Category: Interior Design News

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Interior Design News

Interior Design College Holds 15th Annual Exhibition

Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film is holding an interior design showcase this month to display student works in many categories.

The 15th annual Interior Design Student Exhibit will award prizes to tudents who exemplify superior designs in the show categories, with an emphasis and judging based on creativity, craftsmanship, and digital rendition.

The show will feature designs by students earning Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design and the interior design college. The exhibits will show off skills in different aspects of interior design to include introductory presentation, intermediate presentation, lighting design, furniture design, residential design, and commercial design. The final categories are in computer modeling, student portfolios, and sustainable designs.

The exhibition will begin this month on the 10th and will display student works until the 29th. The event will take place on the Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film campus in the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Gallery.

According the Watkins’ website, the awards at the interior design college will be presented by assistant professor Jennifer Overstreet and associate professor Cheryl Gulley. The ceremony will commence on the 20th of this month at 5:30 PM.

The interior designs school at Watkins boasts a rich curriculum that prepares students for a full-time career in interior design and claims to prepare students to become well-networked within their profession. The full curriculum in the interior design school is enriched by studies in the fine arts, contemporary design, and technology.

All of the interior design college’s students have been invited to participate in the exhibition, which is also open to the public with no admission fee. The public can view work from the interior design students at the Gallery on weekdays between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM. The gallery will also be open on Saturday between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM as well as Sunday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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Interior Design Students win All-American Contest

A set of students from the design college at Howard University recently won a contest that put their skills as Americans to the test.

The Student Design House Competition was sponsored by The Washington Design Center and the MADE: In America Foundation and features the works of interior design students from various institutions.

The challenge was this: choose a room at The Washington Design Center, identify any problems with the interior design, and then redesign the interior. The catch? They had to take classic interior designs that are uniquely American and recast them in a contemporary light. They also had to use “Made in America” materials and products to create their interior designs.

With supervision from faculty member Mark Watkins of Howard University, interior design students Bretagne Blair, Omar Tulloch, Karen Ennis, Alicia Johnson, Naomi Black, and Naada Favitsou-Boulandi worked their magic and won first place in the competition.

“We put so much effort and time into this project. We didn’t know what to expect,” said Blair, a senior at the interior design school.

They chose to create a library with classic American appeal that was complete with a custom mantle over the fireplace, designed and manufactured by the students themselves. The furniture and materials they selected were from top designers who had collections that were already on display at The Washington Design Center.

Among the features of their interior design, the students chose an old-world style clock and golden taupe drapes. An all wood desk with ornate spiral carved legs makes a space for reading or studying while seated in a burnt orange, high-back leather chair.

The interior design college at Howard University is an undergraduate program that helps student focus on the path forward to graduate school and, ultimately, a career in interior design.

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Survey of Industry Pros: Interior Design Classes Still Paying Off

Interior design classes can pay off for students who are dedicated to flexibility in their careers.

While the economy certainly indicates a decline in expendable income for many people, successful interior design college graduates who now own their own business know to remain flexible and competitive.

A survey was recently released by Design Success University; an independent interior design consulting firm and online continuing education resource that specializes in helping interior designers create success and survive during times of uncertainty.

Their survey, titled the “2012 Interior Design Fee & Salary Survey eBook” found that interior design school alumni who are running successful businesses are remaining determined to make it in the current economic climate. As we have reported in recent weeks, some of these companies are learning to be flexible and adapt to the times by focusing on industrial interior design such as the blooming healthcare facilities market.

The Design Success University claims that the internet could be harming those interior design school graduates and long-time professional designers who are focused on consumer designs. “If consumers can purchase online and steal a designer’s ideas, they will,” Gail Doby of Design Success University said in a press release yesterday.

Doby also said, “Designers need more business savvy to succeed in spite of the triple threat of the economy, consumer attitudes and the Internet.”

The press release highlighted some of the notable statistics that the survey unveiled through feedback from nearly 900 interior designers. The 2012 Interior Design Fee & Salary Survey eBook found that, despite the downfall of leisure income, interior design school graduates can be successful in their careers by understanding the basic principles of business – and by learning from the pros that are already creating success.

According to this unique study, well over half of the survey interior design firms said their total revenue either increased or remained the same between 2010 and 2011. Many supporters of the survey say that it’s a must have publication for success because it provides industry pricing information and unique insight into being a competitive interior design business.

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Interior Design School Leaders Begin to Offer Specialized Degrees in Healthcare Design

A recent conference regarding the rise in demands of the healthcare industry represents a sentiment shared by some of the country’s top interior design schools.

The 9th Annual Healthcare Design Conference wasn’t aimed at interior design schools directly, but did much in the way of pointing out the need for a targeted response from the interior design community at large.

Intuitive healthcare design pays attention to the traditional values instilled at interior design schools such as aesthetics and flow, but requires additional effort in the area of research and development. Certain interior designs are accommodating to both the patient and the staff who care for them.

One must consider not only the layout and lighting that is most beneficial to a functioning space, but how these decisions will ultimately affect the moods, behaviors, and productivity of people who spend the most time in a facility.

The 10th Annual Healthcare Design Conference, now setting up for November of 2012, will discuss the research surrounding the architectural and interior design of healthcare facilities. We can assume that much of that research will revolve around the newest data showing how interior design impacts a clinical environment – a clue for future curriculum development at leading interior design schools.

Interior design schools, such as the New York School of Interior Design, put much of their focus on this industry – teaching students about not only interior design as it relates to a clinical environment, but what it means to operate, administer, and manage a healthcare facility.

Pitching design ideas to a healthcare profession can be quite different than any other client that a future professional may encounter. The time seems to be upon us for specialized designers with extensive knowledge in the requirements and needs of this industry. Interior Design Schools like NYSID are very aware of this need and are launching new, specialized degree programs to prepare students for a career in this field.

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Interior Design College Receives Needed Enhancements

The interior design college at the Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan continues to see an increase in enrollments following recent attempts at revitalizing the program.

The new program for the interior design school includes mandatory competitions for students, gaining support from an industry organization, and the addition of nearly seventy credit hours to offer an associate degree in interior design.

The interior design school is seeking full accreditation, something that requires support of an industry organization. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), an industry organization that sets the standard in kitchen and bath design curriculum, seems to be the school’s ticket to full accreditation and is host to the mandatory competitions implemented in the new program.

NKBA competitions fulfill the new student curriculum requirements that include participation in a kitchen and bath design competition. Students must participate in at least one such contest each year during the course of their studies at the interior design school.

This particular portion of the program enhancement applies to a thirty-three credit hour program to receive a Certificate of Achievement in the Kitchen and Bath Design discipline. The certificate is required to obtain NKBA support for the interior design school.

“We need several students to fully complete the program as well as a site-visit from the NKBA before we become fully accredited. It is my hope that we will be fully accredited in the next two years,” said HFCC Program Coordinator Karen Wilmering, according to the school’s website.

The interior design school’s associate degree program was updated back in 2009, offering an advanced degree for students. This allows HFCC to meet the minimum criteria set forth by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). Though the school still lacks full accreditation, they are getting close to this status.

“We need several students to fully complete the program as well as site-visit from the NKBA before we become fully accredited. It is my hope that we will be fully accredited in the next two years,” Wilmington said according to HFCC’s blog.

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Interior Design Schools Offer Quick Education for Adults who want a Career Change

A student at an interior design school in San Diego recently told a school publication that she decided to go back to school at forty years old because she was tired of her current occupation.

Terri Parsons is a professional in Information Technology in her working life, but recently decided to enroll at the Design Institute of San Diego to pursue her interest in interior design.

Parsons story is echoed throughout interior design schools throughout the nation. In fact, nearly all technical trade schools are experiencing an influx in the number of enrollees who are at a late stage in their current career.

Everything from nursing to web site design are among the list-toppers that are redefining what it means to have a career. For some people, like Parsons, career goals can change at any time in life. This is a sentiment she sums up by saying “It’s never too late” according to DI News.

“I used to love it, but I just got tired of doing it every day and I realized it was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Parsons told DI News about her IT career. She also mentioned that she has always gained accolades about the interior of her homes, even when she designed on a strict budget. Interior design school seemed to be the way to go, allowing her to take on a new career path she enjoys, a profession in which she may naturally succeed, and an equitable replacement for her hard work in IT.

Also like so many other adult students out there, Parsons was discerning in her choice of interior design schools. Many career professionals are taking more time to choose just the right school for them and at the location that is best suited for their current life situations. DI News reported a very similar story from Parsons, who chose the interior design school because of its accreditation status.

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Interior Design School Student Places 3rd in Competition

Lauren Manorek of the interior design school at Harcum College in Pennsylvania took home third place in an annual student design competition.

Manorek took home the award in November for placing in the 10th Annual KlingStubbins Student Design Competition.

KlingStubbons is a design firm specializing in everything from interior design to landscaping and hosts the seven hour long competition. Students from various interior design schools are given a model building shell and told to “design a commercial space”. This involves floor plans, concept sketches, materials and finishing textures.

The interior design student was forced to beat out fierce competitors. A report on Patch.com noted that the toughest competitors for Manorek were students hailing from fashion design schools across the nation such as Arcadia University, Drexel, and Moore College. She also had to face a handful of her peers from the interior design school at Harcum.

“I’m very proud of Lauren for placing third in this competition. In her time at Harcum, she has developed great design skills, as well as a strong capacity to think creatively, so this award is well deserved. Lauren is a strong example of how Harcum students turn what they learn into real-world accomplishments,” Harcum Interior Design Program Director, Heidi Techner told a college publication.

Manorek’s win marks the second award in as many years for her interior design school at the competition, although Harcum College is no stranger to students that overcome the harshest competitors. On the heels of the interior design student’s success, Harcum’s women’s volleyball and basketball teams were recently in the news for stellar performances.

Harcum College, host to the interior design school at which Manorek studies, is a two-year college established in the early 1900’s. The interior design studies program allows for full or part time enrollment and is focused on hands-on learning, exploration, and critical thinking skills that will produce outstanding professionals in their industry.

 

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College Interior Design Program Goes 3D

The architecture and interior design colleges at the University of Missouri have provided students with a better way to study their concepts.

The college has implemented a new technology that allows students studying to become and interior designer or architect the opportunity to view their designs as a three-dimensional, realistic model.

Interior design students who are just starting out may benefit from the Immersive Visualization Lab (iLab) the most. One of the challenges of successful interior design is visualizing how a design concept will look and “feel” when it is implemented in a real life setting. It can be difficult to get the aesthetic feeling of an interior design from a small scaled model or computer monitor-sized graphic. The state-of-the-art iLab is a program in which the students can create an exterior or interior design and then view it, life sized.

Bimal Balakrishnan, an assistant professor at the college, told the Columbia Tribune recently that students will be able to immerse themselves in their interior designs and make changes to their concepts as required.

“The iLab will not only allow students to experience their designs from the inside, but they also will be able to view their designs in a much larger scale and experiment with different textures and styles in real time,” Balakrishnan said.

The iLab’s programming is compatible with various programs used at interior design colleges to draft plans and it even allows for installing modeling components that include furniture and décor.

The students of interior design and architecture at the University of Missouri started using the iLab this year to design a supposed school building for the college. Though their design isn’t set to become reality in the near future, it may turn into a finals project for the students according to a representative of the college.

The cost of the iLab was approximately $85,000 and may be used in the future for city planning, including new constructions, renovations, and crowd control for large events.

 

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Dubai Interior Design School Awards Students at Annual Competition

An interior design school in Dubai just held its annual competition for interior design students.

The competition, which showcases work from the students of American University in Dubai’s School of Architecture, Art and Design, is held in downtown Dubai. This year the competition was titled “AUD Best Interior Design Studio Project”.

The interior design school’s competition is coordinated by assistant professor Annamaria Lambri and associate professor Albert Falhoury, both of the Architecture and Interior Design school at AUD.

One hundred students who were enrolled during the fall semester in the interior design school were involved in the competition. The first place prize went to a group of interior design students in their third year at the school and their creation, “The Steve Jobs Project”. The Steve Jobs Project was created by students Sarah Azmy, Reem Moussalli, Silvia Nagy, and Erum Kamal, who created the design as required by their curriculum.

The second place honor went to a group of fourth year students who designed a concept called “Oppositio”. That group included Alysha Nasir, Ramy Makhaly, and Asmaa Said.

Third place was awarded to a group of third year students at the interior design school for their creation titled “Slanted House”, a project created by Rana Ahmed, Rahma Moustafa, Inji Khalil, Marwa Al Shaibani, and Farah Ataya.

The interior design school at AUD is focused on producing career oriented professionals in their field of study by integrating art and design with business sense and the latest technologies.

AUD also hosts a score of other technical degree programs in Dubai in addition to its interior design school. The school hosted nearly 3,000 students in the past year and the student body was represented by nearly one hundred nationalities. According to its website, AUD is an American Institution in Dubai that specializes in higher learning curriculum that is equivalent to the best institutions residing in the States.

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Interior Design College Creates Exterior of 215 West, Chicago

An interior design college in Chicago presented its students with a contest being held by 215 West to design the exterior of the apartments in a way that draws pedestrians into their lobby.

The students at Harrington College of Design paired up to spearhead their challenge and produced design ideas that impressed the President of Jupiter Communities, LLC; the company that owns the apartment tower community.

The students at the interior design college began their challenge by drawing out their concepts for illustration and predicting the costs of their designs. They had to consider all facets of the building’s exterior, including considerations in how the elements will affect their designs. Other considerations with which the students become familiar during their coursework include appeal, lighting, and legalities surrounding exterior design. The city ordinances regarding signs and lighting, as well as electrical availability were imperative to the design process.

The projects provided the interior design students with an opportunity to learn about the business aspects of interior designing, as well. Although many of the skills required for a successful career in interior design are taught in the classroom, weighing budget considerations against the design concept is a skill best learned through real-world application.

The company ultimately chose a design by a couple of students that was “practical and effective as well as memorable” according to Kellie DeVilbiss, the President of Jupiter Communities. The design was also chosen because it would work best to garner attention in the day and in the night.

The winning interior design students, Erin Costello and Justin Ko, involved vertical banners around the entrance to the building and instituted lighting to draw attention to the entryway. Their design is also flexible, allowing 215 West the ability to update the appeal by changing the banners and lighting when they choose to do so.