Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Interior Design Student Intern

🎯 Role Definition

The Interior Design Student Intern supports the design team by assisting with concept development, space planning, materials and finishes selection, and the production of design documentation. This role is ideal for current interior design or architecture students seeking hands-on experience preparing construction drawings, mood boards, renderings, and client presentation materials while learning firm processes, vendor coordination, and project administration.

Key search terms: interior design intern, student intern, design intern, AutoCAD intern, Revit student, SketchUp intern, mood boards, FF&E sourcing, space planning, CAD drafting, 3D rendering.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Interior Design Student (undergraduate or graduate)
Architecture Student or Architectural Technology Student
Visual Merchandising or Set Design Student

Advancement To:

Junior Interior Designer
Design Assistant / Project Designer
Interior Design Project Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

Exhibit/Display Designer
Set Designer or Prop Designer
Retail Visual Merchandiser

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Assist lead designers with the creation of concept development materials, including mood boards, color studies, finish palettes, and inspirational imagery that translate high-level ideas into cohesive interior schemes.
Produce and revise AutoCAD and Revit drawings (floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, elevations, and basic details) under supervision to support schematic and design development phases.
Generate 3D models and visualizations using SketchUp, Rhino, 3ds Max or Revit and create photorealistic renderings with V-Ray, Lumion, or Enscape to communicate design intent to clients and internal teams.
Prepare client presentation boards and digital slide decks that combine plans, elevations, renderings, material samples, and narrative descriptions for design reviews.
Conduct site measurements and field verification, create accurate as-built sketches or redlines, and document existing conditions for project records and design coordination.
Source materials, finishes, furniture, lighting, and accessories (FF&E) from vendor catalogs and sample libraries, including price-checking and compiling options for lead designer evaluation.
Maintain physical and digital material libraries, organize samples and swatches, and catalog supplier details to speed up specification and selection processes.
Assist in preparing scaled physical models and concept mock-ups to test spatial arrangements, material relationships, and lighting concepts.
Support the preparation of specifications and product schedules, including basic cost estimates and lead time research to inform project budgets and procurement timelines.
Coordinate with vendors, fabricators, and contractors for sample requests, quote follow-ups, and delivery tracking, escalating issues to project leads as needed.
Help produce detailed construction documents and drawing sets, ensuring consistency with firm standards and clarity for contractors and vendors.
Participate in client meetings, take meeting minutes, and produce follow-up action items to ensure design direction and deliverables are tracked and implemented.
Assist with lighting plans, fixture selection, and simple electrical coordination as part of schematic design and FF&E documentation.
Conduct product research for sustainable materials, compliance with building codes or accessibility standards (e.g., ADA considerations), and incorporate findings into proposals.
Contribute to cost-control efforts by compiling material pricing, tracking changes to specified products, and documenting alternates to maintain budget alignment.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (architects, mechanical/electrical consultants, landscape designers) to coordinate spatial, programmatic, and technical requirements.
Support project administration tasks such as organizing project files, maintaining drawing revision logs, and uploading documents to project management platforms or BIM environments.
Assist in photographic documentation of installed projects for firm portfolios, case studies, and social media content, including staging and basic photo editing.
Prepare permit application packages or submittals by assembling required drawings, narratives, and product cut sheets as directed by the project lead.
Implement quality-control checks on drawings and presentations to ensure typographic consistency, line weights, annotation clarity, and correct scale usage.
Shadow senior designers to learn client relationship management, pricing strategies, negotiation with suppliers, and the overall project life cycle from concept through installation.
Support marketing and business development activities by creating sample boards, shop drawings, and concept visuals for proposals, interviews, and competitions.

Secondary Functions

Assist in organizing and tagging digital assets and project files for easy retrieval and firm knowledge management.
Help maintain and update the firm's social media and portfolio with project progress photos and intern-produced renderings.
Provide administrative support for procurement tasks such as tracking purchase orders, coordinating deliveries, and managing return logistics for samples.
Participate in internal design critiques and learning sessions, offering constructive feedback on peer work and absorbing best practices.
Help coordinate site visits, client walkthroughs, and field inspections; prepare brief reports and highlight issues that require design team attention.
Research emerging materials, technologies, and sustainability best practices and prepare short briefs to inform the design team’s strategy.
Assist with mock-up installations and installation-day support, including onsite coordination with installers and quality verification.
Support vendor showroom visits and client shopping appointments by preparing schedules, note-taking, and follow-up documentation.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient in AutoCAD for 2D drafting and construction documentation.
Familiarity with Revit for basic BIM modeling and schematic-level documentation.
Ability to produce 3D models and renderings using SketchUp, Rhino, 3ds Max, Enscape, or Lumion.
Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop for image editing, InDesign for presentation layouts, and Illustrator for vector graphics.
Experience creating mood boards, material boards, and FF&E schedules.
Accurate site measuring, as-built documentation, and familiarity with creating measured drawings.
Basic knowledge of architectural and interior building codes, accessibility guidelines (e.g., ADA), and permit submittal processes.
Competence in preparing finish schedules, specification sheets, and product cut sheets.
Understanding of color theory, space planning principles, ergonomics, and human-centered design.
Strong model-making skills—both digital and physical—plus basic woodworking or prototyping techniques.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for reporting, schedules, and presentations.
Basic cost-estimating skills and vendor price-comparison techniques for FF&E and materials procurement.
Experience with digital asset management and cloud-based project platforms (Dropbox, Google Drive, Asana, BIM 360).

Soft Skills

Excellent visual communication and storytelling abilities to translate design ideas into persuasive presentations and boards.
Strong attention to detail with an eye for proportions, finish transitions, and construction tolerances.
Effective verbal and written communication for client interactions, meeting notes, and inter-disciplinary coordination.
Time management and organizational skills to juggle multiple projects, deadlines, and sample requests.
Team-oriented mindset with the ability to accept feedback, prioritize tasks, and learn quickly from senior staff.
Creative problem-solving and resourcefulness when sourcing alternatives, resolving design conflicts, or responding to budget constraints.
Professionalism and client-facing poise during showroom visits, presentations, and site inspections.
Adaptability to fast-paced design environments and willingness to work on both conceptual and production-level tasks.
Curiosity and proactive research skills to stay current on trends, materials, and sustainability practices.
Basic negotiation and vendor communication skills to support procurement and lead-time management.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program in Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Architecture, or closely related design field.

Preferred Education:

Progress toward or completion of an accredited Interior Design degree (NCIDQ-track programs preferred).
Coursework in CAD/BIM, lighting, materials & finishes, sustainable design, and building systems.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Interior Design / Interior Architecture
Architecture / Architectural Technology
Industrial Design, Visual Merchandising, or Set Design

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0 to 2 years (student or early-career internship experience; portfolio required)

Preferred:

1+ prior internship or part-time studio experience with demonstrated project work included in a portfolio (schematics, plans, renderings, mood boards, and documentation).
Strong digital portfolio showcasing CAD drawings, 3D models, renderings, and material selection examples.

If you’d like, I can convert this into an ATS-optimized job posting, a condensed job ad for social media, or generate a sample interview question set and evaluation rubric for interior design student interns.