3 Mistakes I Made at The Beginning of My Career — and What I Would Have Done Differently to Better Manage My Time as An Interior Designer

I have been an interior designer for 15 years.

And in that time, I have done a lot of cool things:

• designed the interior of a museum
• designed the interior of a music club
• designed the interior of a hotel
• created over 300 interiors of private houses

There is not much I would change about my journey.

But if I could go back, here are some of the mistakes I made when I started — and what I would have done differently:

1. I did not focus on the process

Interior design is a chain of sequential tasks.

Similar to machines in a factory, the following tasks are the assembly of the final product components, i.e., the interior design. It is a process that can be described, analyzed, and improved with each iteration.

All you need to do is write down the following steps and stare at them a bit when the project is complete.

2. I did not count my working time

Interior design is a profession at the intersection of technology and art, right?

So is it even possible to count and value creative work time? The first thing that comes to mind is a flash of inspiration over which we have no control — a seemingly immeasurable action.

But this is a fallacy.

Even if you do not know precisely how long a flash of inspiration takes, you can measure that time.

All you have to do is measure the time of your activities and stare at the data for a while.

3. I have not planned my actions

I thought an interior designer is an artist, like a painter or a writer.

I get up when I want and do what inspires me. A long breakfast, reading books, looking at catalogs, SEARCHING FOR INSPIRATION. These are everyday activities that fuel my creativity.

But are they really?

Preparing a project is like cooking. The client has ordered a specific dish. If you do not cut and mix in the pots, the customer will go to another restaurant, and you will starve.

All you have to do is write down what you will do and when you will do it. And then do it.

Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog