Interior Designer Interview Questions & Answers

Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items.

Interviewers look for candidates who demonstrate excellent skills such as:

• Creativity
• Artistic ability
• Attention to detail
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Visualization skills

In this blog, we discuss commonly asked interview questions during job interviews for interior designer positions. We also discuss the qualities that interviewers look for in successful candidates. In other words, we’re here to help you out!

Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Skills Interviewers Look For In Successful Candidates

Below we discuss the skills that you can highlight in your answers to demonstrate that you’re qualified for the job.

Artistic ability

Why the interviewer is interested in your artistic ability:

Interior designers use their sense of style to develop aesthetically pleasing designs.

Creativity

Why the interviewer is interested in your creative skills:

Interior designers need to be imaginative in selecting furnishings and fabrics and in creating functional spaces that serve the client’s needs and fit the client’s lifestyle.

Attention to detail

Why the interviewer is interested in your attention to detail:

Interior designers need to be precise in measuring interior spaces and creating drawings so that their drawings can be used by workers such as engineers or other designers.

Interpersonal skills

Why the interviewer is interested in your interpersonal skills:

Interior designers need to be able to communicate effectively with clients and others. They spend much of their time soliciting new clients and new work and collaborating with other designers, engineers, and general building contractors on ongoing projects.

Related: Interior Designer Interview Questions & Answers

Problem-solving skills

Why the interviewer is interested in your problem-solving skills:

Interior designers must address challenges, such as construction delays or unavailability of certain materials, while keeping the project on time and within budget.

Learn more about problem-solving interview questions and how to answer them!

Visualization

Why the interviewer is interested in your visualization skills:

Interior designers need a strong sense of proportion and visual awareness in order to understand how the pieces of a design will fit together to create the intended environment.

(source: bls.gov)

Interior Designers Job Interview Questions & Answers

During a job interview, the hiring manager wants to discuss several things. Think of your:

• Employment history
• Skills and abilities
• Accomplishments
• Job qualifications
• Educational background
• Career goals
• Personality

Below you find a list of commonly asked interview questions.

Examples Of General Interior Designer Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How would you describe yourself?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What interests you about this position?
5. Walk me through your resume.
6. What motivates you?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Describe your work ethic.
9. What is your greatest strength?
10. How does your experience qualify you for this job?
11. What is your greatest weakness?
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
13. Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
14. What are your expectations for this position?
15. What are your career goals?
16. Why should we hire you?
17. What did you like most about your last position?
18. What did you like least about your last position?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Learn how to answer these common job interview questions!

Examples Of Specific Interior Designer Behavioral Interview Questions

Learn more about answering behavioral interview questions by using the STAR interview technique.

1. As an interior designer, what is your biggest accomplishment?
2. Tell me about a time you fell behind on schedule. What did you do?
3. What is your experience with In-design / AutoCad (or any other required software skill)?
4. Walk me through your design process. Where do you start?
5. Describe a time you fell behind on schedule. How did you recover?
6. Where do you get your inspiration and ideas for new designs?
7. How do you use your sense of style to develop aesthetically pleasing designs?
8. Which do you consider more important: aestheticism or functionality? Did you ever have to compromise one for the other?
9. What questions do you typically ask clients before starting your work? How do their answers factor into your design decisions?
10. What is your specialty as an interior designer?
11. Who is your favorite interior designer? Why do you like their designs?
12. How do you make sure that you communicate effectively with clients and others involved in a project?
13. Describe a time you went above and beyond to get the job done.
14. Tell me about a successful teamwork experience. What made it a success?
15. Describe the most challenging project you have worked on.
16. What do you think are essential skills for an interior designer to be successful?
17. Which of your prior work experience will help you most in this position?
18. Say a client is constantly rejecting your designs. How would you handle this situation?
19. How do you ensure that you finalize and deliver your work on schedule?
20. What is your opinion on sustainable design?
21. Which design in your portfolio are you most proud of?

Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer during your job interview.