Interior Design Exam Review

Aesthetics

Pleasing in appearance without personal bias

Interior Design

The creation of interior environments that support the function, aesthetics, and cultures of those who inhabit, live, and thrive in interior spaces

Interior Designer

A multi-faceted professional who uses creative and technical solutions applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment

Residential Interior Designer

Involves the planning and design of private dwellings to reflect the client’s tastes, preferences, and functional needs

Commercial Interior Design

Involves the planning and design of primarily public spaces. Includes places where you eat, work, play, recover health and heal from medical conditions, exercise, meditate, or enjoy life

Resume

A brief summary of a person’s education, skills, work experience, activities, and interests

Internship

An educational work experience for credit that alllows the student to investigate different areas of the interior design field, learn the culture of various firms, and understand how academic preparation corresponds to the practice of design.

Job Shadowing

Spending time with a person at work and learning by watching as he or she performs the functions of the job

Service Learning

A method of learning that combines classroom instruction with meaningful community service

Appentice

A person who works for another to learn a trade

Work Samples/ artifacts

Photographs, floor-plan drawings, free-hand sketches, or conceptual models of work that you have done. Will be used in a portfolio to showcase your work to future clients

Digital Copy Portfolio

A digital copy of a collection of work samples of a person’s best work, often used when applying for a job to show a person’s abilities and accomplishments.

Traditional Portfolio

A paper copy of a collection of work samples of a person’s best work, often used when applying for a job to show a person’s abilities and accomplishments.

Code of Ethics

Guiding principles of conduct and character that are established by and within professional organizations. A combination of best practices in business with moral principles to guide the interior design professional in simple, personal or complex business relationships.

Interior Design Process

A method that interior designers use for organizing their work, guiding their actions, and finalizing their decisions when working with team members and clients. Although the phases of the process are linear, it is not unusual for a designer to revisit them several times as a client changes his or her mind or a design is further refined.

Pre-design

Takes place before the interior design process begins. Designer interviews the client and asks questions to understand the client’s needs. If the designer’s skills match and the client agrees a contract is signed so the interior design process can begin.

Programming

Phase 1 of the interior design process. The designer clearly identifies the client’s design problem, current situation, and future needs. Involves fact-finding, clients interviews, on-site analysis of the project and creation of the client program. By the end the designer should fully understand the needs of the project in detail and the client should verify accuracy before the designer proceeds to the next phase.

Client Program

A document that outlines the client project-functions, specific need requirements in each space, issues, and current status. Becomes a checklist-type document that helps the designer understand the client’s situation and needs, and ensures inclusion of every requirement in the final design solution.

Schematic Design

Phase 2 of the interior design process. A brainstorming or “what-if” phase that is creative and innovative. The designer explores and generates multiple ideas and multiple-design solutions based on the client program. Designer uses schematics-quick drawings to help envision floor plants, spaces, and more. Includes concept development, preliminary space planning, drawings, furniture, fixtures, and equipment, and budget projection. By the end of this phase the designer will have explored multiple design solutions and will provide the client with enough information to be able to select a proposed solution.

Design Development

Phase 3 of the interior design process. The refinement of designs and decisions the designer and client made. Phase includes floor plan revisions, evaluation of system details, refinement of materials and furnishings, development of interior architectural detailing, refinement of budget, and client sign-offs.

Contract Documents

Phase 4 of the interior design process. Involves preparing formal documents for the construction and installation of the design. These documents are the legally binding documents. Continue with the refinement of the budget.

Contract Administration

Phase 5 of the interior design process. The design comes to life. Designer schedules and monitors construction work and costs.

Move- in and post-occupancy

Phase 6 of the interior design process. Designer sets a move-in date and schedules furniture and equipment delivery. Designer needs to assess the client’s satisfaction.

Analysis

A detailed examination of the structure of something

Artifact

An object produced in connection with an investigative procedure

Brainstorm

A group discussion to produce ideas and ways of solving problems

Create

To bring something into existence

Design Thinking

Methodology used by designers to solve complex problems, and find desirable solutions for clients

Empathize

To understand and share the feelings of another

Facilitate

To make an action or process easier

Feasibility

Capable of being done

Ideate

To imagine or conceive

Innovate

To introduce something new and distinctive from an established idea

Insight

A deep understanding of a person or thing

Iteration

A new version or revision of something existing

Logistics

The detailed coordination of a complex operation involving several components

Mind Map

A process showing relationships of one thing to another arranged by importance.

Monitor

To observe and check progress

Proposal

A formal, written plan put forward for consideration

Prototype

A first or preliminary model from which other forms are developed

Scope

To assess or investigate the expectations of a project

Synthesis

The combination of ideas to form a theory or solution.

Anthropometrics

Study of the human body measurements in comparison to a space such as the room or building

Accessories

Objects that add beauty, style, and character to the space

Adaptive Reuse

A form of sustainability that involves the redesign and repurposing of an existing building for a new function and a new client.

Buidling Codes

Regulations adopted by a community to govern the construction of buildings; ensures structural integrity and safe evacuation in the event of fire or any other event which might put the users of the space or public at risk. Laws created by the federal, state, or local governments.

Building- related illness (BRI)

A term used when symptoms do a diagnosable illness are identified and attributed directly to an airborne building contaminant

Egress

A safe exit from a building or facility

Ergonomics

The design and arrangement of things people use so that the people and things interact efficiently and safely; also known as human engineering. Study of people and the environment around them

FF and E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment

Refers to a wide assortment of products that includes systems furniture, loose furniture, artwork, accessories, signage, planters, and window coverings.

Proxemics

The study of how humans use space and how it relates to environmental and cultural factors. Developed by anthropologist Edward T. Hall.

Sustainability

A way of using resources that does not deplete them; involves a method or practice or way of using materials that has minimal long-term effect on the environment.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Chemical-emitting gasses or solids from interior products and materials that can cause short-term or long-term adverse health effects

Universal Design

Term coined by North Carolina State University trained architect, Ron Mace, who advocated for people with disabilities. Universal Deisgn is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible without adaptation or specialized design.

Sustainable Design

An environmental responsibility that considers the protection of the health and welfare of global ecosystems fro current and future generations.

Health, Safety and Well-being

A key responsibility and legal liability of the interior design profession to produce designs that do not adversely impact the public; also health safety and welfare when referring to legislation.

Hue

The pure color at the base of all variations of a color

Value

Describes the lightness or darkness of a color

Tint

Lighter value of a hue created by adding white

Shade

Darker value of a hue created by adding black

Intensity or Saturation

Describes the brightness or dullness of a color (purity). Hues are at full intensity.

Tone

The duller or desaturated version of a hue created by adding gray. To make a hue duller by adding gray

Color Wheel

A diagram of the spectrum of hues in a continuous circle representing their relationship to each other.

Primary Colors

The three hues red, yellow, and blue which form the foundation of the color wheel and from which all other hues are made.

Secondary Colors

Hues created by mixing two primary hues. They are: orange, violet, and green

Tertiary Colors

Hues created by mixing a primary heu and a secondary hue. The tertiary colors are red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet.

Cool Colors

The colors from green through blue to violet on the color wheel. These colors remind us of water and sky. They seem to recede and are calming and soothing.

Warm Colors

The colors from yellow through orange to red on the color wheel. These colors remind us of sun and fire. They seem to advanced and are energizing.

Color Scheme (color story)

A choice of colors to be used in combination.

Color Harmony

Coloro combinations based on color wheel relationships which are widely considered to create pleasing and balanced color schemes.

Analogous Colors

Hues located next to each other on the color wheel.

Complementary Colors

Hues located opposite each other on the color wheel.

Neutrals

Colors with no hue; such as black, white, gray, brown, tan, ivory, beige.

Monochromatic

Refers to only one color including its variations in value and intensity.

Metamerism

Occurs when a color appears different under one light source than it does under another.

Elements of Design

The tools used to achieve the principles of design.

Line

The most basic element of design that connects two dots.

Form

An element of design that has shape and volume.

Shape

An element of design that lies within boundaries of a line.

Space

The area around or inside of a form.

Texture

An element of design that relates to how something feels or appears to feel.

Pattern

The repetition of a design in an orderly manner.

Color

The most important element of design.

Principles of Design

Guidlines designers use to create good design using the elements of design.

Balance

A principle of design where the elements are in equilibrium.

Symterical (Formal) Balance

Identical proportion and arrangement of objects on both sides of a center point.

Asymetrical (informal) Balance

Arrangement of different but equivalent objects on each side of a center point

Emphasis

A principle of design that is the focal point

Rhythm

A principle of design where an element is repeated or altered to create visual movement.

Scale

A principle of design where the size of objects must be in agreement with each other.

Proportion

A principle of design of the ratio of an object to part of the object.

Golden Mean

Proportions that are unequal ratios are more pleasing than ratios are more pleasing than ratios that are equal.

Variety

A principle of design where change is made to part of a design to keep a design from being boring.

Unity

A principle of design where a common characteristic creates a feeling of cohesiveness.

Harmony

The end result when the elements and principles work together to create aesthetically pleasing design.

Construction Documents

The contracts, drawings, and specifications requirements for a new construction project or remodel project. Drawings offer precise, technical information and include floor plans. elevations, sections and detail drawings.

Print

A copy of a construction drawing

Architectural Symbol

A symbolic representation of a building element used on drawings showing its placement in relatioship to other elements in the structure.

Section View

A portion of the set of construction plans that shows a section or cut through of the structure. In section view, you will see the composition of the wall, floor and roof framing systems. This is helpful for the contractor constructing the structure because they know in detail exactly what the architect had in mind.

Detail View

This view shows a detail of the plan that has been magnified for closer inspection of its construction elements. This aids the contractor in knowing the specific details the architect wished to include in the contructruction of the structure.