Top 5 Skills for Interior Architecture & Design
There will always be some key skills that are a necessity in the design industry…
So here are the top ones that I have learnt over the years… Some of them may come into use more than others however they all act as a base core skill which you end up using in many different scenarios.
Hand-sketching
This is a must! Not just for getting into university but it is a seriously sought after skill by employers!
The thing to remember with hand-sketching is that we are not looking for the most precise or well-finished drawings out there… All hand-sketching is a good thing. As long as it expresses your concept and another human being can understand where you’re coming from that’s great!
Also, it’s good to remember:
Try different papers and pens/pencils out if you don’t have a clue about your style.
Don’t try to copy someone else style!! This is something I wish I knew much earlier on. Just because it works for them, doesn’t mean it will work for you. Now personally I enjoy sketching on trace paper with a relatively free-flowing ink OR stark white paper and a simple Biro pen. Both of these are pretty easy to come across hence why they are probably my go-to. BUT this may not be the case for you...
Don’t be too precious about it. Sketches are sketches for a reason - they can be developed and drawn up ‘properly’ later.
Show them off! So many people are scared about being judged for their hand-sketches but as I said before, this is a skill that nearly every job I see advertised asks for. At the end of the day - the ability to freehand sketch is a talent.
Model Making
Now in industry, depending on your projects you may not make many architectural models. However the more you perfect this skill at uni or in your spare time it will allow you to see projects from a different perspective. Also sometimes clients do need to physically see, touch, experience space from a scale model.
Good to know:
Remember there is probably a specific feature or element of your design that is exactly that - the feature! Make sure this is expressed correctly.
Don’t go crazy with the amount of materials you use. Architectural models are usually used to express that shape or light within a space rather than the colours each wall or floor will be. If you are however making a large scale detail model, by all means use the materials themselves - again just make sure it is done correctly.
If you’re interested in model making, I have a post that has some more specific tips on making architectural models and how processes like the Lazer machine could aid in the process...
Photography
This definitely links in with the architectural models however is very useful across the board. As much as you may not see this as very ‘hands-on’ I’d say it’s a skill you can’t brush over.
Photography skills come in at many stages across a project process and the thing is they all need your photography skills to work differently for each task…
Surveying site
Inspirational precedents
Photos of your model
In general, photography will also help you visually when creating your presentation boards and visualisations of the space… but we can get more into that in another post…
Public Speaking
Okay - more like speaking in front of a small audience/group. You need to learn how to communicate your ideas clearly and concisely. How to keep the attention of a group and when to take a moment to pause.
Mastering this will help you throughout your future career and daily life. At university and in industry it will mainly benefit you when presenting at a review. A time where all your ideas can be expressed and you will get feedback.
This is a massive topic that does really scare people so I will put together a post focusing on how to present your designs with confidence. This covers what you present visually and how to verbally present your content.
Get organised!
Now I’ve said this before on a post but seriously there is so much to do at every stage of a design project. It can become very overwhelming juggling so many things.
I won’t go on about it here but I will put together a quick post about how to manage your workload on a design project aimed mainly at organising yourself to approach different tasks but the concepts can be applied within a team etc.
If you want to see more information on these topics give it a little keyword search (top right) or pop me a message below. I am always creating more content and it would be great to hear what tips you’d like to see next!