Learn the basics of
Interior Design
Our online Interior design course will take you through a very current practical, inspirational journey of some exciting interior design tools and techniques. Our modules are designed to offer a combined technical and creative approach. We will take you through the key design programs, 3D-modelling software, and drawing for interior design.
791K
Graduates
All levels
Certified
Course details
1.The sketch book of interior design
Kick-start your interior design journey as we begin this course looking at what it means to be an interior designer as well as understanding the profession of interior design. We familiarise ourselves with the concept of communication in interior design as we look at communication tools and tricks that designers use daily.Did you know that there are various design personalities that we can align ourselves with? well in this lesson we tackle what design personality you are. From here we tackle some of the basic design terminologies before working your way through sketching and the critical elements we need to look out for when putting pen to paper. The importance of sketching is highlighted as we create some of our very own sketches by hand and online. Bring your sketchbooks along for this lesson as we start getting creative.
2.The plan
Bring on the much-anticipated plan view. In our second lesson on our journey of interior design, we look at exactly what a floor plan is & why it is the building block to any project. We touch on space planning which is covered in module 3 as well, and why a plan assists with space planning. How to read a floor plan & its value in the Interior design industry is covered in detail. From here we assess what your floor plan should include as well as the tools that are needed to draw up your floor plan. Let's begin constructing our very own floor plans.
3.Design section in elevation
What how and why of sections and elevations is where we start off. Looking into how to draw up these detail drawings and focusing on the tools and computer programs. These programs are then further detailed in modules 3 and 4. We highlight what these drawings should include building on from floor plan in L2 - We take a look at a step by step approach on how to draw your very own communication elevation by hand is. This lesson is sure to leave your technical geek wanting more.
4.The principles of design
In lesson 4, we differentiate between the 7 elements (line, color, form, light, pattern, texture, space) & principles of design (balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, scale and proportion, detail, harmony & unity) We take a deeper look into the understanding of how the elements of design influence these principals. You think lesson 1 taught you how to spot great Interior design, but these principles will blow your mind with brand new knowledge.
5.A view in perspective
An absolute favourite, the perspective or 3-dimensional view. We will be learning how to create our very own 1 point perspective drawings by hand. First things first, what are Perspective views, and how do we use them? We blow your mind with types of perspective drawings and how you can use them to your benefit.
6.Getting to grips with style
We have come to that part of the module where we look at the style. Importantly we look at your style vs your client’s style and how to implement style into a project. We jump into design influences and style categories within the Interior design industry at the moment. Some of the styles we touch on include: Contemporary, modern, minimalist traditional and many more.
7.Lets get colouring
There is a big physiological impact to space when we look at the use of colour. This is how to start the approach to Lesson 7. Do you know that there is a colour wheel? Well we unpack what this looks like and show you how to use colour together. You will create your own colour wheel and show us your progress of lessons to date. We look at all things colour before we jump into rendering. Rendering by hand and by computer is a little something that we have left till last, but possibly one of the most exciting lessons to date. Come and colour with us!
8.Its all in the timeline
I’m sure most of you are eager to understand how Interior design fits into a historical time line and how it has evolved? well here it is. We wrap up module one with and overview and examples of the timeline. We look at how each period in the timeline has influenced the design style to date. Get ready for a journey through time as look look at styles and periods such as Art deco, Mid-century modern, Colonial revival and many more.
1.The designer
Kickstart your course with getting an overview of what an Interior designer is and what we are responsible for. Get familiar with what is expected of Interior designers as we tackle the roles and responsibilities of each project. Work your way through some of the most influential designers to date as we look at some of the characteristics that make each designer a prominent character in the design world. Before we end of the lesson, we relook at the design and project timeline to prepare us for lesson 2.
2.The client
Its all about the bief in the second class of your module 2, who your client is and scenarios, you may find your self if. We tackle how to set up your first client meeting and how to tackle the steps to setting up your meeting. We look at what your client expects in a client meeting and how to translate that into a brief. Next, we dive into the brief, which is the first step to starting your interior design projects. How to create a brief for the first project is one of the practical aspects we tackle in this lesson as well. A very exciting lesson and one that starts you off on the first step in your project timeline.
3.The Architect
We start this lesson by understanding how interior designers and Architects work together. We get to grips with pivotal Interior designers and architects in the industry, such as Zaha Hadid, and how they have impacted the way we design today. We dive into prominent architectural styles and the characteristics of these style types in order to bring about interior and exterior harmony within our designs.
4.The concept of it all
We get very practical again as we dive into the concept of a project. We understand the meaning of the concept in the project timeline and how a concept is developed. We look at what key factors from the client meeting will lead you to the perfect concept and how to create these concepts by hand as well as on your computer. This is where we create our very own concept boards using our client brief from lesson 2.
5.The design scheme
The core of what Interior designers create starts with the scheme. In this lesson, we learn what is the design scheme is in a project and where it fits onto the project timeline. We look at how to Link your project with your design scheme and how to create your very own scheme based on your client brief. An important factor to a scheme is the inspiration and where to draw ideas from. We tackle where to find the inspiration for your design project along your design journey.
6.Let's get sourcing
Material and products are a huge part of what Interior designers do on a daily basis. In this lesson, we look at materials their value and usage on your projects. We investigate where and how to use them & how to source them. Suppliers are a team or group of people that Interior designers deal with on the daily, so we dive into the process of dealing with suppliers & the contracting team.
7.Sample your design
Fabric and material are, in fact, quite a complex subject especially when it comes to the intended use for each material. That starts us off on a journey of fabric as we look at fabric and material application. We investigate what types of fabrics we would typically use and where they would be suitable for. I bet you didn’t know that there are fabrics that shouldn’t be used in a corporate environment and fabrics that can only be used in domestics spaces? well not to worry that is why we look at some examples of fabric & wallpaper installations. We gain practical experience in estimating quantities and choosing fabrics and materials for specific projects and their spaces. A very creative and exciting lesson
8.Specify the design
Where would we be if we didn’t look at the professional side of Interior design? This could be one of the most important topics to look at and that’s exactly what we are going to do. We journey through some of the key tips and tricks to practising the Interior design profession. We take an in-depth look at the business side of Interior design as we look at some of the most important documentation that you will need during your interior journey. At this point in your projects, you would have likely needed to set up a quotation for your design fees. We are going to guide you along this process as you start setting you your design contracts as we touch on the fee structure.
1.The scale of measurements
Lesson 1 and 2 are lessons that go hand in hand. as we make our way to learning to set up our site surveys for our very first project. In this lesson, we focus on understanding what measurement means and the importance of scale. We look at some of the processes right from taking down a measurement to adding them to a drawing. From here we move into scale and how to read and set up an accurately scaled drawing. A fundamental lesson for any project.
2.Survey your site
As we begin this new module we start with the extremely existing topic and an important one at that "the site survey". The site survey is a method of gathering information on your project and importing it into your drawings to ensure accurate and realistic space planning and projects. We start off by asking what the site survey is, following that with some important terminology you will need to complete the process and end the lesson off with conducting our very own site surveys for your clients. Bring your sketchbooks along as this is promised to be a practical lesson.
3.A technical touch (Part 1 )
Bring on your technical drawing, an important aspect of any design projects. In today's lesson, we are going to look at what computer-aided software is (CAD) and some of the vital programs to look at on your journey as an Interior designer. From here we navigate through some key setup tools of the AutoCAD program, looking into a free trial version, downloading the program ending off with a sneak peek into the AutoCAD dashboard and how to start creating your 2D technical drawings right here.
4.A technical touch (Part 2 )
This lesson, branching off from lesson 3, we dig deeper into the drawing tools and editing commands that are available to you in this AutoCAD software.
5.A technical touch (Part 3)
Our last lesson of this 3 part lesson, the technical touch. We are going to build up your skillset as we break down the drawing ribbon even further, looking into annotating, layering and properties of our AutoCAD drawing. This lesson will equip you with the basics of setting up a basic technical drawing using some of the key AutoCAD tools and tricks.
6.Space plan your project
To plan the space that you are working on is a foundation to a great project. Welcome to your lesson on space planning. We are going to look at what space planning really is as we investigate some of the important features and methods of accurate space planning. We will look at how to bubble diagram and colour block to optimise your space before ending off with looking into how to space plan your very own interior project.
7.Sample your design
The sample board, a crucial element to any design project, and guess what? That is what today's lesson is all about. We investigate what the sample board really is, how to gather your samples and how to set up and apply the best principles to create your own sample board for an upcoming client.
8.Specify your design
We are finishing up our project, coming to the end of design and getting closer to construction. The client has approved your sample selection. We need to start specifying the finishes that we looked at in our last lesson. Learning to set up a specification schedule is vital to any project. In today's lesson, we break up what the specification schedule is, how it works and some of the important elements that you need to add to this document. We end off by creating our very own specification schedule for a client.
1.Practicing the profession (part 2)
We are back and looking into practising the profession round 2. This lesson is dedicated to looking at the pros and cons of setting up and running your own interior design business from scratch. We look at some of the best business principles, highlighting specific set-up concepts to think about before ending off with the all-important SWOT analysis, how that can assist and push you to growing the best interior design business out there.
2.The construction pack
We are going to look at exactly what the as-built drawing pack is and where it fits into our project timeline. Did you know that you as the designer is responsible for putting these construction packs together? Do not fear, we have you covered as we look at what these packs are made up of, why they are important and a step by step guide on how to set these packs up. We Tackle some of the important drawing in construction (Furniture layout, plumbing and wetworks, joinery details, electrical and lighting, flooring, elevations) from here we look at a typical process of sending these drawings out to tender. You are almost ready to get onto that construction site. Welcome to the journey into the world of interior design.
3.SketchUp 101 (Part 1)
Bringing your project to life with 3D generated SketchUp views. Today's lesson is your very first insight into the 3D modelling program, SketchUp. We start this lesson off by looking at exactly what the SketchUp program is and how it assists us in our drawing process. From here we look at a typical download of the various SketchUp programs and some additional tips and tricks on the best computer systems to be using for the job. The interface is the next step as we break down what the UI looks like and where to find some of the most important modelling tools. This lesson sets us up for lesson 4 where we begin the drawing process.
4.SketchUp 101 (Part 2)
In todays lesson, we build on the knowledge learnt in lesson 3, taking our SketchUp drawings to the drawing board. We will break down and understand some of the important drawing, editing and modification tools as well as solidify our knowledge of some the best practice while using SketchUp. Welcome to SketchUp 101 part 2
5.The scope of works
Taking your project from the drawing phase to the construction phase is a really exciting process, one that requires the use of a very handy document called the scope of works. This lesson is all about what the scope of works document is and what it looks like. We take a look at some of the important headings and points that form a part of the scope of works, ending off with creating a scope of works template that you can use on all of your projects going forward.
6.Get creative with the budget
Budget and budgeting is a term that you are going to come across in many industries and when it comes to interior design, that is no different. So that is where we begin this lesson, with the interior design budget. In this lesson, we are going to start off by looking at what a budget and costing document is and look at its importance to us on our design projects.
7.Let the snagging begin
Did you know that a snag list is put together by the designer to highlight any defects on the project before they hand it over to the client? Well, that is exactly what we look at in today's lesson as we begin with looking at what a snag really is, how a snag relates to the design and building industry and how a snag list gets put together. We are going to show you some handy tips and tricks to creating a snag template and investigate how to go about snagging your own projects.
8.A portfolio presentation
We are going to be tackling what a portfolio is in the interior design world as well as why it is important to us when it comes to that potential employer or new client. We are going to look and discuss aspects of the actual set-up process, various programs that you can use as well as tips and tricks to creating a professional, beautiful and impactful portfolio showcasing your talent and skill set learnt throughout your interior design journey. Welcome to your final lesson, your Interior design journey is only just starting.
