Interior Design

Interior Design is the discipline concerned with shaping the internal environments where people live, work, learn and spend their leisure time. It goes well beyond decoration to engage with questions of spatial planning, light, acoustics, material specification, circulation and the psychological effects of built environments on the people who inhabit them. Good interior design requires a synthesis of creative vision and technical understanding, as well as empathy with the needs and experiences of the people a space is designed to serve.

It is a field that touches residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, healthcare and cultural spaces, each with its own distinct set of requirements and aesthetic possibilities.

At York St John University this three-year full-time degree takes you through a progressive development of skills and knowledge, beginning in your first year with exploration of design possibilities and the foundations of spatial thinking. In your second year you will apply your knowledge in increasingly professional contexts, and your final year will allow you to define your individual creative direction and develop your signature approach. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and a work placement, giving you substantial opportunity to gain real professional experience, international exposure and industry contacts alongside your academic studies.

Graduates from Interior Design degrees go on to careers across a wide range of contexts. Many find roles as interior designers or spatial designers in studios working across residential, commercial and hospitality sectors. Others work in retail and display design, set and production design, exhibition design, wayfinding and environmental branding, or move into property development and project management roles.

The creative, technical and professional skills the degree develops also transfer well into related fields such as architecture, product design and user experience. Postgraduate study in interior design, architecture, spatial design or related creative disciplines is an option for those wishing to develop their practice further.