Bachelor of Science in Interior Design

Program Overview

This interior design program provides a solid foundation in design principles, interior design fundamentals, and visual communication. Students explore human behavior in built environments, materials and systems, and design methodologies. Electives allow for specialization in areas such as historic preservation, empathy-driven design, or spatial perception. Graduates are prepared for careers in interior design firms, workplace strategy, and furniture and lighting design.

Program Outline

Outline:

Design Foundation Studies: 6 credit hours

• DES121 Design Principles (3 credits): Introduction to formal and process principles in design disciplines, exploring visual interpretation, conceptual processes, and methodologies.
• DES122 Design Methodologies (3 credits): Advanced application of design principles in multidisciplinary contexts, introducing working methodologies for ideation, exploration, and finalization of design projects.

Interior Design Foundation: 9 Credit Hours

• DES INX251 Bodies in Space (3 credits): Introductory interior design studio focusing on human occupation of space, interior-specific vocabulary, skills, techniques, and design process in relation to scale, human body, access, and navigation.
• DES INX232 Interior Materials and Systems (3 credits): Investigation of physical properties and applications of materials for interior construction systems, emphasizing sustainability, life cycle, well-being, and historical positioning.
• DES INX241 Human Behavior in the Built En (3 credits): Exploration of environmental influences on human behavior, including methods and tools for evaluating psychological response and human needs.

Visual Communication: 3 credit hours

• Students choose one of the following three courses:
• DES GRA281 Digital Foundations (3 credits):
Introduction to digital media and technology in design and media curricula, emphasizing industry-standard practices, workflow, and terminology.
• DES IDD182 Drawing & Design Geometry 2 (3 credits): Continuation of Drawing & Design Geometry 1, introducing realism techniques for communicating surface transitions, materials, and textures, and advanced 3D CAD modeling for complex surfaces.
• **CIV ARC121 Intro.
to Visual Communication (3 credits)**: Introduction to representational theory and practice in architecture, utilizing digital and physical tools for analytical representation of existing works of architecture.

Electives: 3 credit hours

• Students choose one of the following three courses:
• DES INX351 Situated Interior Response (3 credits):
Exploration of design process applications in historic and global settings, integrating user needs with functional and aesthetic design through installation, insertion, or intervention. Emphasizes connecting users to community, heritage, and issues surrounding historic structures.
• DES INX451 Space and Empathy (3 credits): Introduction to radical empathy in human-centered design, exploring the role of interior design in shaping behavior for diverse users.
Emphasizes ethically conscious design decisions in various space typologies, from permanent to transient installations.
• DES INX252 Spatial Perception (3 credits): Interrelationship of light and color in interior space, exploring lighting and color vocabulary, theory, and application in creating interior environments.
Topics include daylight, shadow, artificial lighting systems, and material response.

Careers:

• Interior Design Firms: Practice within interior, architectural, and multidisciplinary design firms.
• Workplace Strategy: Roles as workplace strategists for leading companies and commercial real estate firms.
• Furniture and Lighting Design: Specialization in furniture or lighting design.