Do I need to be good at drawing to be an Interior Designer?

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The task of interior designers is to make interior spaces functional and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. This entails taking into consideration the client’s plans for the space, estimating the financial expenditure for the entire project, determining the schedule, ordering materials and supervising the installation of the design elements to create the final look. Before the design can be carried out, however, interior designers need to make initial sketches of their plan and make the necessary changes based upon the client’s recommendations before finalizing the plan using a computer aided design (CAD) software program.

Yes, knowing how to draw very well is necessary if you are serious about becoming an interior designer. According to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), interior designers must possess three skills sets to be able to satisfy their clients. These are “artistic and technical skills, interpersonal skills and management skills.” The requirement to be good at drawing is covered in the first skill set. As an interior designer, you need to be able to understand the relationships between materials, color, lighting and texture and the final effect they create on a particular space. This kind of knowledge is both artistic and technical. You need to be able to understand electrical layouts, building codes and structural requirements in addition to your artistic flair to create the ideal look of the space you are working on.

Unless you are working for a person who has the same extensive knowledge as you about planning and designing a space, you need to be able to explain your plan and more importantly, render it visually, for your clients to see. Verbal explanations won’t be enough. Clients need to see your plan on paper so they can ask you about some areas where they feel another lighting or fixture will be more appropriate. Some excited clients may even require you to make preliminary sketches on the spot about your ideas so being adept at using your pencil and sketchpad will certainly come in handy during these times.

As mentioned above interior designers are now relying on computer aided design software to make their final designs. With these programs, you don’t have to worry about being good at drawing manually. You just have to be proficient at the commands of the CAD program you are using and it will pretty much do everything for you. Still, the nature of the job of an interior designer is such that you can’t completely rely on CAD programs to do your work. Drawing is still an essential skill you need to possess.