Introduction to Interior Design will now be offered to students worldwide through the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID).

“The world is mobile,” said Ellen Fisher VP of academic affairs at NYSID. “Mobile technology has freed people to explore their interests and passion for design without requiring them to leave their employment or sacrifice family time. Interior design has become more familiar to many, many people, through the media. HGTV and specialty design shows, as well as sites such as HOUZZ have inspired people and captivated them. Design is fun, it’s enriching, it’s rewarding—you have a problem, you use your creativity and resourcefulness to solve it and add beauty, and at the end, you can inhabit your creation. What could be better? The online course will give individuals the chance to learn more about design.”

Beginning June 10 and running through July 19, the 6-session course is structured for anyone considering a career in interior design and whose schedule demands flexibility. The program has been designed by NYSID faculty member, Pedro Lima, NCIDQ Certified, ASID, MFA, Academy of Art University Online, BFA, Brigham Young University who maintains a practice as owner of Pedro Lima Design, LLC.

“Pedro Lima is the perfect instructor for the course—he holds an MFA in Interior architecture and design, is a past-president of ASID NY Metro chapter, is a New York State Certified Interior Designer, and has years of experience in teaching design studio and technical courses in an online and blended learning environment,” said Fisher. “Pedro is an expert in presenting information onsite and online, and NYSID is thrilled to have him as part of the college.”

Introduction to Interior Design will feature interviews, teachings and specific modules with many of NYSID’s accomplished faculty of interior designers, architects, visual artists, and art and design historians. The course provides a broad introduction to the profession and an overview of the education required.

“The online course allows students to attend class and learn about design from experts, but on their own time, at their own pace,” said Fisher. “Each week is broken down into sessions, there are six sessions within the course, and students have the entire week to watch the lectures, review the information, and work on the small residential project. It is an asynchronous course, meaning that there are no live meeting requirements. This provides enormous flexibility for learners. It’s a wonderful opportunity for people who either live too far to attend the class in person, or simply cannot take time away from their daily life to attend classes.”

Through class discussions and a short design project, students will be exposed to a range of topics including basic design elements, the use and application of color, space planning, selection of furniture, finishes, and textiles and design resources. This overview of the discipline and the education required introduces beginners to understanding and using color, the selection of furniture, finishes, textiles, and other fundamental design skills.

Students will design a living room step by step, including: understanding a client’s needs, creating a design concept, drawing a floor plan, sketching design ideas, selecting furniture and materials and creating inspirational montage boards. Weekly discussions with the instructor and fellow classmates will be lively, focused and interactive.

“In the coming year, we are planning to offer one of our specialized graduate programs in a distance-learning format with some intensive sessions on campus, to enable students from outside of NYC to further their education. The college is committed to supporting designers throughout their careers—from pre-college, through degrees, to continuing professional development.”

Additional information on the class as well as a form for registration can be found here.