Interior Design to UX Design: User-centered at their essence.

Why UX?

Despite my success in interior design, I felt a growing desire to make a broader impact through my work. With curiosity at work again, it led me to explore User Experience (UX) design, a field that intrigued me with its potential to enhance human experiences digitally. The decision to transition was of course filled with uncertainties: Could I adapt to a new discipline? Would it be as fulfilling as my current role? Was it worth leaving a well-established career?

To help answer some questions I reached out to professionals in the field to gain insight into day to day requirements and experiences of a UX designer. After much research, I realized that both interior design and UX design share a common goal: to create user-centered environments that enhance experiences. This insight encouraged me to take the plunge into UX design, viewing it as an extension of my existing skills rather than a completely new beginning.

Bridging Two Disciplines: Interior Design and UX Design

The principles of interior design and UX design, while applied in different contexts, have much in common. Here are some key parallels and distinctions:

For instance, my experience in spatial planning involved conducting client and user interviews, gathering business requirements, and conducting thorough spatial and contextual investigations (such as site measurements and analysis). These skills seamlessly transitioned into the research phase of UX projects. I discovered that UX design goes beyond aesthetics; it requires coordinating multiple stakeholders and understanding the needs of not only end users but also business and technical requirements.

In interior design, I focused on creating functional and beautiful spaces for specific end users while balancing the needs of stakeholders like architects, service engineers and contractors. In UX design, my focus shifted to creating intuitive digital experiences for a broader audience, always keeping user needs at the forefront. But we need a foundation to build from! Both fields rely on detailed briefs to guide projects. In interior design, a brief outlines the project's scope, purpose, and constraints. In UX design, user research fulfils this role, providing insights into user behaviours and preferences that shape the design process.

To communicate our design ideas for interiors to other stakeholders, Moodboards are used to convey the aesthetic, feel and material quality of a space. Similarly, UX designers use design systems, which include reusable components and guidelines, to ensure consistency across digital products. During the planning and execution phases, technical drawings such as floor plans, sections and elevations are essential in interior design for visualizing spaces and communicating design requirements to other disciplines. In UX design, wireframes serve a similar purpose, outlining the structure and functionality of digital interfaces.

Lastly, for interiors 3D models and renders help designers and clients visualize final designs, making necessary adjustments before implementation. In UX design, prototypes allow for early testing and refinement, ensuring that the final product meets user needs.