How To Start A Business Armed Only With An Online Interior Design Degree?

If you have a knack for beautifying spaces and have an interest in design, then an online interior design degree could help you kickstart your own business. You can learn the fundamentals of interior design from the comfort of your own home.

With a degree, you have the opportunity to work for employers, gain experience, and/or jumpstart your own interior design studio. Let’s take a look at what you can do with and expect from an interior design online degree.

Source: Unsplash

What is Interior Design?

Interior design is the focus on how people experience spaces. As an interior designer, you’ll be in charge of concepting and executing the aesthetics and functionality of different types of places, including: homes, commercial property, public areas, workplaces, and more.

As such, interior designers must have a solid understanding of the following (list is abbreviated):

• Structural requirements
• Building codes
• Software applications for modeling
• Textiles
• Materials
• Colors
• Sustainability
• Space planning

What Do You Learn in an Online Interior Design Degree?

As part of an online interior design degree, you can expect to learn the foundational knowledge and practical skills to become an interior designer. This will include an overview of design, design technology, and interior architecture.

Students may also have the option to enroll in courses that cover specific design topics, like computer-aided design (CAD), barrier-free design, or sustainability, for example.

How Long Does an Online Interior Design Degree Take?

The time it takes to complete an online interior design degree will depend on your enrollment status. That being said, you can expect the degree to require 120-132 credits of coursework. At full-time status, that will take about four years to fulfill.

If you’d rather take less time to earn a degree, you can opt for an associate’s degree, which cuts the bachelor’s degree workload roughly in half.

Beyond a Degree: Interior Design Certifications

For any graduate of an interior design program, you then can earn the opportunity to obtain a professional certification by taking the NCIDQ examination, offered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification.

To be eligible to take the exam and get certified, you must have:

• A bachelor’s degree in interior design
• 3,520 hours of relevant work experience

If you’ve chosen to go the associate’s degree route, then you’ll have to have 5,280 hours of work experience.

These required hours generally take about six years to complete. In some states, interior designers must be certified or registered to practice as such. So, if your goal is to start your own business, you’ll need to start by earning your degree.

Source: Unsplash

Interior Design Career Paths

With an online interior design degree, there are many career paths you can take. Before you get started running your own business, it may be useful to gain experience in one of the following positions. That way, you can learn from colleagues, get a feel for costs and pricing, and practice your passion.

Assistant interior designer

An assistant interior designer is an entry-level role. Despite it being entry-level, it generally requires a bachelor’s degree. Associate interior designers spend their time placing orders, researching products, conducting administrative tasks, and assisting designers.

Junior interior designer

Junior interior designers work within teams and are responsible for maintaining good client relations and performing design services. Like an assistant interior designer, they tend to be new to the field and have a bachelor’s degree.

Senior interior designer

Senior interior designers typically have a bachelor’s degree and deep knowledge of design technology. They are part of each project from start to finish and play a role in staffing, sketches, and concepting.

Design director

Design directors have extensive experience (typically five years or more) in the field. They perform duties like: surveying sites, advising clients, coordinating with their design team, and developing design specs, to name a few.

Going Your Own Way: Starting Your Own Interior Design Business

Whether you choose to gain experience with an employer, or on your own, you always have the option to start your own interior design business, especially when you’ve attended any of the many accredited online interior design schools.

To prepare for owning your own interior design business, here are some steps to cross off your checklist:

• Select and describe your service offerings (be clear to describe them in terms of the value it provides to your customer)
• Register your business name (try to pick a name that is memorable and that has available social media handles so that you can use them for marketing purposes)
• Build a portfolio (so clients can get a sense of the work you’re capable of doing and better understand your design style)
• Set rates (conduct competitive research and base your rates accordingly)
• Promote yourself and network (it tends to become a business of word of mouth and referrals, so always do your best and broadcast what you do!)

The Benefits of Online Degrees

With an interior design degree from an online college, you will be better prepared to begin your own business. For starters, you can advertise that you have a degree, and then you also have the opportunity to earn your certification.

Furthermore, with a degree, you will pick up on transferable skills that are important to running a business, including: strong communication skills, time management, networking abilities, and problem-solving.

Online degrees provide you with many benefits over a traditional, in-person option including:

• Increased flexibility for scheduling
• Lower costs when compared to on-campus learning
• Self-paced so you can manage other responsibilities and learn on your own time

Although the University of the People doesn’t offer an interior design degree as of yet, we do have four other degree options. A tuition-free degree in Business Administration may be suitable if you’re looking to start your own business.

The Bottom Line

Earning an online interior design degree will set you up with everything you need to know to apply for a job in the field upon graduation or begin building your own interior design company. The profession is best suited for those who are passionate about the look, feel, and function of spaces and places.