# 175 | Design Skills Series: 6 Skills Interior Designers Need (That Aren’t Taught in Design School) Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-curious-interior-design-career-and-business-podcast-5636334/175-design-skills-series-6-skills-interior-designers-need-that-aren-t-taught-in-design-school Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-curious-interior-design-career-and-business-podcast-5636334/175-design-skills-series-6-skills-interior-designers-need-that-aren-t-taught-in-design-school.md Podcast: [Design Curious | Interior Design Career and Business Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-curious-interior-design-career-and-business-podcast-5636334) Published: 2026-01-26T12:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/designcurious/episodes/175--Design-Skills-Series-6-Skills-Interior-Designers-Need-That-Arent-Taught-in-Design-School-e3dbk7s Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/ab7989ec/podcast/play/113675964/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-0-8%2F8e18f8fb-597a-34e2-4122-3311f3081dca.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/design-curious-interior-design-career-and-business-podcast-5636334/episodes/175-design-skills-series-6-skills-interior-designers-need-that-aren-t-taught-in-design-school Duration seconds: 963 ## Resource If you’ve ever wondered why design school didn’t quite prepare you for the real world of interior design, you’re not imagining it. I hear this all the time—from designers who invested years (and money) into a degree, and from those who skipped school altogether and worry they’re already behind. The truth is, many of the skills required to run a successful interior design business are not taught in the classroom. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what actually matters once you leave school and step into real client work. These are the foundational skills that determine whether your business thrives or struggles. And no, they’re not about picking the perfect sofa or designing custom furniture—although those matter too. My promise is simple: I want to help you identify the other skills you need to develop—skills that design school often overlooks—so you can create a strong foundation, run a profitable interior design business, and enjoy a sustainable, fulfilling career doing what you love. What You’ll Learn in This Episode ✔️ Why business skills are non-negotiable for residential interior designers ✔️ How understanding pricing, margins, and markup protects your profitability ✔️ What it really means to create a luxury client experience ✔️ How technology, AI, and systems can support (not replace) your creativity ✔️ Why branding and storytelling matter more than graphic design alone ✔️ How leadership and decision-making shape client trust and confidence ✔️ The personal skills that help designers manage time, overwhelm, and growth Read the Blog >>> 6 Skills Interior Designers Need That Design School Doesn’t Teach NEXT STEPS: 🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start developing the skills that truly set you apart. 👉 https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ Che… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/design-curious-interior-design-career-and-business-podcast-5636334/episodes/175-design-skills-series-6-skills-interior-designers-need-that-aren-t-taught-in-design-school/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-curious-interior-design-career-and-business-podcast-5636334/175-design-skills-series-6-skills-interior-designers-need-that-aren-t-taught-in-design-school.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.