range of courses relating to Interior Design, from internal decoration to garden design.

The links on the right suggest which providers to try.

Which Course?

You might want to do a course to acquire new skills to use in your own home (Interior Decoration) or you might want to use it within a career (vocational training in Interior Design).

There is no one defined route into Interior Design.

Different courses come at different levels.    Most providers offer a Diploma course, although the level of skill achieved at the end may differ from provider to provider.

A certificate is usually a more basic course, whilst a DipHE requires more commitment and can lead on to a degree.

Our accredited providers reflect this variety, with Rhodec having a route through to a degree course in Interior Design.

The Buyers Guide has useful questions to ask yourself about what you want to achieve from a course, in particular the 'Outcomes' section.

What types of Qualifications are there?

If you want to do a course to enter into a career or progress in one then it is worth doing some additional research within the industry itself.

Contact potential employers or speak to friends/family who are currently in the industry to see what types of qualifications are recognised.

Below are some types of qualifications which might apply.    Click on them to find out more:

• Certificate
  
• City & Guilds
  
• Degree
  
• Diploma

On vocational training courses you will develop a good portfolio of work, which can then be shown to potential employers, clients or membership organisations.

Providers

• BSY Group
• Horticultural Correspondence College
  (Interior landscaping course)
• ICS
• Interior Design Academy of Ireland
• KLC School of Design
• Learning Curve
• Learning Insitute
• Regent Academy
• Rhodec International College of Interior Design

Professional Bodies

• British Interior Design Association (BIDA)
• Chartered Society of Designers
• International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI)
• Royal Institute of British Architects

Further Advice

• Buyers Guide
• British Council
• Prospects
• Connexions Direct
• Careers Advice