Synopses & Reviews
Todays interior designer works in a complicated world challenged by a variety of issues ranging from legal responsibilities and building and safety codes to projects that require an ever-increasing amount of skills and training. "Interior designer" is not just a fancy name for "decorator."
If you have a vision for creating the interior spaces of residential or commercial buildings, Becoming an Interior Designer is the first step to making a successful living in a career youre passionate about. More than a "how-to" book for finding a job, this helpful guide is a road map to the early stages of forming a lifelong career and finding your special niche in this burgeoning field.
Packed with useful material for anyone beginning a career in interior design, as well as professional interior designers seeking to practice in a new specialty, Becoming an Interior Designer features:
- Information about licensing and certification
- Professional tips on portfolio preparation
- Discussion on work environments from home office to large firms
- Advice for finding clients and boosting revenue
- Helpful advice for managing a successful career
- Photos of work done by professional interior designers from all major design specialties
Becoming an Interior Designer has everything you need to navigate the interior design field, covering all aspects of getting into the industryfrom pursuing the right educational training to landing your first job. Successful designers provide real-world advice on creating a portfolio, preparing a resume, and interviewing for your dream job. Interviews with these designers also offer valuable insights into a variety of specialtiessuch as designing for hotels, corporate offices, retail facilities, residential structures, and many more.
Let Becoming an Interior Designer be the launch pad for a long and successful career in interior design.
Synopsis
Here is the completely updated guide to today's interior design careersa clear and concise survey of the interior design field covering:
History of the profession
Educational preparation
Interviews with designers
Certification and licensing
The design process
Where the jobs are
Owning your own firm
Design specialties
Residential
Commercial
Sustainable design
Corporate
Hospitality
Retail
Healthcare
Institutional
Entertainment
Restoration and adaptive use
"Becoming an Interior Designer is the go-to book for an inside look at the profession of interior design today. The advice from a broad range of practitioners and educators about the professional requirements and business of interior design make it an invaluable tool for those contemplating an interior design career. The added bonus is Christine's ability to draw out from her interviewees the common passion for improving quality of life, which is a rarely referenced quality of a successful interior designer."
Suzan Globus, FASID, LEED AP,
2007 ASID National President
Synopsis
Here is the completely updated guide to todays interior design careersa clear and concise survey of the interior design field. Filled with interviews and advice from leading interior designers, it covers all the major design specialties, educational training, portfolio preparation, getting a job, and much more.
Includes:
History of the profession
Educational preparation
Interviews with designers
Certification and licensing
The design process
Where the jobs are
Owning your own firm
Design specialties
- Residential
- Commercial
- Corporate
- Hospitality
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Institutional
- Entertainment
- Restoration and adaptive use
Synopsis
Interior design encompasses the design of residential and commercial spaces. It is a profession that has changed dramatically in the last 40 years, shifting from decoration to a mastery of technical information.
Synopsis
The profession of interior design has received a lot of media attention in recent years, whether it's on the many "home makeover" shows or in the movies. The reality is, interior design in the twenty-first century is much more than selecting colors and arranging furniture. Today's interior designer is a multifaceted professional, with expertise in building and safety codes, project management, designing for seniors, sustainable design, and other important areas that require increased skill and training.
If you have a vision for creating the interior spaces of residential or commercial buildings, Becoming an Interior Designer is the first step to a successful career. More than a how-to book for finding a job, this helpful guide is a road map to the early stages of forming a lifelong career and finding your special niche in this burgeoning field.
This Second Edition of Becoming an Interior Designer will prepare you for entering and succeeding in the interior design field. It covers all aspects of getting into the industry, including updated information on the following:
Licensing and certification
The newest educational requirements, with a helpful list of accredited interior design programs in the United States and Canada
Professional tips on portfolio preparation
Discussion of work environmentsfrom home office to large firms
Advice for finding clients and boosting revenue
Helpful guidance on managing a successful career
Photos of projects by professional interior designers from all major design specialties
The author interviewed nearly 100 professionals in the field who share their personal insights to help you discover what the interior design profession is really like.
With everything you need to start your journey, Becoming an Interior Designer, Second Edition will be your launch pad for a long and successful career in interior design.
Synopsis
The essential guide for anyone entering or considering the field of interior design
This highly visual career resource is ideal for anyone who is thinking about, or embarking upon, a career in interior design. It provides an overview of the profession and offers in-depth material on educational requirements, design specialties, finding a job, and the many directions a career in interior design can take.
A concise, practical guide, this richly illustrated book features informative interviews with designers working in a variety of specialty areas, including samples of their work and expert tips for getting hired.
About the Author
CHRISTINE PIOTROWSKI, ASID, IIDA, is the owner of Christine M. Piotrowski and Associates in Phoenix, Arizona, which provides consulting to interior designers on planning and operational matters. She is a former professor of interior design at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and past president of the Arizona North chapter of ASID. She has more than twenty years of commercial and residential design experience and is the author of several books on interior design, including the bestselling text, Professional Practice for Interior Designers, now in its third edition.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Chapter One: An Introduction to the Interior Design Profession.
History.
Professional Associations.
Interior Design Registration and Licensing.
“How Important Is Certification by Examination and Licensing of Interior Designers Today?”
“How Important Is Interior Design Education in Today’s Industry?”
“Why Did You Become an Interior Designer?”
Chapter Two: The Design Process.
Project Development.
Programming.
Schematic Design.
Design Development.
Contract Documents.
Contract Administration.
Project Management.
Working Relationships.
“What Is the Single Most Important Skill an Interior Designer Needs to Be Successful?”
Chapter Three: Design Specialties.
Residential Design.
Commercial.
Corporate and Professional Offices,
Hospitality,
“What Do You Look for in Hiring a New Designer?”
Retail Facilities.
Healthcare.
Institutional.
Entertainment.
Restoration and Adaptive Reuse.
“Can You Describe the Optimum Portfolio for a Job Applicant?”
Related Career Options.
Endnotes.
“What Do You Look for in Hiring a New Designer?”
“What Advice Would You Give Someone Who Wants to Be an Interior Designer?”
Chapter Four: Where the Jobs Are.
Career Decisions.
Independent Design Firms.
Architectural Offices.
Furniture Retailers.
Office Furnishings Dealers.
“Can You Describe the Optimum Portfolio for a Job Applicant?”
Facility Planning and Design.
Sole Practitioner.
“What Motivated You to Start Your Own Design Firm?”
“What Do You Enjoy Most About Working in the Firm You Are in Right Now?”
Chapter Five: Interior Design as a Business.
“What Motivated You to Start Your Own Design Firm?”
Marketing Methods.
Contracts.
Interior Design Revenue.
Legal Issues.
“How Important Is Certification by Examination and Licensing of Interior Designers Today?”
“What Is the Greatest Business Challenge for Interior Design Firms?”
Chapter Six: Educational Preparation.
Four-Year Educational Preparation.
Two-Year Associate Degree.
Choosing an Educational Program.
The Importance of Internships.
Continuing Education.
NCIDQ Examination.
“How Important Is Interior Design Education in Today’s Industry?”
Chapter Seven: The Future.
“What Do You See as the Future for the Interior Design Profession?”
Appendix.
Resources.
Selected Interior Design References.
Interior Designers.
Index.