Like many, the COVID-19 lockdown last spring left me restless and searching. The monotony of waking, working, and living in the same confirmed space wore on me. I wanted to feel like I was growing and creating, despite the limitations around me. So I decided to explore one of my paths not taken: interior design. The experience not only changed how I approach my projects, it altered my career path.
Design has been a central theme throughout my evolving career — from my early days working on theater productions and costumes to my more recent work in marketing, events, and communication. But, beyond my own limited home projects, interiors was a new medium for me.
I enrolled in a 12-week online course that covered the foundations of interior design — design styles, process, space planning, color, materials, fibers, lighting, etc. Not only did the coursework spark my imagination at a time when I needed a little inspiration, it also piqued my curiosity. As a result, I was eager to learn more than just the basic course content. I found myself staying up late to dig deeper into topics. I also pushed myself to explore beyond my personal tastes.
Interior Design Presentation
Below are some pages from my final design presentation from that online class. I had built concept boards before, but mostly for selection and coordination. This was my first time really thinking through the build-out, customizing draperies, and layering lighting. This was also my first attempt at hand drafting. Because of the lockdown, I made due with the tools I had on hand. Living with an engineer, that meant an engineer’s scale and 1/5-inch computation paper, as well as a range of pens and a few colored pencils.
What Now?
As a result of the online course, I have since enrolled in a degree program for interior design. It feels like an evolution of the work I’ve been doing up until now – productions, events, marketing, branding, and now built environments. I’ll be sharing my progress, research, thoughts, projects, and lessons learned in this blog. I’ll also explore some of the broader design topics that interest me, including:
- The psychology of design and how it affects use, perception, and behavior
- Intersection of brand and design
- The broad range of design styles, how they develop and evolve, what influences them, and how old styles are interpreted in new ways
- Opportunities for human-centered design in built environments
- Design as problem-solving