Interior design concerns itself with more than just the visual or ambient enhancement of an interior space, it seeks to optimize and harmonize the uses to which the interior environment will be put.
Many factors come into play in formulating the design solution. There is the space itself–its dimensions and construction–with its potential and its limitations. There is how the space will be used–for work or leisure, entertainment or worship, healing or learning.
There is the meaning of the space, what it signifies–be it power, authority, security, wisdom, achievement, playfulness or serenity.
There are practical considerations, like ease of access, amount of light, acoustics, seating and places to store or set things down. There are health and safety considerations, attention to special needs and more.
Approaches to Interior Design
The following are not design specialties but rather approaches to design that cut across design specialties.
Sustainable Design
Also referred to as “green” design or “eco-design,” sustainable design is concerned with the environmental/ecological, economic, ethical and social aspects and impacts of design.
Universal Design
An extension of “barrier-free” design, universal design employs products and solutions originally developed for individuals with disabilities to increase ease of use, access, safety and comfort for all users.
Source: American Society of Interior Designers