What is Interior Design?
The Best Interior Designers Make it Look Easy
Designers craft spaces that anticipate our needs and appeal to our emotions while pulling from a broad set of skills and technical knowledge. Interior design has changed dramatically since the early 20th century when it was just beginning to emerge as a profession.
Interior designers are expected to have working knowledge of:
- Textiles, materials, color, space planning, sustainability, and more
- Software applications for 2D & 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM)
- Structural requirements, health and safety issues, and building codes
Today, interior designers work with contractors, architects, engineers, craftsmen, furniture dealers, and business and home owners. To become a successful interior designer, you need a well-rounded education and the skills to work within many disciplines (architecture; graphic design; decorative arts; and textile, furniture, and lighting design).
Education is the best way to get the skills you need to succeed. And in a culture that increasingly embraces DIY design, a degree gives you the credentials required to compete and get clients’ attention.
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) states that:
“Completing a degree, either an associate or bachelors, is becoming increasingly more important to the interior design profession. Currently, 26 states and jurisdictions have licensing requirements for interior design practitioners. In many of these states, you cannot even call yourself an interior designer unless you meet or exceed a certain level of accredited education and in some cases pass the qualifying exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). Regulation of interior design practice continues to become increasingly wide spread.”
With its strong professional focus, a New York School of Interior Design education gives you access to internships and designers with real-world experience — invaluable connections that will serve you throughout your career.
Start your own practice, work for a small or large firm, or specialize in a particular skill (such as lighting) or a specific area (such as hospitality). The possibilities are endless—and they’re expanding every day.
Within the field of interior design, there are a wealth of career options and NYSID makes teaching presentation skills and professional practice a priority. We ask our advisory boards—composed of design luminaries from some of the world's top firms—what they are looking for in a hire, then we craft our programs and approach to student services around their answers.
Our job placement rates speak for themselves
Undergraduate
Of the 30 BFA graduates located from 2020-2021, 27 (90%) were employed and 3 (10%) were pursuing further education. Among the employed BFA graduates, 93% were employed in jobs that were discipline related.
Graduate
Of the 26 professional level MFA graduates located from 2020-2021, 25 (96%) were employed and one (4%) was still seeking employment. Among the employed MFA graduates, 100% were employed in jobs that were discipline related.
Will I Find a Job?
Even the most talented interior designer needs to know how to market themselves to potential clients and employers. That's why the New York School of Interior Design makes teaching presentation skills and professional practice a priority.
We ask our advisory boards—composed of design luminaries from some of the world's top firms, like Gensler's regional managing principal Robin Klehr Avia—what they are looking for in a hire; then our Office of Career and Internship Services crafts programs and services around their answers.
"I knew there was some element missing from my life. It was exciting when I realized that interior design is what I really wanted to do.
Now I work in hospitality design at Yabu Pushelberg, one of my favorite design firms. I'm working on various projects including two luxury condo developments in New York city and hotel elsewhere in the U.S. Going to school at NYSID changed my life and I feel very fortunate to be on this new journey"
Roger Tien
MFA, 2012
NYSID graduates are welcomed to an active community of over 3,000 alumni who share the hallmark and experience of a NYSID education. NYSID alumni create a vital network for professional development through events and networking with the College and fellow alumni.
For more than 100 years, NYSID alumni have been recognized as leaders in all facets of the interior design profession. At the same time they have helped focus and strengthen the mission of the College. NYSID graduates hold positions of leadership in professional organizations, such as American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), IIDA, IFDA, and IES on both the regional and national levels.
See Yourself Here
We encourage all prospective students to visit NYSID during their college search. A campus visit is the best way to experience the college’s culture and ask questions about our programs and community. Information sessions and tours are held throughout the year and are led by our admissions officers and students. To make an appointment, call the Admissions Office at 212-472-1500, ext. 205 or e-mail admissions@nysid.edu.
