Paper is an attempt to define the role and importance of Interior Design as a profession in improving quality of built spaces.

1. Good Global Practices in Interior Design Teaching
and Learning
Ar Jit Kumar Gupta
Founder Director, College of Architecture,IET , Bhaddal, Punjab
jit.kumar1944@gmail.com
Leveraged by the need for promoting effective use of interior spaces coupled
with creating appropriate environment for ensuring well-being of users and
making interior spaces functionally more efficient and aesthetically more
pleasant , profession of interior design has gained high degree of currency in
the parlance of built environment. The profession has genesis in the
development of society, emerging awareness about the role and importance of
interior spaces, innovating on new industrial products and the growth of large
typology of buildings, which have commercial and social implications. Looking
at the entire context, Interior design has emerged as the art and science of
enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more
aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. In order to
make profession highly relevant to the context, it becomes all the more
important that the profession is critically and objectively looked at in terms of
teaching and learning in order to make it morefocussed to the emerging needs
of creating quality indoor spaces within the buildings.
Considering the fact that Interior design is a multifaceted profession involving
conceptual development, space planning, site inspections, programming,
research, communicating with the stakeholders , construction management,
and execution of the design, institutions of excellence imparting education in
interior design, are trying to focus on skilling and creating core competencies
among students to promote thinking, dedication, self-discipline for evolving
state of the art interior design solutions. These solutions are based on the
premise of connecting with people, spaces and ecology besides understanding
relationship between people and spaces; between spaces and communities;
between communities and ecology / sustainability. Education also envisions
promoting knowledge of research methodologies, consultancy projects, and
knowledge about industry, organizations and procedures related to interior
design.
Since quality of profession largely depends upon the quality of education
imparted accordingly, education related to interior design must focus on
creating real life solutions, which students are required to do in profession. It

2. must have a large practical focus supported by the theoretical concepts.
Learning by doing should be the motive of teaching learning process in the
institutions of interior design. Project based approach will make learning more
effective and efficient. Students must be given vast exposure to emerging
construction technologies; new materials; new concept in lighting; genesis of
the colours and their impact on human psychology; study of human anatomy
and the factors impacting human behaviour; landscaping including plants
their growth, role and function;metals and their properties; role of paintings
in enhancing the value of interiors; designing surfaces; study of building
anatomy including role of walls, floors, roof, openings, storage etc.
Study must also include creating virtual interiors in the studio besides making
them greenand sustainable. Learning and mastering Free hand drawings and
sketching would help in making value addition to the study of interior
designing and communicating with the clients about the design solutions.
Further the teaching and learning of interior design should be based on
innovating and experimentation. Learning the historical growth of interior
design will be valuable so as to understand the ethnic context of the interior
design.
Students must be made to learn and invent different approaches prevalent in
the parlance of interior design. Making studies of interiors of old Havelis,
Forts, monuments, palaces, tribal housing, religious buildings, both in urban
and rural context , must be made integral part of studies.
Site visits and tour to historical places should form an important agenda of
interior design teaching and learning. The entire course of study should be
divided into Core and other subjects. Core subjects should include design and
construction, which should be followed in all the four years of study and
should have more study hours devoted along with the credits. Building
materials study should be supplemented with creating material labs and
workshops in order to make students understand the genesis, qualities,
strength and limitations of the material. Similarly lab for landscape should also
be developed focussing on both indoor and outdoor plants.
Focus of education should also be on documenting good practices followed in
interior design at local, regional, state, national and global level and should
form an important part of study so as to create a vocabulary of interior
design.
Holding Ideas competition on regular basis in interior design should be made
regular feature of studies in order to promote thinking and encouraging

3. innovations and new ideas to promote quality education. Faculty selected
should be from profession with quality work already executed.
Length of courseleading to Degree inInterior Designshouldbe of Four years
duration, dividedintoeight semesters, withentry level qualificationfixedas
10+2, with minimum fifty percent marks in aggregate with
physics/chemistry/maths/finearts as the subject, duly supplemented by an
aptitude test- which could be introduced now or later on. Institutions should
also be allowed to run Diploma course of three year duration in Interior
Design, after 10th with 50% marks at the entry level with science subjects.
Diploma students should be permitted lateral entry in second year, if they wish
to persue degree course after completing diploma.
Keeping in view the above, following approaches are suggested for promoting
quality education in interior design:
i. Evolution of Studio Culture :
Making studio as the hub of interior design teaching learning with
students working in studios on real life projects and projects which
are relevant to the objectives of interior design.
ii. Experimental Learning, involving :
a. Hands on application of concepts or ideas
b. Learning from experience as opposed to theories
c. Applied learning outside classrooms
iii. Teaching based on undertaking projects of all scales – learning by
doing
iv. Organising Workshops- On crafting of functional objects- model
making/ interior designing/ construction skills/ graphics, etc.
v. Developing Global Perspective
vi. Promoting Education based on providing knowledge of both
theoretical and practical tools - to ensure higher learning and better
employment.
vii. Promoting Learning with Commitment - to society, environment,
accessibility and sustainability..
viii. Making Education Broadbased - by working transversely at different
levels i.e. subjects to be taught in a cross cutting/ transversal manner
for better understanding / interaction with other professions.
ix. Providing State of Art Infrastructure – soft and hard for promoting
excellence in learning.

4. x. Making students learn advanced technologies- through
a. How to make scaled models.
b. Using laser cutting machines
c. Using Computer controlled machines ( CNC)
d. Making volumetric models
xi. Creating Core Competency in students by re-orienting teaching and
learning process to develop:
a. Personal Competency- critical thinking, creativity, ability to plan
and organise, team work, leadership, self-discipline, dedication,
analysis, synthesis, skills etc.
b. Special Competency
1. Ability to create interior designs with functions/ aesthetics
2. Ability to perceive and understand relation between space
people, buildings , environment and society.
3. Knowledgeof research methods and consultancy projects.
4. Knowledgeof physicalproblems and various technologies.
xii. Organising Study Tours/ Visits to historical places of professional
importance on regular basis.
xiii. Promoting Interface with Institutions of Excellence in Interior
Design - Locally, nationally and globally
xiv. Making Research and Development integral part of teaching and
learning.
xv. Hiring highly experienced anddedicated faculty for interacting with
students
xvi. Recognising and awarding merit amongst Students and Faculty - to
promote quality, innovations in learning and teaching.
xvii. Promoting high degree of interface betweenIndustry and Academia
-for making interior design education relevant to changing needs of
profession, society, technology, etc.
xviii. Promoting exchange of Students and Faculty with International
Institutions of Excellence
xix. Focusing on process rather than on product – in the Learning
Processes/Methodology - to make education objective and
focussed.
xx. Making students active partners in teaching –learning process by
making students integral part of teaching process

5. xxi. Making Education output rather than input based - with teaching
re-oriented with focus on student’s learning rather than on
teacher’s output
xxii. Making Classroom a researchlabwhere self -learning of student is
promoted by experimenting and innovating
xxiii. Promoting researchand experimentationinthe teaching – learning
process
xxiv. Providing options in learning based on students capacity- liking,
understanding etc to make optimum use of his skills
xxv. Education focussing on skilling student -- to appropriately take
care of professional responsibilities
xxvi. Making student understand his role and responsibility to
community, society, state and environment besides promoting
sustainability
xxvii. Making student understand and appreciate the entire gamut of
building anatomy , its impact on human living and options for
making optimum useof nature and its renewable resources to create
healthy and productive buildings .
xxviii. Training of Faculties- Education must focus on training the five
faculties of human beings- hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting ,
analysing – to understand, appreciate and differentiate between
good and bad interiors besides what makes good and bad interiors.
xxix. Evolving standards for planning and designing interiors
xxx. Study of rating of Green Interiors- IGBC, LEED, GRIHA- to have best
indoor quality
xxxi. Study of Building Services- HVAC, Electrical, PH,lifts etc to be made
integral part of study.
xxxii. Creating dedicated labs and workshops – for materials, industrial
products, metals, wood , plants, colours, furniture etc