This month, myself and a colleague were called into a local project (we were offered it originally but declined due to current workloads) which had gone significantly wrong with a view to rectifying mistakes, not a scenario I enjoy in the slightest but sometimes it’s part of my job none the less.
The designer who was previously working on the project had been ‘relieved of their duties’ with immediate effect and unless resolved amicably, as is sometimes the case, could result in financial damages due to a delay in the project. Not pretty.
Unfortunately, for one reason or another, termination of a contract is not a rare occurrence for any sub-contractor on a project and the interior design industry is no different.
Interior design is one of the very few design disciplines which more or less everyone has some experience of doing themselves in their own home or for friends and acquaintances. Of course, training is not required to decorate your surroundings or create something beautiful to your own personal taste, there is no real design process involved, no real risk or consequences for getting it wrong, for going over budget or planning their time badly. If it goes wrong, they simply take the lesson and maybe try again the weekend after. If anything it’s great fun, that's why we love it!
I think this is the reason why a lot of people try to run before they can walk and try their hand at interior design as a profession or claim to be talented by only creating schemes to their own taste and budget. Friends praise their exquisite taste at every dinner party and advise them that they “should be an interior designer!”. Wait, why exactly? There is no rigid brief, identification of problems, solving them or designing a concept from scratch, Let's be honest, it’s basically shopping for nice things and expressing yourself within the comfort of your own environment. It shares very little in common with being a design professional.
Unfortunately this is apparent in a number of interior designers I encounter. Their emphasis is on assembling a collection of visually appealing items within a space, matching fashionable accessories and fabrics and very little else. There doesn’t seem to be much going on beneath the surface, so to speak. No story or insightful explanation for how they got from A to B in their decision making process. They become personally involved in their choices and find it difficult to remove themselves from the process for the benefit of the project. It’s almost seen as a hobby they happen to earn a living from rather than a serious business.
I genuinely do not like being negative about my own industry (or anyone in it) so please do not take what I'm saying the wrong way, but I feel this is exactly what gives the industry a certain reputation, something which I battle to prove wrong on a regular basis. Those knowing looks of "oh, interior designer... Professional curtain and cushion buyer". Not to mention the stereotypes promoted by the mainstream media of an interior designer either being an obnoxious, aloof woman or flamboyant OTT gentleman, but that’s another blog all in itself! This isn't a "woe is me" thing, we all have things which bug us about our professions and the majority of what I see other designers do is truly inspiring.
I'll let you into a secret... I never formally 'studied' interior design at any level. My route through design was via industrial/product design followed by the architectural sector and I feel that gave me an entirely different approach to the subject as a professional. In fact, truth be told I never had a real interest in interior design as a subject until I stumbled into it. Of course once I had stumbled into it and realised that my creative style and design ethics were highly suited to interior design, excuse the cliché but the rest is history. It was a very organic and natural marriage but also means that I avoid any of the usual stereotypes as I never 'tried' to be an interior designer or wanted to fit the mould. I found almost by accident that interiors offered a different, more satisfying way to create something which people fully interacted with. A 'product' which surrounds us as opposed to just fitting in our hand. It makes a real difference to people's lives.
It is always critical for me to get to the root desire or requirement of the user to change their environment, to understand the thinking behind the brief and the vision for the final product. I tend to see a space as one complete object and concept designed to serve a purpose, make a statement and provide a function collectively, not a series of objects within a space for their individual aesthetic qualities. Everything has to coherently work as one whole piece to work. It has always been the natural way of doing things for me even though I do accept that other designers are very successful at different styles and methods of going about things. That's what makes any creative subject wonderful... Individuality and expressing ourselves in our own way. There's no right or wrong answer to what is entirely subjective.
Of course, within any subject or industry; we can all learn a 'correct' theoretical way to do something by attending a course, learning a skill or obtaining a qualification. The majority of things in life are skills we can all learn if we employ self-belief and a willingness to learn and improve.
It is however those additional factors which we can’t learn or teach: Vision, creativity and individuality among others which are usually the important factors especially in design. It is usually very easy to spot when someone or something is ‘trying’ to be original or leftfield rather than it simply being a natural, easy fit. Once someone is asked to explain their thought process behind a concept it is also very apparent just how much of it is original or copied. Personally I will always insist on providing a written report on every project, to explain every decision I have made throughout the process as well as why others were not considered.
Genuine passion, talent and originality is instantly apparent in a person’s work, whatever it might be. You can’t fake it convincingly, or at least not for ever.
I don’t think we know just how good we are at something or if we possess that extra ten or twenty percent of ability until the proverbial hits the fan and /or something above and beyond ‘average’ is required. When a client presents you with a problem and you suddenly realise you might not have the tools to do the job. Hey, I've been there as I was learning and there's no shame in asking for help or just admitting the truth instead of swimming into deep water!
I’m definitely not perfect by any means, I’ve failed at numerous things, we all have. In fact we will all undoubtedly fail at the majority of new things we attempt within our lifetime at the first attempt. There is absolutely no shame in that, failure is a major factor in the learning process and revising things to make them better. However, I do not believe in just “having a go” at someone else’s expense if I don’t genuinely believe I’m good enough at that moment in time to follow through successfully. I’ll experiment with my hobbies in my own time with my own money!
I think the public interest in interior design as an industry is brilliant, the shelves in any newsagent are full of magazines about decorating our homes and domestic improvement and It can only further the basic understanding of our industry. I regularly scroll though Instagram and it's full of wonderful, luxury interiors which is great for inspiration but it sets a dangerous temptation to copy other people's work which is the death of any true designer.
Problem solving, understanding human thought processes and habits, concept development, creating solutions to needs and requirements for people of all social and economic backgrounds, hitting targets (both creatively and financially) as well as critical time management among other things are factors that just don’t seem to register as ‘important’ with many designers entering into the industry without going through the correct educational process. Just wanting to ‘do’ interior design and make things look beautiful comes first and the nuts and bolts of being a design professional seem to come second, and it’s a shock to the system.
Coincidentally, I was asked by a friend (who happens to be an artist) just yesterday on what was the best way to get into the interior design industry.
In short, my answer was that as she hadn't been properly trained in the design process (despite being very creative, talented and a lovely person I might add), she should enroll in a course to learn the basic skills of a designer and the technical design process. To nurture her talent as an artist and attempt to apply that to the design industry in her own way, making it her niche which is key to getting noticed and being successful.
I actually find that most degree courses and further education can iron the true individuality out of people to fit a linear curriculum which is a shame. Often the graduates are as good as the tutor allows them to be (I myself had tutors along the way who were WAY too quick to call ideas "unrealistic" which when it comes to moulding young creative minds is plain wrong. Ideas are usually only as unrealistic as technology allows... And that is ever changing)
Anyway, hopefully a consultancy will take her on as an apprentice/junior and she can start the learning curve of becoming a designer the correct way by trial and error under an experienced company. Allowed to make mistakes in a safe, professional environment.
However, my main advice was that under absolutely no circumstances ever just think about ‘having a go’ on her own as she could destroy her reputation before it has even started. She’ll thank me in the long run. Apparently receiving legal threats, having to fix a project at your own expense then not getting paid isn’t much fun. I better shut up before I tempt fate...
Paul Hancock
(Founder & Director)
