5 more things you need to be successful as an interior designer

Last week I took you through 5 things you need to be a GOOD Interior Designer.

As you can imagine, 5 skills are probably not enough for you to figure out if interior design is for you or not.

To recap quickly the 5 skills were:

• Have Design Flair

• Be a Good Listener

• Be able to Pick you Battles

• Thrive under Pressure

• Know you Worth

These are essential skills, so make sure you head over to "5 things you need to be a Good Interior Designer - PART 1" to read all about them.

For this second (and last), I am going to let you in on the more "business-y" skills you need to succeed as a designer.

The following points will help you understand what you need to know and the "behind the scenes" work you need to do. They are not things you need to have right now, but things you are willing to learn or develop.

1. #youneedto: Create/Develop your Brand Identity

No secret here, Interior design is all about visuals. To be successful, all aspects your design have to be on point. I am talking logo, website, fee proposals, your entire brand identity. You are a designer after all, so you should also have great taste in web design, graphic design etc..This will also help you define your brand, stand out and be remembered.

Let’s not forget that being in the digital age means people won’t find you in the yellow pages. They will check your facebook, instagram and website first. So make sure all your platforms are a beautiful representation of your brand and style.

EXAMPLE: Three birds renovations have build the most amazing business and their brand identity is unique, easily recognisable and in line with their interior design style.

2. #youneedto: Curate your Portfolio

As I said in Part 1, your portfolio is your resume. From experience, designers tend to put it at the bottom of the priority list. Let’s be honest, we kind of dread it. There are so many other things we NEED to do before sitting down and putting together a visually pleasing collection of our work.

As a client, would you be more interested in contacting the pretty website with up to date professional images or the one that shows its latest project as being 2 years ago? Exactly.

So now image the advantage you would have over the competition if your portfolio was beautifully presented and up to date...

It is your most important marketing tool. As they say: actions speak louder than words!

3. #youneedto: Have some Technical Knowledge

It’s not all pretty colours and cool textures. From a design point of view, you need to know a little bit about a lot. You don’t need to know how to install a sink but you need to understand basic plumbing so that you can choose the right sink.

You will always have the opportunity to talk with your contractors and ask questions but it is important that you have a general understanding of the different trades at the design stage. This will save you time, money, and a lot of trouble at construction stage. Also, we don’t want to add to the cliche “trades hates designers because they design stuff without understanding how it gets done”

More importantly, you need to know about relevant codes and regulations. Or at least know where to find these codes, which depend on your country or state. Making a mistake there could make you liable and responsible for any accident and cost to repair the mistake. For example, steps have a maximum height, balustrades and handrails have rules too. You need to know how to be compliant with your designs.

Your clients will really appreciate your expertise, which is great for your reputation. But also keep in mind that contractors who enjoyed working with you could put your name out for other jobs they are being approached for. WIN WIN

Want to see what services you can offer as an Interior Designer? CHECK MY SERVICES

4. #youneedto: Know and Use Relevant Software

Can’t draw? Don’t worry. You don’t need to be an expert sketcher to be a good interior designer. Sure, you need to understand a few spatial concepts like plan, elevations and perspective, but you drawings can be as bad as you want them to be as long as you can get your message across.

It is important that you choose a CAD (drafting) software that you feel comfortable using, and that you know will not be outdated in the next years.

I started working on a 2d software called Autocad. Every view had to be drawn separately. Then my company moved to Revit, a 3D software, and my life changed!

Not only drafting was made easier, but now I had 3D models to show client, and that made a world a difference. I was able to communicate better, clients were able to project themselves and understand the project better. I will never go back to 2D.

Identify which software you feel the most comfortable with and that you need for the services you want to provide. Don't be afraid to try out trial versions and take your time! It's quite daunting changing software once all your systems are set up.

Remember that your drawings are how the clients will understand what happened in your brain! They need to be good!

5. #youneedto: BE PASSIONATE!

To be a good interior designer, you need to absolutely love what you are doing!

There will be a lot of ups and downs, a lot of frustration, a lot of hours put in and (unless you make it into luxury design services) not many huge pay days. What will keep you going is your passion for interiors, getting to know people, and help them improve their life.

When I quit my job last year, I had gotten to a point where I didn’t enjoy it anymore and I didn’t know what to do with myself! After a month of not working I was desperate to design again, I was missing it so much! I realised it wasn’t the industry that wasn’t for me but just the design approach I was working under! I now know situations and approaches might change, but I will never stop designing!