How to become an interior designer with zero foundation: Getting Started
My career plan is to become an interior designer in two years. I have been in the industry for five months now and work in a small decoration company near my home. The title of designer is printed on my business card. I actually work as an assistant and am generally responsible for Measured the room on site, drew CAD floor plan, contacted for quotation, and got familiar with the construction site.
I am a half-way monk with a non-professional background. I decided to become an interior designer on the spur of the moment. At first, I was only attracted by the title "designer" and thought it was a decent-sounding job, so I was hesitant between graphic design and interior design. Because I had studied CAD drawing in college, I was determined. chose interior design. However, since I entered the industry, I have realized that the job of an interior designer has nothing to do with dignity.
What is recorded below is my experience in the five months since I entered the industry. It is a self-feedback process. These contents may be of some help to people who also want to become interior designers, but if you have no interest in this or have already made this a career, then the following contents are not worth mentioning.
1. How to become an interior designer with zero foundation?
If you ask online, there are generally two suggestions for people with non-professional backgrounds. One is to choose a formal vocational school to study before finding a job, and the other is to directly find a small decoration company for an internship (do not go there For large decoration companies, interns are usually reduced to sales).
I chose the latter for two reasons: 1. The quality of vocational training schools varies. If you choose the wrong one, you will spend money in vain and learn nothing. 2. My situation is that I quit my job after working for one and a half years and changed careers. I only set a two-year deadline for myself. If I can’t become an independent designer in two years, I may give up, so time is very important to me. It's precious, I don't want to waste time in school.
There are experienced designers in decoration companies that you can ask for advice, but this does not mean that there will be designers who will specially lead interns. The most important thing is to learn by yourself. The most advantageous thing about a decoration company is that it has projects to follow and can quickly combine knowledge with practice.
2. What professional knowledge do interior designers need to master?
This is what I searched from the Internet before, and it can be simply summarized into the following seven categories:
1. Interior design theory
2. Interior decoration materials
3. Indoor construction technology
4. Indoor budget quotation
5. Indoor color matching
6. Ergonomics
p>7. Interior design drawing
I have been collecting information according to these seven categories, studying them separately, and finally integrated them in practice.
3. How to learn interior design expertise by yourself?
My method is a thousand words, only six words in one sentence: read books, ask people on the Internet. Now I will tell you in detail which books to read, which websites to use, and how to ask people. It’s all practical information.
(1) Reading
1. "Interior Design Drawing Lecture"
This book was written by a Taiwanese designer who has been in the industry for many years. I bought this book to learn CAD drawing again. This book provides detailed specifications for CAD drawing related to interior design. It is unmatched by general drawing books. Moreover, before teaching drawing, it also spends a lot of time introducing how designers measure rooms and how to measure rooms. How to accumulate experience and introduce knowledge about Feng Shui. It is suitable for people who have no knowledge of interior design. But it is weak in CAD operations and is not a professional book on operations.
2. "Residential Design Anatomy Book"
This is one of a series of books, written by a Japanese, which focuses on introducing the house layout and size issues commonly encountered when building a home. Some people think this book is for architects, but after reading it, I feel that some aspects are also applicable to interior design. For example, the book often mentions the appropriate position and size of furniture placement. Designers who are new to the industry should read more about these. Issues involving ergonomics will be helpful for drawing floor plans in the future.
3. "Soft Decoration Design Tutorial"
This book is published by Jiangsu Science and Technology Press and written by domestic interior designers. The original book is not cheap. I bought it on Taobao. Eight cents PDF version.
Soft decoration design has a great relationship with the designer's taste and quality. It cannot be cultivated by reading a few books. The advantage of this book is that it introduces the styles and genres of soft decoration design with pictures and texts, and it is detailed. It expresses the specific application of soft decoration design in home cases. It is a popular introductory book. New designers will have an overall concept of soft decoration design after reading this book.
Among the books I have read so far, these three are relatively systematic and keep pace with the times. I can recommend reading them. The rest I've seen are just bits and pieces put together, so I won't mention them.
(2) Internet access
1. Learning website
(1) I want to self-study website: There is a full set of courses specifically for interior designers, including CAD Drawing, 3D drawing and rendering, construction technology, interior design hand drawing, etc. The first half of the tutorials on this website can be viewed for free, the middle part can only be viewed by registering, and the second half requires a fee, but the fee is very cheap. I recharged 30 yuan and haven't used it up yet.
(2) Mars self-study class: This should be counted as a tutorial book. There is a book about 3D rendering, which comes with a CD and the explanation is very good. It is too low cost to buy books for this kind of courses. You can go directly to Taobao. A video tutorial for a few cents will do.
(3) Various decoration websites, such as Tubatu: Such websites usually have owner forums, where people who want to decorate their homes can ask questions about the actual problems they encounter. Some decoration companies have designed Teachers will give answers, and beginners can learn a lot of professional knowledge from them. There are also some decoration websites, such as Dreamer and Designer. Their homepages will display many designers’ works and list various styles. You can take a look at them more often so that you can learn from them in the future.
(4) Taobao: The all-purpose Taobao sells everything, so if you are not sure about the size or price of certain furniture, it is very convenient to check it out on Taobao.
2. Communication websites
Many mature designers will promote themselves on online platforms, express their own design opinions or display their works. You can pay more attention to them when you are online. You don’t need to follow everyone you see. Personally, I think it’s better to choose the websites you usually visit and follow a few that suit your taste. I recommend three columns on Zhihu: Be intentional, live well, and decorate for everyone.
3. Material-based websites
Generally, the materials used in interior design are used in the production of 3D renderings. Here are three websites I commonly use: 3D Man, Tuozhe Design, 3D yoyo.
(3) Asking people
Asking people is a science. The general principle is not to be ashamed to ask, but don’t ask about trivial matters. For example, if you can’t figure something out during design, you should first do it yourself. Look it up online. If you really can't solve it, then ask others. This will make a deeper impression on you. If you meet an unreasonable person and act indifferent, don't take it personally. People with normal IQ and EQ can basically do it well.