I started on the eventual path to interior design first as a scenic artist for theatre and then a freelance stylist for interior magazines. It was in these roles where I first learnt about scale, texture, working in a design team, creating an experience, properly preparing for a shoot and discovering the different suppliers on the market. It was after I began to feel disheartened by the temporary nature of what I was creating that I started to take on my first small projects for friends. It wasn’t about the money as I was paid very little but I loved working on something with longevity and the experience itself was crucial, plus it helped me to build a portfolio of work.
When I reached the point of doing some interior design and project management for a high-end property developer, I decided to take a design course to improve my technical knowledge and build my confidence. Pausing work to do this wasn’t an option, so I chose a blended learning Diploma in Interior Design at KLC, which meant I was able to work full time while studying. It was a lot of work and took longer to complete this way, but I was determined to juggle everything and I set up Studio Duggan in 2012!
In hindsight, the only thing I regret is not interning and working for other design firms in the early days, simply because there is so much to learn and nothing beats on-the-job practice. You never stop learning as a designer but there would have been fewer learning curves in the first couple of years if I’d had a little more experience before setting up on my own. Even the administrative basics such as how to create a project filing system, how to approach site meeting notes, how to organise a sample library etc. It took a little trial and error to get right.
You have to wear a lot of different hats to be an interior designer – of course, you have to have an eye, but you also need good technical abilities, to be adept with budgeting and have great people skills. I do hire Junior Designers who haven’t done a formal design training as life experience is no bad thing but I would suggest taking a few essential short courses – certainly one in AutoCAD and Vectorworks, and also work on PowerPoint, InDesign and hand-drawing skills (which can be done with the help of YouTube). These paired with a proactive attitude and couple of internships at respected design companies will stand someone in good stead.
studioduggan.com
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