Interior designers plan, design, and furnish the internal space of rooms or buildings. Design interior environments or create physical layouts that are practical, aesthetic, and conducive to the intended purposes. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.

  • Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Coordinate with other professionals, such as contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, to ensure job success.
  • Inspect construction work on site to ensure its adherence to the design plans.
  • Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents.
  • Advise client on interior design factors such as space planning, layout and use of furnishings or equipment, and color coordination.
  • Confer with client to determine factors affecting planning interior environments, such as budget, architectural preferences, and purpose and function.
  • Estimate material requirements and costs, and present design to client for approval.
  • Review and detail shop drawings for construction plans.
  • Formulate environmental plan to be practical, esthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity or selling merchandise.
  • Design spaces to be environmentally friendly, using sustainable, recycled materials when feasible.
  • Research and explore the use of new materials, technologies, and products to incorporate into designs.
  • Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.
  • Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art works, and accessories.
  • Subcontract fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, art work, furniture, and related items.
  • Plan and design interior environments for boats, planes, buses, trains, and other enclosed spaces.
Work Context
  • Electronic Mail — 100% responded "Every day".
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 90% responded "Every day".
  • Telephone — 85% responded "Every day".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 91% responded "Every day".
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 62% responded "Extremely important".
  • Contact With Others — 53% responded "Contact with others most of the time".
  • Time Pressure — 48% responded "Once a week or more but not every day".
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Work Activities
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment — Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Estimate costs for projects or productions.
  • Present work to clients for approval.
  • Confer with clients to determine needs.
  • Select materials or props.
  • Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
  • Coordinate construction or installation activities.
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Knowledge

Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Skills

Reading Comprehension
  • Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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Abilities

Originality
  • The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension
  • The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Computer aided design CAD software
  • 20-20 Technologies 20-20 Design Hot Technology
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD Hot Technology
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro Hot Technology
  • Graphisoft ArchiCAD Hot Technology
  • McNeel Rhino software Hot Technology
  • AutoDesSys form Z Hot Technology
  • Autodesk VIZ Hot Technology
  • Autodesk Revit Architecture Hot Technology
  • Vectorworks Designer Hot Technology
  • Autodesk Architectural Desktop Hot Technology
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Hot Technology
  • Autodesk Revit Hot Technology
Electronic mail software
  • IBM Notes Hot Technology
  • Email software
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
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