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| Interior layout. (Image used under license from iStockPhoto) |
If you want to have the ability to create design concepts and professionally communicate your designs to clients, a higher national diploma (HND) course is the minimum qualification you must have.
With an HND in interior design, you can work on various non-complex residential projects and increase your chances of success in your career as a designer. You will have a good understanding of the elements that define interior spaces. And by the end of your 2 years (full-time) study, you will have professional skills as a designer and understand the fundamentals of plumbing, lighting, electricity, heating, and other services integrated within building structures.
Some of the vital requirements that go with the interior design profession are:
- Project management skills.
- Marketing skills.
Project management skills are vital requirements because, as a professional, you will be required to manage projects that involve a workforce that includes contractors, subcontractors, artisans, fitters, etc. Marketing and other business skills are also needed to complement your professional skills.
HND in Interior Design – 6 Major Topics Covered
- History of Design and Period Décor
- Construction & Structural Renovation
- Design Communication
- Design Materials & Furnishings
- Commercial Design
- Professional Interior Design Practice
History of Design and Period Décor
It is inevitable that throughout the career of an interior designer, there will be times when you may have a project where you have to recreate period interiors to various degrees of authenticity. You will learn about the main historical events and their influences on design developments and movements. Subjects covered in this class include:
Critical Analysis
How political and social circumstances in the past have influenced present-day styles.
Early Design Styles
Design styles from Egyptian and Gothic to Victorian, Georgian, Rococo, and other eras.
Turning Points in the History of Design
The turning points in history - the Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, Dark Ages and the Information Age. And how they may have impacted and influenced the way we live.
Global Design Styles
The development of regional variations in terms of Western and non-Western design styles.
Review of Design Styles Throughout History
Design styles from the Baroque to the Victorian ages and onwards will be covered in this topic.
Modernism
About modern design styles of the 21st century. And possible futuristic design developments.
Construction and Structural Renovation
This topic explores construction in detail as it relates to an interior architect. You must be able to communicate professionally with architects and contractors. Subjects covered in this class include:
Principles of Building Design
Building construction and understanding how things are done and why, from foundation to roof construction.
Interior Renovations
How to alter interiors and make minor structural changes to an existing structure while meeting legal and building requirements.
Planning Building Layouts
Working on commercial project layouts and how to plan the interior space and partitioning of such structures.
Staircases and Disabled Aspects of Design
Learn how to incorporate staircases into your interior design creations and develop access for the physically challenged.
Building Services
Plan electrical, plumbing, and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) layouts and how to do full specifications for all building services.
Lighting and Security
Learn how to design commercial lighting systems and the required security regulations that it demands.
Whole Building Design
To improve the quality of life of building occupants, you will learn how to plan your building interiors so that layouts, finishes, and systems work together efficiently and effectively.
Design Communications
This class is about specialist techniques and how to produce professional drawings, clear and detailed specifications, and contractual agreements. This ensures that projects are executed correctly without unnecessary delays and costly mistakes.
Drawings and illustrations cross all language barriers. They illustrate design concepts and ideas at the early stages of all projects. With this, and at this stage, you get the all-important feedback and the necessary approvals before the commencement of any construction work. Subjects to be covered include:
Advanced Drawing Techniques
Learn how to achieve clarity, precision, and accuracy in working drawings.
Detailed Drawings
Prepare detailed drawings to help communicate construction and installation methods.
Design Briefs and Specifications
Learn how to create specifications templates and prepare work schedules for contractors.
3-Dimensional Representations
Learn how to do axonometric, isometric, and perspective drawings and step-by-step instructions on how to do these manually and digitally with 3D software.
Rendering
Learn how to produce simple but visually stunning, impactful rendered drawings and sketches.
Design Materials and Furnishings
Interior architects and designers have a wide choice of materials for structural designs and how they can or should be used within a design concept. The design materials available range vastly and include materials such as stainless steel, granite, marble, glass blocks, mirrors, wood, and concrete. In this class, you are taught how to examine them and the advantages and disadvantages of their individual use. You will learn how these materials can be used creatively and effectively. Subjects covered in this class include:
Designing the Environment
How design choices affect our environment, and all about green living and sustainable design.
Consumer Response
What people choose and believe in, and the psychological associations attached to individual client choices.
Design Methods
Learn how design decisions are based on production, installations and general maintenance.
Performance versus Cost
How well, how long, and how suitable the choices of materials are in the long term.
Mass Production
How the scale of projects and the demand of consumers has an influence on modern design approaches.
Regulation and Standards
Legal standards and ethical standards, and how they should conform to the selections of materials made.
Commercial Interior Design
Helping clients choose styles relevant and appropriate to their corporate identity and business strategies. You will learn how to create/achieve themes that will excite and impact corporate staff and customers and help increase their business profits.
The many stages of commercial design are identified in this class, and you will be able to produce effective results for your clients without compromising on your own creativity. You will also learn about the latest in neuroscience and architectural fields and know how these can be incorporated to produce more beneficial designs. Subjects covered include:
Ergonomics and Universal Designs
You learn how to create great designs for individuals and the community at large.
Business and Design Psychology
Finding out what works, how, and why.
Designing for Industries
Learn about designing for industries and identifying the common design requirements of the various industrial sectors.
Establishing Goals
Your clients will have goals that you have to adapt to and work around.
Commercial Design Cycle
Learning how to create effective designs for medium and large-scale projects.
Teamwork
How do you work as a team member to achieve success in a design project? Learn how to identify your role and coordinate with fellow team members.
Effective Selling
Creating designs that sell you and your client’s products and/or services.
Professional Practice
As a professional interior designer, to successfully plan and organize your tasks and schedules, you require project management skills. With the HND interior design program, you will discover the various ways you can use your talents as an employer, employee, or freelance designer.
Additionally, you possess the ability to market yourself as a professional interior designer and go out to the world confidently pursuing your chosen career. Subjects covered include:
Define your Role
Identify the services you wish to provide and how to implement turn-key projects.
Project Management
Schedules, work orders and time management of projects. Learn how to use all the effective templates and techniques required for designers.
Budgeting
Learn how to prepare a workable budget and avoid/prevent unwanted cost hikes.
Project Monitoring
Oversee a successful design execution with progress reports and amendments.
Marketing
Learn to research simple ways to help you get the clients.
Contracts and Pricing
How to use legal documents and work with contract agreements to protect yourself and your clients.
Professional Responsibilities
A code of ethics must meet ethical and legal obligations.
Career Paths
You will learn about the various niches available to choose from.
Presentations
How to have a good portfolio that sells you and presents your works to a variety of audiences.
Building Contacts and Resources
This subject teaches you the basics of building up a good database of a core team of contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers.
(Article originally published at https://hubpages.com/@viryabo)
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