Thinking to study interior design in 2026? A guide to choosing the right path.

Interior design is often reduced to making spaces look pretty and put together, but anyone who has seriously explored the field knows it goes far beyond choosing colors or arranging furniture.

Fundamentally, interior design exists to shape how people experience spaces (including how they move, feel, work, rest, and connect within them). Because interior design is a real career, it's important to know what are the paths to becoming a designer, and which one makes more sense  depending on your lifestyle, needs and goals.

For someone who is wanting to pursue a career in interior design, the questions are typically:

“What type of program should I enroll in?"

"Do I need formal education?"

"Can I study online?"

"Can I become a self-taught interior designer?"

The truth is that there are so many ways to building a career in interior design, but all paths look different and they come with advantages and disadvantages. Let's explore them:

Pursing formal education

This is the professional path, meaning you will actually enroll in interior design school, pay tuition and graduate with a Certificate, Diploma or Bachelor's Degree. Now, here's the tricky part - which school and which program to choose?

Here's my recommendation:

If you want to work at an established design firm or architecture studio, most likely you will need a Diploma or a Bachelor's Degree. You can check job posts in your area to see what are companies looking for. Moreover, some companies will ask candidates to have studied at CIDA-accredited institutions, which means that there is a third party (CIDA) overlooking their curriculums and making sure that the programs are up to date and adhering to industry standards.

It's a personal choice whether you want to study at a accredited or non-accredited institution and there are other factors to take into consideration such as price, program content, location, reviews, etc. 

You might also notice that some institutes have different programs with different durations (1, 2 or 4 years). Some people decide to enroll in a one-year program before commiting to a 4-year Bachelor's Degree or even a 2-year Diploma program.

Taking a certificate is also a great way to dip your feet in the water of interior design without spending so much money and time. Personally, this is the path that I took, and after I graduated I continued to pursue a Diploma (since it was a minimum requirement to work at most design companies in Canada).

Studying interior design online

With the world changing quickly, people want to do it all online, and I get it, it's convenient. However, I must warn you that online programs must be carefully researched before enrolling. Looking at reviews, speaking to others that have taken those programs and asking questions about the content and derivables of the course is very important. Sadly, some online programs end up being scams or not even close to what they promise (yes, I have heard horror stories).

This is not to say that all online programs are bad. In fact, I have taken online courses (not related to interior design specifically) and have enjoyed and learned. But it's always important to do your due diligence to make sure you are signing up for something that is actually worth it. 

Self-learning interior design

Probably the less common path to a career in design is by self-learning. I have personally met designers who never went to school, and they run their own design businesses. Here's the thing: to open a design business you don't need to be a registered designer (which by the way you only get to become registered if you pursue a Bachelor's Degree or Diploma and then pass the NCIDQ examination). So, in short, anyone can open a design business, which is what some people do. 

This path is more challenging in the way that you might make mistakes that can cost you money and endanger people's lives. At the end of the day, designing spaces that are safe for people to use is something that has a level of complexity to it, which is why interior design programs exist. 

If you want to work for someone else, it gets more challenging without any sort of previous education or basic knowledge in design, because who wants to hire someone who doesn't have the knowledge or skills? No one.

If you still want to be self-taught (and later open a business or apply to design jobs) I would still recommend you to enroll in a short program to learn the basics and the foundations of interior design, this will ensure that you at least have the basics to space plan a room without embarrassing yourself in front of your boss or client.

Which ever path you take remember to learn these basics about design:

-Principles of Design

-Elements of Design

-Space Planning 

-Color Theory

-Design Theory

-Lighting in Interior Design

-Materials for Interior Design

-Construction Drawings

-Software Proficiency (Autocad, Sketchup or whatever is used in your country)

-Code Compliance in your area

-Basics of Construction

If you go to school, make sure you have classes covering those topics and if you don't go to school, get yourself some design books where you can learn those concepts. 

I hope this guide can help you make an informed decision. I wish you all the best in your design journey!