Читать книгу Professional Practice for Interior Designers - Christine M. Piotrowski - Страница 72

You probably know by this point in your studies that there are many opportunities within the umbrella of interior design profession. Perhaps you have already made up your mind that you want to design private residences or work for a firm that designs health care or hospitality facilities. Then again you may see yourself in a neighborhood design studio as owner.

One of the fascinating aspects of the interior design profession is the variety of ways in which an individual can work in the field. Although many designers engage in residential design, working in a commercial specialty is attractive for many others. It is also fairly common for some designers to occasionally be “switch hitters,” designing both residences and commercial spaces.

Interior designers also work in different ways. That is, some are fully involved with clients and a project from programming through contract documents. Some prefer the technical side of design rather than working directly with clients. Some enjoy the challenges of working for a firm doing design work in foreign countries. And there are those who enjoy client interaction so much that they move from performing space‐planning tasks to selling and representation positions with stores or even manufacturers.

This chapter provides an overview of the where and how designers work. It may help you clarify your goals and focus your efforts related to projects and class work in your remaining educational program. Based on suggestions from educators, this chapter and the others related to goals and job‐search strategies will follow.

After completing this chapter you should be able to:

 Distinguish the differences between how designers work.

 Discuss key issues concerning working for a design firm engaging in design projects on the global marketplace.

 Explain how selling responsibility is different from planning and design.

 Discuss why collaboration is important in today's professional world whether one specializes in residential or commercial interior design.

 List three expectations you have concerning your first job. Why do you feel these are reasonable for an entry‐level designer?