Interior Design

Interior design is the discipline concerned with shaping the spaces in which people live, work, and spend time. It combines aesthetic and spatial imagination with technical knowledge of materials, lighting, structure, and building regulations, and it requires designers to think simultaneously about how a space looks, how it functions, and how it feels to inhabit. From residential interiors and commercial offices to hotels, retail environments, and public buildings, interior designers translate ideas about human experience into built reality.

At Teesside University, this four-year full-time programme begins with a foundation year that builds the design, digital, and spatial skills you need before entering the main degree curriculum. In the foundation year, you will explore the fundamental principles of design and composition, develop your ability to create form and three-dimensional space, and gain confidence with graphics software and photographic source material. Across the full programme, you will deepen your design skills and technical knowledge, developing a professional portfolio that demonstrates your range and your emerging creative identity.

The programme includes a sandwich placement year and work placement opportunities, giving you direct professional experience in interior design practice and the industry connections that support career development.

Interior design graduates work in residential and commercial interior design practices, architecture firms, hospitality and hotel design, retail design agencies, set and exhibition design, and property development. Many graduates build independent practices or freelance careers alongside roles in studios and consultancies. The spatial thinking and visual problem-solving skills the degree develops are also relevant in adjacent fields including product design, furniture design, and architectural visualisation.

Further study at postgraduate level in interior design, spatial design, or architecture is an option for those who want to develop their practice or move into research and academic roles.