An Introduction to Interior Design
The discipline of interior design is a multifaceted area of study, designed to equip aspiring designers with the skills needed to embark on a fruitful career in this creative industry. It has seen growing popularity amongst students worldwide and has evolved with the times into a dynamic discipline of creative thought and technology.
Students embarking on a bachelor’s degree in interior design can expect to explore a tremendous variety of components within the field. The focus of some modules may differ but you will certainly enrich your appreciation for spatial awareness, lines, and forms, light, colour, texture, and shape.
A bachelor’s degree in interior design will give you the skills you need to complete the process from planning initial design and branding, to project management, through to execution of enriching the lives of others.
If you have a creative, imaginative and artistic mind, and you want to deploy your skills to the creation of beautiful, thought-provoking and sustainable interior spaces; Interior Design is for you.
Career prospects
As with many degree subjects, interior design can take you down an array of different career avenues. As an interior designer, you can expect to work on a number of projects ranging from commercial and residential settings, hotels, schools, and exhibitions spaces.
Interior design graduates will find their degree useful in a variety of roles within the creative and design industry. Of direct relevance to the degree, careers include interior and spatial designers and exhibition designers. There remains scope to explore careers in curating, architecture, graphics, and textile designing and styling. Perhaps you’d like to dip your toe in a bit of each,
To improve your employability as a student of interior design, there is plenty of opportunities to actively engage in the professional world. Whether this is through internships and placements, or entering into student competitions with the chance to win money or to gain recognition from industry leading professionals.
Ultimately, this degree will enable you to recreate the space between the people and the place, which plays a fundamental role in shaping daily lives and enhancing wellbeing- not to mention that of future generations. It is an important profession, requiring the best start possible. So, where to start?
1) Anglia Ruskin University
Interior Design BA (Hons)
Full-time undergraduate 3 years
Based on their Cambridge campus, Anglia Ruskin University offers a well-accredited bachelors degree in Interior Design. Starting your design journey here will allow you to become a member of the British Interior Institute of Design, the Society for British International Design, and Interior Educators. Your membership in these establishments will give you access to different exhibitions, competitions, and resources.
Amongst these membership perks, is the opportunity to find yourself a student mentor who will support you and work closely alongside you and your work. These opportunities make Anglia Ruskin’s Interior design degree very attractive. Active participation in the industry can set you aside from other graduates in the future.
During your degree at Anglia Ruskin, you will have the opportunity to take part in live projects, allowing you to showcase your work and network with other design students and industry professionals. Gain additional exposure by making use of Anglia Ruskin’s Design Blog- followed by many professionals and students.
2) Birmingham City University
Interior Architecture and Design BA (Hons)
Full-time undergraduate 3 years
Another recognized university of the Society for British International Design, Birmingham City University teaches how to transform interior spaces in this industry-aligned degree course. Here, you will have the opportunity to study and practice the adaptation and reuse of space, while also addressing aesthetics, human needs, and materiality.
A degree in Interior Architecture and Design is included in this list because of its binary nature. The inclusion of internal architectural space allows for the consideration of redesign and reuse of a buildings shell. This may be of particular interest to those who want to go beyond interior and spatial design.
Work with the University’s industry connections, including London based design consultants (which otherwise are difficult to collaborate with as a student) whose portfolios include Ford, Jaguar, and BT. These exciting opportunities don’t come up all that often, so when they do, grab them with both hands and get networking.
This course takes on a multidisciplinary approach to draw on many other fields of research to inform itself. You will find references to and collaborations with disciplines such as the arts, film, literature, photography, fashion, and history. These collaborations will enable you to explore different strategies to face an interior architecture/design project, based on transferable skills from different disciplines.
3) University of the Arts London: Camberwell College of Arts
Interior and Spatial Design BA (Hons)
Full-time undergraduate 3 years
Regarded as one of the UK’s foremost art and design institutions, ual’s Camberwell College of Arts offers a degree in Interior and Spatial Design, covering a range of disciplines including architecture, art, furniture, interior, and spatial practices.
One of the many niceties of studying this degree here at ual, is that it gives you the opportunity and space to develop your own approach to the subject. Underpinned by theory and research you will investigate and test spatial possibilities. In doing so, you will begin (sooner than others) to find and adapt your own methods and techniques of which you will carry with you into the future.
You can expect to participate in a number of live and theoretical projects that explore multidisciplinary ideas. Such include contextual, social, political, economic and sustainable design debates. Through this multidisciplinary analysis, you will be prepared to recognize the significance of all elements of life on your profession. Whilst this is an imperative skill which enriches our understanding of most things, the University of the Arts London encourages it and projects its importance onto this degree. This may just set it apart from the others.
Enrollment on this course will give you direct access to Camberwells shared workshops and participate in the course blog. Naturally, the significance of the institution makes this a prime chance to make influential connections and gain exposure for your work.
4) University of Edinburgh: College of Art
Interior Design BA (Hons)
Full-time 4 years
With a slightly longer duration of study, the University of Edinburgh found its place on this list with its focus on its studio space, the ‘interior laboratory’. Within this space, you will explore and share ideas, and replicate elements of design environments. This practical space provides everything an aspiring designer needs to channel their creativity.
Take full advantage of the fact that this university is accredited by the Society for British and International Design. Its recognition makes the institution an attractive alma mater to employees who trust the judgment of ECIA and SBID.
Mandatory participation in a public exhibition of work as part of the Degree Show will set you up with the practical experience and problem-solving skills you will take with you to the workplace. For those wish to go beyond what’s expected of you, there are ample voluntary opportunities to reinforce your skills and portfolio of work.
5) Glasgow School of Art
Interior Design BA (Hons)
Full-time 4 years
Established in 1451, the University of Glasgow is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK universities who share close ties with its accredited institution of the Glasgow School of Art. Combined with the fact only 30 students are admitted onto this course each year- competition can be tough. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Its vibrant studio community encompasses a lived in space through which to develop the nature, quality, and potential of interior space through creative minds.
Make use of the department’s website, where the works of staff members are regularly published. Gaining mass attention from industry experts, any contributions to this site could endorse your skills in the future.
Accredited by the University of Glasgow, who in turn is accredited by the Society for British and International Design, the Glasgow School of Art has grown and nurtured its external relations with industry specialists. Highly-regarded work experience is well within reach and placements are readily available for those who are keen get their foot in the door and explore different roles.
6) Arts University Bournemouth
Interior Architecture and Design BA (Hons)
Full-time 3 years
This course here at AUB is recognized by the ECIA as one of the leading courses in the UK and Europe. This is no surprise given its excellence in promoting individuality and character in its students. One of the most notable contributions of this course at AUB is that it doesn’t attempt to define the interior for you. Rather, here, you will be encouraged to theorize, conceptualize and visualize your own perceptions of the interior.
This is one for the independent and critical thinker. Don’t be told- to go find out.
Students of interior design at AUB have achieved great things and won prestigious high profile awards. As a student of design here, you’ll have the opportunity to throw yourself into international design competitions. Once graduated and you’ve established yourself as a successful interior designer, you may just find yourself up for an International Design Excellence Award.
Along with many other work experience opportunities and chances to get involved with external bodies in the design industry, UAB has all the connections, strengthened by its high profile in the design education industry.
So, there you have it. The choice is yours and frankly, there isn’t a bad one.
