Texas Association for Interior Design

           Watch:  The Interior Design Process

The professional interior designer is qualified by education, experience and examination to enhance the safety, function, and quality of interior spaces.

• Interior designers combine critical and creative thinking, communication skills and the understanding of technology for the purposes of enhancing interior spaces.
• The knowledge base of the interior designer protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public, improves the quality of life, and increases productivity of the work environment.  
  
• Interior design includes specialties in residential, commercial, and institutional interiors, which involve:

• Healthcare facilities

  Hospitality environments (hotels, restaurants and clubs)

  Office and industrial interiors

  Residential

  Schools and Universities

Interior designers' services include consultations, date gathering, space planning, design concept, construction drawings, and the specifications of finishes, fixtures, equipment and furniture. The construction drawing deal with the fabrication of non-load-bearing elements of interior spaces of buildings. Additionally, it is typical for the designer to bid the work to contractors and oversee construction.

Interior design training includes the following subjects:

• National, state and local building codes and standards

• Fire Codes
  Accessibility needs of disabled and elderly persons and other special
  needs groups

• Lighting quality and quantity
  Acoustics and sound transmission
  

The education and testing of interior designers is directed toward the scope of practice in interior design. Interior designers' knowledge of elements of engineering and architecture is not intended to permit practice of those professions, but rather to provide the interior designer with the ability to recognize when it is necessary to engage other appropriate experts in a project.



6/1/2002