interior design value

you might continuously hear interior designers, interior design students, or anyone who explains interior design as a profession to "protect the health, safety and welfare of the public" where as interior decorators do not. but, what does this all mean? what else is there to it?

the difference between art and design, although related, is that art is an expression of one's self, for one's self, by one's self. design is a process and often mathematical formula, invention or innovation, that solves a problem at hand. with interior decorating, we can relate it to art - the person doing the job is having fun with it, the basics of specifications for walls, floors, and ceiling. this includes making things look pretty, but not necessarily functional. interior design is when a customer comes up to you and says, "i need an office. i have this space. i think i need 'this much' storage because i have 'these things', i need a 'desk', a 'chair', and it would be nice to be able to 'look out the window, because i like seeing whats going on'.

lets break this down.
here is the problem:
"these things" - for instance, files, books, papers, pencils, pens, markers, stapler, calendar, scissors, photos of the kids, more papers, more books, more files, computers, keyboards, extra electronics for backup, etc.
"this much" storage - amount of storage the client estimates is needed for "these things", maybe shown by pointing, indicating, and estimations with hand gestures or a small diagram on a piece of paper.
"desk","chair" - aka horizontal surface that allows work to be performed. aka a place to sit, comfortably, movable, stain resistant, but visually appealing.
"see whats going on" - a hierarchy, something of strong interest, a window would also be something to clear your mind to get rid of overstimulation from multiple stresses that are occurring, or to refocus from boredum. there are many factors to consider with this one.


here is the solution:
>survey of the space + research + knowledge = diagramming
>diagramming + more research + realized knowledge = ideation: forming a basic outline of points, lines, planes and volumes using place elements such as domains, centers, nodes, paths, arrival, through principles/ideas of inflection, repetition, and infraction, negative/positive volumes or voids, and finally using evaluation to check the fit and usability.
>ideation + more research + FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) = construction documents
>construction documents + construction = final space
>final space + site visitation = complete project, where users have the necessary horizontal surfaces, feeling of freedom, mobility, storage, comfortability and hopefully sustainability for the space. aka the answer.

of course there are other steps in between, but the formula changes with each project.
all of these contribute to the health safety and welfare of the person.

getting more into the fundamentals of what may make up the space, there are other things to consider. we all have an understanding that many places use drywall for the vertical surfaces. in a commercial space, we may need to layer the drywall and/or find fire-resistant applications to this drywall to prevent fires from happening or from spreading. we may need to find ceiling tiles, or whatever horizontal system above our heads, something that is fire resistant. but we also need to consider things we cannot necessarily determine unless specified by a knowledgeable professional of the particular product, such as VOCs - volatile organic compounds. these are known to cause health issues such as irritation, can cause depressents in the brain, and of course, cancer. it is found in paint, cleaning chemicals, cooking stoves, air fresheners, office equipment, etc (for a better understanding, see http://propex.com/C_f_env_voc.htm). we have to be careful even with simply paint, and just because they say "little to no VOCs" we have to look for other chemicals such a ammonia, which can have the same health effects. through education in interior design, we may not be a scientist, or know every hazardous chemical, but we learn many answers, and if we dont know them, we know where to find them. we have a community in which although may be competitive as with any, we all share ideas and collaborate on much of our work.


this just covers some of the value in interior design, what the professional (through education, practice, testing, and more education) can do for you.

passion for interior design

saying it is hot outside is an understatement. i feel like im going to shrivel up and die. very soon, right here.
oh, look! a nice tall glass of ice water just sitting there on the table. delicious. satisfying. refreshing.

water- its something none of us can live without. design- its something that i can not live without.

passion. a word that reminds me of why i do what i do. interest. another word for passion, but less powerful. interior design. a subject that has taken over my mind and has given me the ability to contribute to society in a positive way. this is something that from day 1 has brought something i can rely on in my life- something that will never go away.

everyone has different stories about how they became passionate about what career path they have chosen. we've all had that sort of, epiphany, either in  earlier or later years in life. age 11, new house, white walls, family of creative individuals living in a city of blue collar workers who think designing, building, and installing  things is the best thing since sliced bread. that is my story. i was given the opportunity to influence my parents house - their home. our home. this is where we would live. this is where we would make memories. this is where we would function in our daily life. this was the turning point in my life, when i decided that interior design could be the answer to my future.

protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. yes. this is what i do too. after experiencing a car accident in 2008, i have learned that hospitals TODAY lack the appropriate design to make recovering less stressful and personally invasive. this event was the next biggest impact on my passion for interior design. ADA guidelines are just what they are- guidelines. but after experiencing the space at a different perspective, i now know designers have to really step out of their shoes, walk around in others, and reconsider what we take for granted.

why do i enjoy this? what keeps me interested? knowing that i can bring comfort, happiness and good health to people in a space is just the beginning. after going more in-depth taking college courses on interior design, i have learned that my creative liberty has changed. following codes and guidelines at first did not appeal to me, because i was always able to "think freely", but after some consideration, i find myself embracing these codes and guidelines and have learned it pushes my creative process to make things function even better. my interest has continued in this field because i am continually influenced by new things, new ideas, and new designs. my instructors and the internet have been the most influential connections that have kept me on track. minimalist design, industrial design, LEED certification (going with sustainable design), and ASID are just a few specific influences that have opened my eyes to loving what i do.

if you are a student designer, designer, professional, architect, interior designer, artist, or any kind of creative mind, i would be honored to connect and share ideas together. i appreciate any and all comments, positive, negative, and so forth. i will be graduating in december 2011, so any advice or suggestions about "real world" experience or jobs would be appreciated.

-henkdesign