What does an interior designer do?
An interior designer helps people decorate their rooms and spaces, creating the most functional and beautiful area as possible. They sit with clients to plan desired goals, visualize the space's functions, and sketch the design plan. Then, they pick and order materials and furnishings needed for the project. Additionally, they create a project timeline, estimate cost, and supervise the construction and installation. They follow-up with clients to guarantee their satisfaction once the project is completed. Interior designers should have an understanding of building and construction as well as public safety and security. They must be flexible in their time since they work to meet client needs.
Interior designer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real interior designer resumes:
- Establish and manage firm's account on NYC DOB website; fulfill office duties and manage office.
- Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
- Project management, interior design, transition planning, and furniture specification for military healthcare projects.
- Participate on leer certified projects.
- Put together client invoices in QuickBooks.
- Design email using HTML and inline CSS/CSS3.
- Input all purchasing and invoices into QuickBooks.
- Update and maintain social media presence on Facebook and Houzz.
- Monitor orders using the retail point of sale (POS) system.
- Produce 2D drawings and 3D and BIM models for all project phases, from conception through execution.
- Create SketchUp models, provide support and assistance in the studio, aid in administrative tasks, etc.
- Generate exterior outlooks for upcoming residential and commercial buildings on SketchUp to demonstrate a 3D model for clients.
- Design in SolidWorks and build an easily transport EV go-cart using hobby grade electronics and easily source frame components.
- Develop using CSS to maintain the uniformity of all the screens throughout the application and positioning of screen objects.
- Use of sketch up pro for visual platform that includes perspectives, elevations, floor plans and reflect ceiling plans.
Interior designer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Interior Designers are proficient in Revit, Space Planning, and Sketch. They’re also known for soft skills such as Problem-solving skills, Visualization, and Artistic ability.
We break down the percentage of Interior Designers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Revit, 12%
Prepare 3D renderings utilizing REVIT and Adobe Creative Suite.
- Space Planning, 8%
Perform client interviews to identify project objectives, conduct field investigation, inventory evaluation, and space planning requirements.
- Sketch, 6%
Use of sketch up pro for visual platform that includes perspectives, elevations, floor plans and reflected ceiling plans.
- Design Concepts, 6%
Reviewed pricing, materials and customization for projects and provided design support for completion/execution of design concepts.
- Customer Service, 6%
Provide direction and leadership for all responsibilities related to accounts receivable, customer service and operations of a privately owned company.
- FF, 5%
Prepared FF & E and finish specifications and schedules as part of the model room Design Development package.
"revit," "space planning," and "sketch" are among the most common skills that interior designers use at work. You can find even more interior designer responsibilities below, including:
Problem-solving skills. The most essential soft skill for an interior designer to carry out their responsibilities is problem-solving skills. This skill is important for the role because "interior designers must address challenges, such as construction delays or unavailability of certain materials, while keeping the project on time and within budget." Additionally, an interior designer resume shows how their duties depend on problem-solving skills: "initiated client relationships by offering solutions to home furnishing needs and providing in-home consultations and design presentations. "
Visualization. Another essential skill to perform interior designer duties is visualization. Interior designers responsibilities require 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." Interior designers also use visualization in their role according to a real resume snippet: "designed, modeled and render graphically intensive exteriors and interior environments and animations utilizing the latest in visualization technology. "
Artistic ability. This is an important skill for interior designers to perform their duties. For an example of how interior designer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "interior designers use their sense of style to develop aesthetically pleasing designs." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an interior designer: "stretched out ideas for creative solutions, artistic renderings and material boards organized immense material resources for time efficiency. ".
Detail oriented. For certain interior designer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "detail oriented." The day-to-day duties of an interior designer rely on this skill, as "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." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what interior designers do: "prepared construction drawings and interior design details. "
Creativity. A commonly-found skill in interior designer job descriptions, "creativity" is essential to what interior designers do. Interior designer responsibilities rely on this skill because "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." You can also see how interior designer duties rely on creativity in this resume example: "coordinated, as well as conducted, inventive and original design presentations and projects. "
The three companies that hire the most interior designers are:
- Hr International132 interior designers jobs
- RH52 interior designers jobs
- Gensler45 interior designers jobs
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Compare different interior designers
Interior designer vs. Graphics specialist
A graphics specialist is an expert at conceptualizing and developing visual art for businesses or individuals, typically for marketing or information purposes. Moreover, there are also opportunities for employment in the web and media industry. As a graphics specialist, their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify their needs, understanding the purpose and message of the project, developing proposals, coordinating with team members, and conducting revisions as needed, all while adhering to the goals and deadlines set by the client or management.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an interior designer are more likely to require skills like "revit," "space planning," "sketch," and "design concepts." On the other hand, a job as a graphics specialist requires skills like "graphic design," "adobe illustrator," "adobe photoshop," and "adobe indesign." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Graphics specialists earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $67,322. On the other hand, interior designers are paid more in the construction industry with an average salary of $57,354.On average, graphics specialists reach similar levels of education than interior designers. Graphics specialists are 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Interior designer 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.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real interior designer resumes. While interior designer responsibilities can utilize skills like "revit," "space planning," "sketch," and "design concepts," visual merchandisers use skills like "ladders," "sales floor," "store management," and "drive sales."
Visual merchandisers may earn a lower salary than interior designers, but visual merchandisers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $37,869. On the other hand, interior designers receive higher pay in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $57,354.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Visual merchandisers tend to reach similar levels of education than interior designers. In fact, they're 3.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for interior designers in the next 3-5 years?
Tasoulla Hadjiyanni Ph.D.
Northrop Professor of Interior Design, University of Minnesota
Interior designer 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.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an interior designer is likely to be skilled in "revit," "customer service," "ff," and "sketchup," while a typical design consultant is skilled in "java," "leveraged," "math," and "lead generation."
Design consultants earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $94,021. Interior designers earn the highest pay from the construction industry, with an average salary of $57,354.When it comes to education, design consultants tend to earn similar degree levels compared to interior designers. In fact, they're 2.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Interior designer vs. Design coordinator
A design coordinator is responsible for collating and analyzing designs for construction that meet business requirements and budget limitations. Design coordinators create expenses forecasting by identifying the resources and materials to be used and the estimated duration for project deliverables. They also coordinate with the clients to share progress updates and modify plans as needed according to specifications. A design coordinator negotiates contract offers with suppliers and third-party vendors, minimize excessive costings, and ensure high-quality outputs.
Types of interior designer
Updated January 8, 2025
