Summary-Response+Paper

 SUMMERY:
During my interviews with interior designers Carrie Bradley and Melanie Stevenson, I learned that interior design is made up of more components that simply design and color pallets. This became clear as they told me what was important to remember from what classes to take in college to finding an interior design job later on. Both Bradley and Stevenson stressed the idea that computer knowledge is essential to become successful. As Stevenson explains, she spends 90% of her time on her computer, working on drawings or presentations. Because of this, they told me that it is important to take computer classes in college in order to become familiar with the software they use like CAD (Computer Aided Design) and a program called SketchUp that helps architects and designers. Stevenson also suggested drawing classes because they guided her on how to draw sketches for clients. Along with taking these classes, both designers said that it was very important to intern before getting a job. Bradley, who graduated with perfect grades and letters of recommendation said it took her months to find a job, and even then had to finally decide to take an unpaid internship position and “work up from there”. Stevenson had a similar experience and eventually found a job with the same firm she interned at in Denver. Once they found jobs, they both said that the most important thing they learned about interior design is that it is not interior decorating. Bradley said that she works with building codes, architecture, and even electrical engineering. However, while interior design is made up of many components, the designers said they enjoyed working with the people connected to them. Bradley also said that she enjoyed “solving the puzzle” of how the different elements come together to make a space the most pleasurable. Both Carrie Bradley and Melanie Stevenson were very helpful by shedding more light on what the job of an interior designer actually entails. It became clear that interior designers work with more elements than paint and fabrics that I did not know they dealt with daily. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk to these women as they taught me about their lives as interior designers and what to expect if I pursued this career in my future.

RESPONSE:
I found that the interviews with Carrie Bradley and Melanie Stevenson helpful but not necessarily applicable to the kind of interior design I would like to pursue. Before these interviews, I was under the impression that interior designers would simply come up with an idea, make a couple sketches, slap some paint on the walls, buy a new couch and some cushions and call it good. Apparently this is not the case, as Carrie Bradley explains, “Interior design is NOT decorating. There is extensive knowledge you must know about building codes, architecture, electrical engineering, lighting etc. There is way more to the field than selecting paints” (Bradley, Carrie). I found this to be very helpful. I learned that I must know more than how to put colors together, while having a knack for color does help, as Melanie Stevenson told me. While I am sure that the building codes and those other components are helpful, I am skeptical whether I will be working with these with the kind of interior design I want to pursue. Ideally, I think I would like to be the interior designer who puts together the sets they photograph for catalogues like Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. If that were to be my job, I think I would do more with lighting and spatial arrangements than electrical engineering mainly because these rooms would not be lived in, only photographed. I also found their insights on deadlines and the amounts of time spent on a computer useful. One thing that surprised me was how much they spend on computers. I thought that interior design would be more looking at fabrics and paint and setting up rooms, but as Stevenson explains, “I am at a computer 90% of the time working on drawings or presentations” (Stevenson, Melanie). I found this very helpful because I know that I would have a hard time sitting in front of a computer all day, and I will need to take this into account if I am going to be an interior designer. One thing I have considered, though, is that if I am working with a catalogue I might spend less time on a computer and more time piecing the products together in an interesting way. Another aspect I will have to consider is that if I become an interior designer I will be working with frequent deadlines. As Stevenson says, “I typically have one [deadline] a week or sometimes two” (Stevenson, Melanie). If this is indeed the case I will have to make sure I organize my time correctly in order to meet these deadlines. However, even taking deadlines and computer screens into account, it is evident that both designers truly enjoy their jobs. Bradley and Stevenson had different opinions on what their favorite aspect of their jobs were, and both helped me see what there is to enjoy about being an interior designer. In Bradley’s opinion, “The problem solving aspect of design is what I enjoy the most. Being given a space and then solving the puzzle of what needs to go where for a space to properly function is the most enjoyable” (Bradley, Carrie). From this I learned that my love for solving puzzles and putting interesting designs together would go hand in hand in this career, which was encouraging. Stevenson enjoyed working with the people most, as she explains, “I like that I am able to interact with others and most of all-the client” (Stevenson, Melanie). This is also helpful because I love working with people and now I know that in this job I would get to do that. Overall, I found that these interviews, while not giving me exact details on the type of interior design I am interested in, did give me valuable insight on what the life of an interior designer is like.