When it comes to business, keeping up an appearance is often as essential as a company’s internal operations. This makes way for an escalating demand for business interior gurus in the corporate world.
Home to a rising majority of the middle class with accelerating disposable incomes, India has shown tremendous opportunity in the interior designing market which has seen consistent growth in the past decade. A recent and exciting trend has been a shift in focus from only household projects to big corporate offices, catering specially to business needs.
While the company brand maybe an intangible asset, the company can still project its brand image and personality with the help of a tangible asset — the office(s).
From impressing clients with an elegant and classy set-up in the office area to boosting the morale of employees with bright, fun and vibrant interior designs, businesses can hugely benefit from emphasising interior design. Corporations like Google and Zomato, both served by SKV Studios, are known for creating a brilliant and conducive environment for employees and displaying the creative side of their brands through innovative office design.
As more and more companies hire business interior experts to enhance their brand image and productivity, the market opens up exciting career opportunities for design management professionals.
In SKK, for instance, services range from interior designing and decorating, renovation to relocation management and entail a diverse selection of jobs for architects, designers, art directors, constructors and many more.
Interior designer: . Business interior designing includes working hand-in-hand with architects of an office building to build and design the internal structure and placement. This involves attention to both style and work management while constructing the basic layout for any business.
A good knowledge of architecture and building measurements are required for such positions. A background in engineering, as well as one in fashion, with specialisation in interior designing, is a bonus.
Interior and art decorator: Often, many confuse the work of an interior designer with that of an interior decorator. While the former is more about structuring and making a difference in the internal architectural design, interior and art decoration focuses on customising and filling in the inner space, instead.
This includes selection of furniture, tiles, paintings and many other show pieces to adorn the walls and floor. Spacing and placement of these items, especially furniture and integral components like computers and operating systems, is part of the job description.
Creative people, with an eye for detail, are ideal for such jobs. An education in fashion with specialisation in interior decoration and some form of experience in art direction is desirable.
Refurbishment expert: It could be a recommendation by a Feng Shui expert or even a design psychologist. Or, the business management might simply desire a change. Nonetheless, refurbishment is an important function of any business interior designing firm.
You can customise your workplace to suit the occupants’ needs and also analyse how a change in placement of work equipment can increase productivity. At the same time, you can concentrate on the psychology of colours to repaint and revamp the entire office. Though the job description may be similar to interior and art decorators, the thinking involved is different. Often, Feng Shui and design psychologists work with decorators to achieve results.
Coordinator: One of the major factors differentiating an interior designing house project from a business interior project is the vastness of the operations in terms of size, quantity and budget allocation. At this point, the role of a consultant during construction becomes exceedingly important.
Resolution of contractor issues, mediating and coordinating between various parties involved in the completion of a project and an overall supervisory role are that of a construction coordinator. Perhaps, the most important function of coordinators, from the point of view of a business, is the reduction in escalating costs and timely completion of projects. Basics of engineering and a financial management background are required.
Entrepreneur: If you have sufficient experience in interior designing, then becoming an entrepreneur is ideal. Find a sincere team of architects, designers and managers who share your vision and you can be successful.
The writer is founder and managing director,
Studiokon Ventures.
