Interior Designers are instrumental in creating functional, safe and attractive interior spaces in residential, commercial and industrial settings. Interior Designers have traditionally focused on working with color, texture, light, space, furniture and decorative objects. However, many modern designers are increasingly involved in architectural aspects of design such as crown molding, built-in furniture design, and planning locations of windows, escalators, stairways and walkways in commercial and industrial spaces.

Interior Designers should be highly creative people, with an excellent understanding of how different design elements combine to create the overall look and feel of spaces. They must also have good written and verbal communication skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills, as they will typically be working closely with their clients in the design process.

Interior Designers should also have good organizational skills, be able to work well in a team, and be able to work to deadlines even when under pressure. Modern Interior Designers, particularly those who design large spaces such as hotels, corporate and other working environments, should be comfortable working with computers, as a large portion of their designs will be created using computer-aided design tools.

Interior Design careers are highly competitive, and people without formal training and education will find their job opportunities are limited. Anyone interested in an Interior Design career should plan to obtain an Associate’s degree in Interior Design at the very least, with a Bachelor’s degree the preferred qualification.

Landscape Architects will require at least a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture, and will additionally need a Master’s degree if they wish to specialize in a particular area of the field. Commercial and Industrial Designers will require a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Architecture, or Engineering.

Following the completion of a degree program, new designers will enter an apprenticeship or training program of up to three years, working under supervision of an experienced designer, before taking a licensing exam. Licensing or membership in a professional association is not required in all states, but new designers will find this a good way of helping to establish a professional reputation and enhancing their career opportunities.

Landscape Architects and Commercial and Industrial Designers typically earn between $30,000 and $90,000. Both of these careers are expected to see average to faster-than-average growth through to 2014, according to the US Department of Labor.

Careers in Interior Design can vary quite widely in terms of salary, due to the diverse array of specialties that a designer can focus on. Corporate and Hotel designers, for example, can typically expect to earn more than a Residential designer working for a small company. The average Interior Designer earns around $45,000 per year, with salaries typically ranging from $30,000 to more than $100,000 depending on the designer’s level of experience and the nature of the specific industry in which they work. Experienced designers with excellent reputations can potentially earn several hundred thousand dollars per year.

While these careers are expected to see average or slightly above-average growth over the next seven years, Interior Design careers tend to be highly competitive, and the best opportunities for entry and promotion within these fields will be gained by those with extensive qualifications and experience.

Residential Interior Designers work with clients to create home interiors that meet with their precise requirements and at the same time must also create interiors that are aesthetically pleasing and functional.

In creating the design for a home, a Residential Interior Designers first meets with their client to discuss their needs and tastes, and then spends some time sourcing materials and creating designs that meet the client’s needs in terms of design and budget. They may also work with contractors to supervise the installation of materials and furnishings, and to ensure that the designs they create are safe as well as functional.

Residential Interior Designers must be both creative and practical, with a flair not only for design, but also for organization and supervising the projects they work on. They should have good interpersonal and communication skills, and be able to work well under pressure to meet project deadlines.

Commercial and Industrial Designers are involved in designing the interior spaces of commercial buildings such as showrooms, retail stores, factories and warehouses. They design spaces that are on a very much larger scale than, for example, Residential Interior Designers, and have a number of additional factors to consider when designing such spaces.

When creating interiors for commercial and industrial purposes, the designer does not only consider aesthetic aspects of the design, but must also pay very close attention to practicality, safety and security as well. This means that in addition to knowledge of design aspects of the projects they work on, they must also be knowledgeable about building codes and safety regulations that are applicable. They will often have a supervisory role when working with electricians, plumbers and other contractors who are involved in developing such systems within the work space and building.

Commercial and Industrial Designers should be creative people with extensive knowledge of the special requirements of commercial spaces. They often work on very large and extensive projects, and should have excellent organizational and time-management skills, and be able to cope with managing multiple aspects of a large-scale project simultaneously. Good written and verbal communication skills, as well as problem-solving and analytical skills are also important for this career.

Corporate Interior Designers focus on the particular needs of large working environments and office spaces. They are particularly concerned with design elements such as functionality and practicality, safety and security, and the need to implement ergonomic designs and furnishings to create a comfortable and practical work environment. They will typically work with and supervise a variety of different contractors such as electricians, plumbers and HVAC specialists to ensure their designs meet the needs of employees as well as building codes.

Corporate Interior Designers should be highly creative and knowledgeable about the particular requirements of corporate offices and work spaces. Corporate design projects are often very large and may take several months or even years to complete. Corporate Interior Designers should be comfortable supervising projects of such extensive scope, and have excellent time-management, organization, analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to communicate ideas both verbally and on paper.

Exhibit Designers may work in libraries, museums and art galleries, designing exhibit layouts, or for large public exhibitions such as trade shows and similar events. Their main role is to develop the look and feel of both temporary and permanent exhibits according to the specifications of their clients or for the company they work for.

The Exhibit Designer works closely with their clients, who typically have specific requirements in terms of the types of items and materials to be used in the exhibit. They may also be involved in sourcing materials for exhibits, creating lighting designs and other aspects of the project in addition to designing the overall look of the piece. In smaller companies and often in museums and libraries, the Exhibition Designer is often also involved in construction of exhibit components, and with assembling and installing the exhibits they design.

Exhibit Designers should have a definite creative flair for creating eye-catching exhibits that serve the needs of their clients. They should have good communication and interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and be able to work well both alone and in a team.

Hotel Interior Designers typically work on projects of sizable scale, and their projects have a special focus on creating spaces that are attractive, comfortable, and appealing to guests, as well as practical for hotel staff to work in.

For Hotel Interior Designers, one of the most important aspects of the design process is determining what type of ambiance their clients want for the hotel. In this field in particular, the focus is on establishing the hotel’s target market, or the type of people that will stay there, and then designing interiors that will appeal to those particular people.

Hotel Interior Designers should be comfortable working on very large-scale projects that may be ongoing for up to a year or longer, without losing sight of the end goals of the project. They should be able to think both in the long and short term, and have good time-management and prioritization skills, as well as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Restaurant Interior Designers must juggle several important design considerations. Not only must they create interiors that are attractive and pleasing to diners, they must also ensure they design spaces that are practical, efficient and safe for all staff to work in.

As with other specialties such as Hotel Interior Design, Restaurant Interior Designers must work with customers in mind, and create designs that will appeal to the types of people who will frequent the restaurant. A Restaurant Interior Designer should also be familiar with other important considerations that are unique to this type of design work, such as optimizing the flow of foot traffic in the restaurant, so that staff can work efficiently.

Restaurant Interior Designers should have well-developed artistic and creative skills, as well as good organizational, analytical, and communication skills. They should be particularly adept at designing interiors that meet the needs of different types of both customers and staff.