BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasInterior Designers

O*NET · 27-1025.00

Interior Designers

Plan, design, and furnish the internal space of rooms or buildings. Design interior environments or create physical layouts that are practical, aesthetic, and conducive to the intended purposes. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.

Also called Bath Designer · Bathroom Designer (Bath Designer) · Certified Kitchen Designer · Color and Materials Designer · Commercial Interior Designer · Decorating Consultant · Decorator · Design Consultant
23 more

Designer · Furniture Arranger · Home Decorator · Home Designer · Home Lighting Advisor · House Designer · Interior Decorator · Interior Design Consultant · Interior Design Coordinator · Interior Designer · Kitchen and Batch Designer · Kitchen and Bath Designer · Kitchen and Bathroom Designer (Kitchen and Bath Designer) · Kitchen Cabinet Designer · Kitchen Designer · Lighting Designer · Project Designer · Project Interior Designer · Registered Interior Designer · Residential Designer · Residential Interior Designer · Room Designer · Stylist

Job Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation NeededHolland code ARC35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Landscape Architects

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed

Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree plus several years of work-related experience, knowledge, or training.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

ARCArtistic · Realistic · Conventional — the three strongest interests, in order

  • A Artistic5.56
  • R Realistic4.12
  • C Conventional3.82
  • E Enterprising3.70
  • I Investigative3.07
  • S Social2.68

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Some College Courses4%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree4%
  • Bachelor's Degree84%
  • Master's Degree4%
  • First Professional Degree4%
Related work experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (36%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (33%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (24%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Critical Thinkingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Speakingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Service Orientation3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Coordination3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Social Perceptiveness3.83.3Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Writingbasic3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Complex Problem Solving3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Persuasion3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.53.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Time Management3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
Show the other 23
  • Negotiation3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Contract with a wholesaler to sell items at a given cost
  • Active Learningbasic3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Monitoringbasic3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Operations Analysis3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Mathematicsbasic3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
  • Systems Analysis3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Determine how a new piece of equipment will affect production rates
  • Instructing3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Management of Financial Resources2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Management of Material Resources2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Systems Evaluation2.62.9Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Operations Monitoring2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Quality Control Analysis2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Programming1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Write a program to sort objects in a database
  • Technology Design1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Troubleshooting1.90.9
  • Operation and Control1.80.9
  • Sciencebasic1.1—
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Equipment Selection1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

15 core · 1 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Design plans to be safe and to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).4.8
  2. Use computer-aided drafting (CAD) and related software to produce construction documents.4.7
  3. Research health and safety code requirements to inform design.4.7
  4. Confer with client to determine factors affecting planning of interior environments, such as budget, architectural preferences, purpose, and function.4.6
  5. Advise client on interior design factors, such as space planning, layout and use of furnishings or equipment, and color coordination.4.5
  6. Coordinate with other professionals, such as contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers, to ensure job success.4.5
  7. Review and detail shop drawings for construction plans.4.4
  8. Inspect construction work on site to ensure its adherence to the design plans.4.4
  9. Render design ideas in form of paste-ups or drawings.4.3
  10. Subcontract fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, art work, furniture, and related items.4.1
  11. Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art work, and accessories.4.0
  12. Estimate material requirements and costs, and present design to client for approval.3.9
Show the other 4
  1. Research and explore the use of new materials, technologies, and products to incorporate into designs.3.8
  2. Formulate environmental plan to be practical, esthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity or selling merchandise.3.7
  3. Design spaces to be environmentally friendly, using sustainable, recycled materials when feasible.3.7
  4. Plan and design interior environments for boats, planes, buses, trains, and other enclosed spaces.2.5

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Design4.96.2Level 7 looks like: Develop detailed plans for a high-rise office building
  • Customer and Personal Service4.55.4Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Building and Construction4.24.7Level 4 looks like: Fix a plumbing leak in the ceiling
  • English Language4.14.8Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Sales and Marketing3.84.8Level 4 looks like: Introduce clients to a new line of products
  • Administration and Management3.64.2Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Computers and Electronics3.54.6Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Public Safety and Security3.43.6Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
Show all 33
  • Fine Arts3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Play a minor part in a local theater play
  • Administrative3.14.5Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Psychology3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Mathematics3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Production and Processing2.93.3Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • Economics and Accounting2.73.2Level 4 looks like: Develop financial investment programs for individual clients
  • Communications and Media2.62.8
  • Mechanical2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.52.8
  • Education and Training2.43.1Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Engineering and Technology2.43.0Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Law and Government2.32.5Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • History and Archeology2.02.1Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Telecommunications2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Geography1.81.8Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Philosophy and Theology1.71.8Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Physics1.71.4Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Transportation1.71.8Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Foreign Language1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Therapy and Counseling1.51.5Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Biology1.40.9Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Chemistry1.41.1Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Food Production1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Fluency of Ideas4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Originality4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Near Vision4.04.1Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
  • Oral Comprehension4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Visualization4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Follow a diagram to assemble a metal storage cabinet
  • Written Comprehension3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Problem Sensitivity3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
Show all 52
  • Speech Clarity3.83.1Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Visual Color Discrimination3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Deductive Reasoning3.63.8
  • Written Expression3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Category Flexibility3.43.9Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Inductive Reasoning3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Far Vision3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Information Ordering3.13.6Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Mathematical Reasoning3.02.9
  • Selective Attention3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Flexibility of Closure2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Number Facility2.92.9Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Perceptual Speed2.92.6Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Time Sharing2.62.8Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Memorization2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Speed of Closure2.32.6Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Trunk Strength2.11.4Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Auditory Attention2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Depth Perception2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.01.1Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Spatial Orientation1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Finger Dexterity1.50.5
  • Control Precision1.40.4
  • Multilimb Coordination1.40.4
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.3—
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness1.0—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Dynamic Strength1.0—
  • Explosive Strength1.0—
  • Extent Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.0—
  • Manual Dexterity1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—
  • Reaction Time1.0—
  • Response Orientation1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—
  • Stamina1.0—
  • Static Strength1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Thinking Creatively4.85.9
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.75.4Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.55.6
  • Getting Information4.45.2Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Working with Computers4.44.0Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.35.2Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.35.1Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment4.35.1Level 4 looks like: Specify the furniture and equipment for a new school
Show all 41
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.35.8
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.14.7Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.94.4Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Processing Information3.94.5Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Selling or Influencing Others3.94.4Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Developing and Building Teams3.74.1Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.74.0Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.74.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.74.4Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.74.9Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.64.3Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.64.6Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.54.4Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.43.6Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.34.3Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Training and Teaching Others3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.24.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.93.5Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.73.8Level 4 looks like: Interview candidates for a sales position and make hiring recommendations
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.63.0Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.53.5Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Performing General Physical Activities2.32.6
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.01.3Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.40.8Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.3—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • E-Mail5.0
  • Telephone Conversations4.9
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8
  • Contact With Others4.5
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.2
  • Time Pressure4.2
  • Spend Time Sitting4.1
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.0

Technology

30 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (10)

  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwarehot
  • Adobe Illustratorhot
  • Adobe InDesignhot
  • Adobe Photoshophot
  • Autodesk AutoCADhot
  • Autodesk Revithot
  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot
  • Trimble SketchUp Prohot
  • Chaos Enscape

Hot (5; 9 more marked hot above)

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (15)
  • 20-20 Technologies 20-20 Design
  • Autodesk 3ds Max
  • Autodesk Architectural Desktop
  • Autodesk Revit Architecture
  • Autodesk VIZ
  • AutoDesSys form Z
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
  • Email software
  • Graphisoft ArchiCAD
  • IBM Notes
  • iPhotoMEASURE
  • Maxon Cinema 4D
  • McNeel Rhinoceros 3D
  • Vectorworks Designer
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Commercial and Industrial Designers
  2. Craft Artists
  3. Landscape Architects
  4. Fashion Designers
  5. Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
  6. Set and Exhibit Designers
  7. Architectural and Civil Drafters
  8. Graphic Designers
  9. Art Directors
  10. Mechanical Drafters

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

Compare any occupation →

Other O*NET occupations whose importance ratings on the 35 skills both rate are nearest to this one's, with the biggest differences named. A plain rule, not a hidden score.

Use this in your own job architecture

BlissPoint Organization Viewer can link a role directly to this occupation and suggest these skills as that role's starting requirements.

Try it free →

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.