The details of our man-made world - where we live, work, and play - greatly influence our moods, our comfort, and even our productivity. By manipulating both the aesthetic and physical nature of a space, the interior designer brings an environment into harmony with its purpose, simultaneously bringing us into harmony with ours.

Careers in Interior Design

Our Interior Design graduates work at local studios, corporations, institutions, and regional, multinational, and architectural firms. They become:

• interior designers
• project managers
• manufacturer representatives
• furnishings buyers
• college instructors
• marketing consultants
• health care designers
• retail designers
• hospitality designers
• restaurant designers
• design consultants
• design managers
• office designers
• residential designers
• set designers
• contract designers
• flooring designers
• spatial planners
• showroom managers
• educators
• retail designers
• kitchen designers
• lighting designers

Employment Links

Visit Kendall’s Job Bulletin for internships, jobs, competitions, freelance work, and more.

The following links provide employment information specifically for Interior Designers.

• International Interior Design Association – IIDA
• Coroflot – When it comes to creative hiring, Coroflot’s laser-like focus incinerates all other job sites!
• InteriorDesignJobs.com – A career resource for the design industry p.

What is an Interior Designer?

Interior Designers plan the space and furnish the interiors of private homes, public buildings, business and institutional facilities, such as offices, restaurants, retail establishments, hospitals, hotels and theaters. They also plan the interiors when existing structures are renovated or expanded. Most interior designers specialize. For example some may concentrate on residential design, and others may further specialize by focusing on particular rooms, such as kitchens or baths. Other focuses for interior designer can be textile design, lighting design, Feng Shui and Zenls.

With a client’s tastes, needs, and budget in mind, interior designers prepare drawings and specifications for non-load bearing interior construction, furnishings, lighting, and finishes. Increasingly, designers use computers to plan layouts, which can easily be changed to include ideas received from the client.

Interior designers also design lighting and architectural details â?? such as crown molding, built-in bookshelves, or cabinets-coordinate colors and select furniture, floor coverings, and window treatments. Interior Designers must design space to conform to Federal, State, and local laws, including building codes. Designs for public areas also must meet accessibility standards for the disabled and elderly.

Where do Interior Designers work?

Interior Designers may work in an architectural firm, interior design firms or lighting, furniture and floor covering retail stores. They also work in contract furniture dealerships, design furniture floor exhibitions, and retail design for grocery, department stores and restaurants. Interior designers also become involved marketing and sales such as textile sales to office and home furnishings. Some designers open a small firm for their own residential design business or share sample rooms with other interior designers.

Certification

26 States now require Interior Designers to have NCIDQ certification to practice and call themselves as Interior Designers. In your career plan as an Interior Designer, continuing education, licensure or certifications will increase your marketability in the job market.

Completion of the NCIDQ Examination recognizes that an individual has met minimum competency standards for the practice of interior design. NCIDQ’s role includes the establishment of standards for education and experience and the administration of a minimum competency examination.

Passage of the exam is a requirement for licensure in all NCIDQ member jurisdictions www.ncidq.org/who/members.asp, The exam also serves as a qualifier for professional membership within interior design organizations and, for non-affiliates, represents a voluntary individual accomplishment.

The IDEP program

The purpose of IDEP (Interior Design Experience Program) is to develop competency in interior design practice and prepare the graduate for the NCIDQ exam. The Interior Design Experience Program (IDEP) is a monitored, documented experience program administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) for entry-level interior designers.

The career path of a professional interior designer involves formal education, work experience and a qualifying examination. Work experience is required of candidates for the NCIDQ Examination. State licensing boards and provincial associations require proof of high-quality, diversified interior design experience for licensure and/or registration.

IDEP assists entry-level interior designers in obtaining a broad range of quality professional experience. The program provides a structure for the essential transition between formal education and professional practice, recognizing the differences between classroom and workplace. For more information on this program. www.ncidq.org/idep/idepintro.htm

Employment Outlook:

Employment of interior designers is expected to grow 19 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations. Economic expansion, growing homeowner wealth, and an increasing interest in interior design will increase demand for designers.. For

The rise of popular home design improvement TV shows, has increased the demand of design services. Outdoor living spaces, indoor spas and garden spaces, home theater and office spaces are opening new niches for interior designers.

The increase in the need for universal and sustainable design and the emergence of the importance of ergonomics and historic preservation specialties also offers new avenues and opportunities for interior designers

Salary Information:

Median annual earnings for wage and salary interior designers were $42,260 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,830 and $57,230. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,270, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $78,760.

Where Kendall graduates have been employed

• Steelcase
• Haworth
• Progressive A&E
• Integrated Architecture
• Custer Office Environments
• VIA Design
• Beta Design Group
• Ethan Allen Furniture Store
• Israels Designs for Living
• Milliken
• Kendall Lighting Center
• Kenneth Brown’s Re Design TV show
• Xhibitz
• Mid West Tile
• Interior Systems Inc.
• CornerStone Architects
• Human Scale
• URS
• Shoreline Architecture and Design
• Tangrum
• Tangram Interiors
• Spartan Stores

Excellent Web sites for further research:

• www.asid.org â?? American Society of Interior Designers
• www.coroflot.com & www.isdesignet.com â?? job listings
• www.ncidq.org â?? National Council for Interior Design Qualifications
• www.careersininteriordesign.com â?? Careers in Interior Design

Get Involved:

• The Kendall Green Council
• Student Chapter of ASID/IIDA
• West Michigan sustainable business forum