Interior Design Is a Much Bigger World Than You Think

Most people come into the interior design world thinking there are two options: residential or commercial. And within that, either you work for a firm, or you work for yourself. That's it. That's the whole picture.

It isn't even close.

The range of what a design career can actually look like is something that doesn't get talked about enough, and I think it's one of the main reasons so many talented people end up feeling stuck or like this industry just isn't for them. It's not that design isn't for them. It's that they've been trying to fit themselves into a box that was never the right shape.

Before you go any further, make sure you've taken the Free Interior Design DNA Quiz on the site. There is no point building a career in a niche that makes you miserable. The right path only feels right when it actually fits who you are.

Think about how many ways design actually touches the world around you: Event planning and experiential design. Retail window displays. Set design. Healthcare environments. Hospitality. Senior living. The technical side, like AutoCAD, drawings, and specifications, can be a standalone career path, completely separate from the creative scope of work. Or the opposite, pure ideation and design direction with none of the technical execution. Brand environments. Sustainable design. The list goes on.

Even within those categories, the way you work matters just as much as what you work on.

• Are you someone who thrives in client-facing roles, building relationships, and managing expectations?

• Do you do your best work behind the scenes, deep in the details of a drawing set?

• Do you want the variety of running your own firm, or the structure and collaboration of being part of a team?

  
  

All of these things shape what a fulfilling design career actually looks like for you specifically.

This is something I feel strongly about because I've seen what happens when people end up in the wrong niche. It isn't just uncomfortable; it affects the quality of your work, the health of your client relationships, and, honestly, your whole relationship with the industry.

When your career aligns with how you naturally think and operate, everything gets easier. Once you know which direction is right for you, the Degree-less Design Crash Course is where you build the foundation to actually get there.

XO

Shira