4 answers
Jordyn
Student
Greensboro, North Carolina
1
Question
Asked
297 views
How does an interior design career evolve overtime? Are there steps towards a career after undergrad or do you just dive right in?
I am a freshman interior design major at Meredith College. I have only experienced the drafting and planning aspects of interior design so far. I want to know if there are different phases or parts of the overarching ID career.
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4 answers
Enana Ali
Architect
15
Answers
Tartus, Tartus Governorate
Updated
Enana’s Answer
🌺 Hi sweet soul!
First, let me say—what you're feeling is completely normal, and when I say this, trust me completely because I went through exactly the same feelings and experience a few years ago😂❤️.
Being a freshman in interior design and only seeing a part of the field (like drafting and planning) can definitely feel overwhelming or even confusing. But guess what? You're exactly where you need to be. The journey of becoming a designer is just that—a journey. And it unfolds step by step, layer by layer.
🌺 Let me walk you through the beautiful path of an interior design career, like chapters in a story:
1. Discovery Phase (Where You Are Now)
You’re learning the basics—drawing, drafting, space planning, color theory. It might feel a little technical now, but it’s laying the foundation. This is your chance to explore, make mistakes, and figure out what excites you most. Residential? Hospitality? Commercial? You don’t need to know yet—and that’s okay.
2. Internships & Exposure (2nd–3rd Year)
Start applying for internships when you feel ready, even if it’s shadowing someone. These little experiences give you a clearer view of real-world design. You'll learn how designers work with clients, pick materials, manage budgets, and more. It’s where design starts to come alive.
3. First Job (Post-Graduation)
You’ll likely start as a junior or assistant designer. You won’t be doing it all, but you’ll be in the room, watching, learning, and slowly growing your confidence. You’ll discover your strengths and maybe even what you don’t enjoy—and that’s part of the process too.
4. Growth & Specialization
As you gain experience, you might specialize: sustainable design, set design, healthcare interiors, high-end residential, or even open your own studio one day. It’s okay if this part feels far away now—it will come with time.
5. Your Own Path
Some designers stay in studios, others freelance, teach, or even design furniture. Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
🌺 What you can do now:
💎 Keep your projects organized and document your growth.
💎 Join clubs like ASID or IIDA.
💎 Ask questions, talk to your professors, and connect with upperclassmen.
💎 Be patient with yourself. You don’t need to have it all figured out.
🌺 You’re not lost—you’re just beginning. And that’s something to celebrate.
First, let me say—what you're feeling is completely normal, and when I say this, trust me completely because I went through exactly the same feelings and experience a few years ago😂❤️.
Being a freshman in interior design and only seeing a part of the field (like drafting and planning) can definitely feel overwhelming or even confusing. But guess what? You're exactly where you need to be. The journey of becoming a designer is just that—a journey. And it unfolds step by step, layer by layer.
🌺 Let me walk you through the beautiful path of an interior design career, like chapters in a story:
1. Discovery Phase (Where You Are Now)
You’re learning the basics—drawing, drafting, space planning, color theory. It might feel a little technical now, but it’s laying the foundation. This is your chance to explore, make mistakes, and figure out what excites you most. Residential? Hospitality? Commercial? You don’t need to know yet—and that’s okay.
2. Internships & Exposure (2nd–3rd Year)
Start applying for internships when you feel ready, even if it’s shadowing someone. These little experiences give you a clearer view of real-world design. You'll learn how designers work with clients, pick materials, manage budgets, and more. It’s where design starts to come alive.
3. First Job (Post-Graduation)
You’ll likely start as a junior or assistant designer. You won’t be doing it all, but you’ll be in the room, watching, learning, and slowly growing your confidence. You’ll discover your strengths and maybe even what you don’t enjoy—and that’s part of the process too.
4. Growth & Specialization
As you gain experience, you might specialize: sustainable design, set design, healthcare interiors, high-end residential, or even open your own studio one day. It’s okay if this part feels far away now—it will come with time.
5. Your Own Path
Some designers stay in studios, others freelance, teach, or even design furniture. Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
🌺 What you can do now:
💎 Keep your projects organized and document your growth.
💎 Join clubs like ASID or IIDA.
💎 Ask questions, talk to your professors, and connect with upperclassmen.
💎 Be patient with yourself. You don’t need to have it all figured out.
🌺 You’re not lost—you’re just beginning. And that’s something to celebrate.
Céline Riard
Interior designer
11
Answers
Framingham, Massachusetts
Updated
Céline’s Answer
Hi Jordyn!
Please note that not all college programs will cover the same topics. But Meredith seems to have a thorough study program and starts with the essentials, which is planning for the space and drafting it. To that day, after I meet my clients, ask them questions about what they like or dislike about their current space, or what they want when we build an extension, we discuss how they will use the space, what they need in terms of storage, functionality in the space etc. Then I take measurements and start drafting. So, what you learnt so far are the stepping stones of interior design: only once you have a good layout that you can start talking about colors, textures, etc. Some people prefer the color aspect, which I call the "soft" aspect of design, but I really love the planning part, which I call the "hardcore" aspect of design. I hope you learn to love both as there is no great interior space without both aspects. The Meredith College plan of study is here: https://catalog.meredith.edu/classes?program_id=1839. When I went to college, some classes like History of Styles or Color Theory were fun. Some like AutoCAD were harder, and it was also the very beginning of CAD drafting and we only had a very superficial teaching of the program. Most of if, I had to learn it myself! But now there are so many resources online. I went to college over 25 years ago, and we were taught to draft by hand and do perspective drawings by hand, which I assume is not taught anymore. There will be classes you will hate, some you love. I hope your professors are all active professionals, or at least have a long experience of working as professionals, because they can teach you so many aspects of interior design that you will find in not a single textbook.
Like for many jobs, exploring the different aspects of it via internships or freelance work will help you figure out what you like and do not like, and where you want to go once you graduate.
I had an intern who did not like interacting with people: she was not meant to be an interior designer in the true sense, since you have to interact with tons of people, from clients, to store assistants to contractors etc. You also need a good dose of diplomacy and psychology to navigate what the clients want but don't express, figure out how you can address the obvious disagreements between spouses (quite common ;-)). I remember telling her she would probably be better off doing only drafting, or working in fabric design, tile design, on the manufacturing side of interior design where people interaction may be limited to a small team.
Try to get as much hands-on experience as you can through internships or even volunteering. Remember that even a bad experience will help you figure out what you want to be. Maybe the tasks where interesting, but your supervisor created a toxic environment. Maybe the tasks were mundane and boring, but the team was so much fun you actually looked forward going to work everyday. Take notes, even a journal, of what you are going through. Remember that in the heat of a situation, your understanding of it may be skewed. Try to take some distance and analyze what the real pros and cons where during that work experience.
To be an interior designer in the true sense, either you are a commercial or residential designer, requires to be an excellent project manager, a good judge of character, a patient, confident and knowledgeable professional: this comes with experience. You may be incredible organized, and therefore work more as a project management, ensuring that a large project in your firm goes smoothly. You may be really good on site with contractors, addressing issues, making you a great worksite supervisor. You may just love the "always-in-the-office" requirements of drafting.
In summary, the great thing with interior design is that there are many careers and industry settings that will require your skills. You will need to find out what you are made of, as you take classes and go through internships:
- What you are good at and not so good at;
- The tasks you like and do not like;
- Do you prefer to have a predictable day, or are you happy with unexpected tasks thrown at you all the time?
- Do you prefer to stay in the office and have your little routine, or do you like going out, visiting showrooms and stores, sometimes freeze your feet on a non-heated work site, and have lunch when/if you can?
- Are you able to carry heavy samples (tiles, carpets)? Sometimes a workday is such that you won't need to hit the gym to get your workout.
- Write down why you decided to study interior design? You met a designer who was awesome and inspired you? You simply cannot visit a store without figuring out how the lighting is done, or how they created the stunning front desk?
- Are you interested in R&D (Research and Development) and want to contribute to design better products?
Once you figure out the kind of interior designer you want to be, either you work at an interior/architecture firm or at a manufacturer, you will grow, get more responsibilities, become a partner etc. You may at some point decide to start your own firm, either on your own or with “associate” friends you met during your education/career. There are so many ways to have a fulfilling career in interior design, as long as you stay ahead of AI and how it will change how interior designers work. And most of it, keep a positive, open and productive view on your budding career. Good luck!
Please note that not all college programs will cover the same topics. But Meredith seems to have a thorough study program and starts with the essentials, which is planning for the space and drafting it. To that day, after I meet my clients, ask them questions about what they like or dislike about their current space, or what they want when we build an extension, we discuss how they will use the space, what they need in terms of storage, functionality in the space etc. Then I take measurements and start drafting. So, what you learnt so far are the stepping stones of interior design: only once you have a good layout that you can start talking about colors, textures, etc. Some people prefer the color aspect, which I call the "soft" aspect of design, but I really love the planning part, which I call the "hardcore" aspect of design. I hope you learn to love both as there is no great interior space without both aspects. The Meredith College plan of study is here: https://catalog.meredith.edu/classes?program_id=1839. When I went to college, some classes like History of Styles or Color Theory were fun. Some like AutoCAD were harder, and it was also the very beginning of CAD drafting and we only had a very superficial teaching of the program. Most of if, I had to learn it myself! But now there are so many resources online. I went to college over 25 years ago, and we were taught to draft by hand and do perspective drawings by hand, which I assume is not taught anymore. There will be classes you will hate, some you love. I hope your professors are all active professionals, or at least have a long experience of working as professionals, because they can teach you so many aspects of interior design that you will find in not a single textbook.
Like for many jobs, exploring the different aspects of it via internships or freelance work will help you figure out what you like and do not like, and where you want to go once you graduate.
I had an intern who did not like interacting with people: she was not meant to be an interior designer in the true sense, since you have to interact with tons of people, from clients, to store assistants to contractors etc. You also need a good dose of diplomacy and psychology to navigate what the clients want but don't express, figure out how you can address the obvious disagreements between spouses (quite common ;-)). I remember telling her she would probably be better off doing only drafting, or working in fabric design, tile design, on the manufacturing side of interior design where people interaction may be limited to a small team.
Try to get as much hands-on experience as you can through internships or even volunteering. Remember that even a bad experience will help you figure out what you want to be. Maybe the tasks where interesting, but your supervisor created a toxic environment. Maybe the tasks were mundane and boring, but the team was so much fun you actually looked forward going to work everyday. Take notes, even a journal, of what you are going through. Remember that in the heat of a situation, your understanding of it may be skewed. Try to take some distance and analyze what the real pros and cons where during that work experience.
To be an interior designer in the true sense, either you are a commercial or residential designer, requires to be an excellent project manager, a good judge of character, a patient, confident and knowledgeable professional: this comes with experience. You may be incredible organized, and therefore work more as a project management, ensuring that a large project in your firm goes smoothly. You may be really good on site with contractors, addressing issues, making you a great worksite supervisor. You may just love the "always-in-the-office" requirements of drafting.
In summary, the great thing with interior design is that there are many careers and industry settings that will require your skills. You will need to find out what you are made of, as you take classes and go through internships:
- What you are good at and not so good at;
- The tasks you like and do not like;
- Do you prefer to have a predictable day, or are you happy with unexpected tasks thrown at you all the time?
- Do you prefer to stay in the office and have your little routine, or do you like going out, visiting showrooms and stores, sometimes freeze your feet on a non-heated work site, and have lunch when/if you can?
- Are you able to carry heavy samples (tiles, carpets)? Sometimes a workday is such that you won't need to hit the gym to get your workout.
- Write down why you decided to study interior design? You met a designer who was awesome and inspired you? You simply cannot visit a store without figuring out how the lighting is done, or how they created the stunning front desk?
- Are you interested in R&D (Research and Development) and want to contribute to design better products?
Once you figure out the kind of interior designer you want to be, either you work at an interior/architecture firm or at a manufacturer, you will grow, get more responsibilities, become a partner etc. You may at some point decide to start your own firm, either on your own or with “associate” friends you met during your education/career. There are so many ways to have a fulfilling career in interior design, as long as you stay ahead of AI and how it will change how interior designers work. And most of it, keep a positive, open and productive view on your budding career. Good luck!
Céline Riard
Interior designer
11
Answers
Framingham, Massachusetts
Updated
Céline’s Answer
Hi Jordyn! Like for many jobs, exploring the different aspects of it via internships or freelance work will help you figure out what you like and do not like, and where you want to go once you graduate.
I had an intern who did not like interacting with people: she was not meant to be an interior designer in the true sense, since you have to interact with tons of people, from clients, to store assistants to contractors etc. You also need a good dose of diplomacy and psychology to navigate what the clients want but don't express, figure out how you can address the obvious disagreements between spouses (quite common ;-)). I remember telling her she would probably be better off doing only drafting, or working in fabric design, tile design, on the manufacturing side of interior design where people interaction may be limited to a small team.
Try to get as much hands-on experience as you can through internships or even volunteering. Remember that even a bad experience will help you figure out what you want to be. Maybe the tasks where interesting, but your supervisor created a toxic environment. Maybe the tasks were mundane and boring, but the team was so much fun you actually looked forward going to work everyday. Take notes, even a journal, of what you are going through. Remember that in the heat of a situation, your understanding of it may be skewed. Try to take some distance and analyze what the real pros and cons where during that work experience.
To be an interior designer in the true sense, either you are a commercial or residential designer, requires to be an excellent project manager, a good judge of character, a patient, confident and knowledgeable professional: this comes with experience. You may be incredible organized, and therefore work more as a project management, ensuring that a large project in your firm goes smoothly. You may be really good on site with contractors, addressing issues, making you a great worksite supervisor. You may just love the "always-in-the-office" requirements of drafting.
In summary, the great thing with interior design is that there are many careers and industry settings that will require your skills. You will need to find out what you are made of, as you take classes and go through internships:
- What you are good at and not so good at;
- The tasks you like and do not like;
- Do you prefer to have a predictable day, or are you happy with unexpected tasks thrown at you all the time?
- Do you prefer to stay in the office and have your little routine, or do you like going out, visiting showrooms and stores, sometimes freeze your feet on a non-heated work site, and have lunch when/if you can?
- Are you able to carry heavy samples (tiles, carpets)? Sometimes a workday is such that you won't need to hit the gym to get your workout.
- Write down why you decided to study interior design? You met a designer who was awesome and inspired you? You simply cannot visit a store without figuring out how the lighting is done, or how they created the stunning front desk?
- Are you interested in R&D (Research and Development) and want to contribute to design better products?
Once you figure out the kind of interior designer you want to be, either you work at an interior/architecture firm or at a manufacturer, you will grow, get more responsibilities, become a partner etc. You may at some point decide to start your own firm, either on your own or with “associate” friends you met during your education/career. There are so many ways to have a fulfilling career in interior design, as long as you stay ahead of AI and how it will change how interior designers work. And most of it, keep a positive, open and productive view on your budding career. Good luck!
I had an intern who did not like interacting with people: she was not meant to be an interior designer in the true sense, since you have to interact with tons of people, from clients, to store assistants to contractors etc. You also need a good dose of diplomacy and psychology to navigate what the clients want but don't express, figure out how you can address the obvious disagreements between spouses (quite common ;-)). I remember telling her she would probably be better off doing only drafting, or working in fabric design, tile design, on the manufacturing side of interior design where people interaction may be limited to a small team.
Try to get as much hands-on experience as you can through internships or even volunteering. Remember that even a bad experience will help you figure out what you want to be. Maybe the tasks where interesting, but your supervisor created a toxic environment. Maybe the tasks were mundane and boring, but the team was so much fun you actually looked forward going to work everyday. Take notes, even a journal, of what you are going through. Remember that in the heat of a situation, your understanding of it may be skewed. Try to take some distance and analyze what the real pros and cons where during that work experience.
To be an interior designer in the true sense, either you are a commercial or residential designer, requires to be an excellent project manager, a good judge of character, a patient, confident and knowledgeable professional: this comes with experience. You may be incredible organized, and therefore work more as a project management, ensuring that a large project in your firm goes smoothly. You may be really good on site with contractors, addressing issues, making you a great worksite supervisor. You may just love the "always-in-the-office" requirements of drafting.
In summary, the great thing with interior design is that there are many careers and industry settings that will require your skills. You will need to find out what you are made of, as you take classes and go through internships:
- What you are good at and not so good at;
- The tasks you like and do not like;
- Do you prefer to have a predictable day, or are you happy with unexpected tasks thrown at you all the time?
- Do you prefer to stay in the office and have your little routine, or do you like going out, visiting showrooms and stores, sometimes freeze your feet on a non-heated work site, and have lunch when/if you can?
- Are you able to carry heavy samples (tiles, carpets)? Sometimes a workday is such that you won't need to hit the gym to get your workout.
- Write down why you decided to study interior design? You met a designer who was awesome and inspired you? You simply cannot visit a store without figuring out how the lighting is done, or how they created the stunning front desk?
- Are you interested in R&D (Research and Development) and want to contribute to design better products?
Once you figure out the kind of interior designer you want to be, either you work at an interior/architecture firm or at a manufacturer, you will grow, get more responsibilities, become a partner etc. You may at some point decide to start your own firm, either on your own or with “associate” friends you met during your education/career. There are so many ways to have a fulfilling career in interior design, as long as you stay ahead of AI and how it will change how interior designers work. And most of it, keep a positive, open and productive view on your budding career. Good luck!
Thank you, Céline for the advice.
Jordyn
Robin Daurelle
Commercial Interior Design also taught college classes
9
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Robin’s Answer
There are a lot of career paths for Interiors from working at Design office or Architects or dealers, sales reps and product development. Over there is the typical Jr, Sr Designers and department head or owning your own firm or you may want to specialize in one type of design like Hospitality or Medical.
Thank you so much for the advice.
Jordyn