What does an interior design internship do?
When it comes to interior design internship, interns are typically responsible for performing support tasks and gaining industry insights while under the supervision of managers or senior designers. They often participate in designing spaces, responding to clients' calls and correspondence, answering inquiries, and preparing conceptual presentations for clients. They may also run errands and perform clerical tasks such as preparing progress reports and documentation, create proposals, and even schedule appointments. Moreover, as an intern, it is essential to understand and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
Interior design internship responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real interior design internship resumes:
- Manage the website and twitter page, write the blog posts and attend numerous fashion shows and sample sale rooms.
- Work primarily with AutoCAD, SketchUp, and materials selection.
- Conduct concept sketch, research materials and select furniture for these projects.
- Create an initial design concept on sketch plans and as an online model.
- Create finish board layouts and develop 3-D SketchUp renderings to assist presentations of finishes and interior features to clients.
- Create client meeting PowerPoint presentation.
- Execute elevations and plans in Revit for an airline corporate interiors project including airport facilities.
- Develop strategies to deliver a complete well-coordinate project among not only MEP subcontractors but also architectural and structural subcontractors.
- Maintain all social media and electronic marketing materials including but not limit to Houzz, Mailchimp, and Facebook.
- Redesign and develop company website and client websites using Dreamweaver.
Interior design internship skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Interior Design Interns are proficient in Revit, Sketch, and Auto CAD. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Problem-solving skills, and Visualization.
We break down the percentage of Interior Design Interns that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Revit, 20%
Executed elevations and plans in Revit for an airline corporate interiors project including airport facilities.
- Sketch, 8%
Worked together with colleges on various restaurants designs Specification books, installation, and sketch design.
- Auto CAD, 6%
Worked with a team of architects, interior designers, and CAD technicians to develop construction documents using Auto CAD.
- SketchUp, 6%
Requested quotes from vendors, selected FF&E for various projects, utilized SketchUp and AutoCAD for renderings.
- Design Solutions, 5%
Assisted Principal Designer in composing design solutions within client budgets, and customizing presentations.
- PowerPoint, 4%
Created client meeting PowerPoint presentation.
Most interior design interns use their skills in "revit," "sketch," and "auto cad" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential interior design internship responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an interior design internship to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "interior designers need to be precise in measuring interior spaces and creating drawings, so that their drawings can be used by workers such as engineers or other designers." Interior design interns often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "review and detail shop drawings for construction plans. "
Problem-solving skills. Another essential skill to perform interior design internship duties is problem-solving skills. Interior design interns responsibilities require that "interior designers must address challenges, such as construction delays or unavailability of certain materials, while keeping the project on time and within budget." Interior design interns also use problem-solving skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "offered design suggestions and solutions and assisted with material and furniture selections. "
Visualization. This is an important skill for interior design interns to perform their duties. For an example of how interior design internship responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "interior designers need a strong sense of proportion and visual awareness in order to understand how the pieces of a design will fit together to create the intended environment." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an interior design internship: "created visualization pieces for clients and subcontractors that included floor plans, 3d renderings, and material selections. ".
Interpersonal skills. For certain interior design internship responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "interpersonal skills." The day-to-day duties of an interior design internship rely on this skill, as "interior designers need to be able to communicate effectively with clients and others." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what interior design interns do: "helped develop new packaging and pop displays developed excellent interpersonal skills developed skills in auto cadd performed astm testing protocols. "
Artistic ability. Another common skill required for interior design internship responsibilities is "artistic ability." This skill comes up in the duties of interior design interns all the time, as "interior designers use their sense of style to develop aesthetically pleasing designs." An excerpt from a real interior design internship resume shows how this skill is central to what an interior design internship does: "digitalized and produced a powerpoint presentation of the design principal s career and artistic work. "
Creativity. Another skill commonly found on interior design internship job descriptions is "creativity." It can come up quite often in interior design internship duties, since "interior designers need to be imaginative in selecting furnishings and fabrics and in creating functional spaces that serve the client’s needs and fit the client’s lifestyle." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day interior design internship responsibilities: "managed material samples and assisted in inventory management - provided basic administrative support and performed other duties . "
The three companies that hire the most interior design internships are:
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Compare different interior design interns
Interior design internship vs. Visual merchandiser
A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans. They must also be knowledgeable on product information to assist customers with their inquiries and concerns. Visual merchandisers should be creative in setting up the uniformity of the store's visuals within the budget goals. The designs must be appealing enough to drive the customers around the premises, potentially generating revenues and increasing profitability.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, interior design internship responsibilities require skills like "revit," "sketch," "auto cad," and "sketchup." Meanwhile a typical visual merchandiser has skills in areas such as "customer service," "ladders," "sales floor," and "store management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Visual merchandisers tend to make the most money working in the retail industry, where they earn an average salary of $37,869. In contrast, interior design interns make the biggest average salary, $59,888, in the construction industry.visual merchandisers tend to reach similar levels of education than interior design interns. In fact, visual merchandisers are 2.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Interior design internship vs. Design specialist
A design specialist is responsible for creating engaging visual images and digital content to improve customers' brand awareness about the organization's products and services. Design specialists may also work for media production, creating graphic animations for viewers depending on production requirements and media demands. A design specialist must have excellent knowledge of utilizing various software tools and programs, coordinating with the whole design team on adjusting plans, improving layouts according to budget limitations, and submitting deliverables within the set deadlines.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, interior design internship responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "revit," "auto cad," "sketchup," and "design firm." Meanwhile, a design specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "cad," "product knowledge," and "adobe creative suite." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Design specialists tend to reach similar levels of education than interior design interns. In fact, they're 1.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for interior design internships in the next 3-5 years?
Tasoulla Hadjiyanni Ph.D.
Northrop Professor of Interior Design, University of Minnesota
Interior design internship vs. Design consultant
A design consultant is an individual who provides expertise incorporating functionality and aesthetics to a space or product based on the evaluation of the needs of customers or clients. Design consultants may collaborate with other professionals such as architects, graphic designers, or fashion designers to cater to the needs of their customers. They assist in improving existing designs, either in interior designs, fashions, or graphics. Design consultants may also work in different work settings like retail stores, architectural companies, or graphic design firms.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, interior design interns are more likely to have skills like "revit," "auto cad," "sketchup," and "design firm." But a design consultant is more likely to have skills like "product knowledge," "java," "design services," and "leveraged."
Design consultants earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $94,021. Comparatively, interior design interns have the highest earning potential in the construction industry, with an average salary of $59,888.design consultants typically earn similar educational levels compared to interior design interns. Specifically, they're 4.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Interior design internship vs. Kitchen and bath designer
As the name entails, kitchen and bath designers design kitchens and bathrooms using their interior design skills and knowledge of space, colors, lighting, and textures. They typically begin working on their projects by doing a tour and talking to clients to better understand their requirements. Their typical tasks may include designing and preparing a plan layout, coordinating the purchase of materials, and developing and implementing marketing programs. Kitchen and bathroom designers may also conduct workshops and seminars and participate in safety meetings.
Types of interior design internship
Updated January 8, 2025
