An interior designer can do a variety of things in the field of design, and considers the needs of the individual or company that hires him or her. Primarily, the interior designer must blend aesthetics, or the look and feel of a place, with functionality and use of a space, and does so in consideration of the available working area, desires, and budget of the client. Being artistic, having knowledge of building codes, and being able to please the client are all valuable assets for those who wish to have a career in interior design. Having good listening skills, excelling at following through with concepts, and being able to draw, and use programs like AutoCAD® can also be of assistance. Most interior designers are trained in art or design schools, and bring a variety of talents to their profession.

When an interior designer is called to do a job, there are several things he or she must do first. He must examine the space which requires design or decoration, listen to the client’s needs, determine whether building permits are required for work involved, and then create a design that he thinks will satisfy the client. While some interior designers may have carte blanche to do whatever they like with available space, most end up competing with other designers for a job. They may be paid an initial consultant fee for putting together a design, but if the clients prefer someone else, they may not ultimately get the job.

Interior design can be multi-faced, involving the following work:

• Choosing color scheme for the room
• Choosing furniture for the room
• Suggesting art pieces
• Choosing coordinating fabric
• Deciding if the room needs remodeling
• Coming up with an overall design style or scheme
• Suggesting slight changes in building structure, such as adding built-in shelving or larger windows
• Considering upgrades to power, telephone, or water supply to a room as needed
• Obtaining building permits
• Drawing or computer modeling the space
• Restoration of rooms or buildings to historical accuracy

Usually, interior designers develop relationships with other people in the construction and design profession, and an interior designer may make commissions if he or she steers clients to use the services of a specific company. Having these relationships are key for more than any profit the interior designer might make; they give the designer the immediacy of being able to put his or her plan into action. These relationships also help the interior designer show the client what is available, in terms of furniture, fabric, paint colors, lighting, art, and et cetera. Often touring design studios helps the designer clearly understand the needs of the client since their taste in various art, furniture and colors can be gauged more accurately.