Which is the Best Interior Design Career Option: Freelancing or Firm Jobs?

Introduction

A career in Interior Design is now considered to be one of the most desirable career choices worldwide. In India too, interior design has emerged as a very lucrative career option. Major cities of India, such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, have the highest demand for Interior Designers. The enormous real estate expansion of these cities has contributed to the rise in demand for resident interior designers. As per a study by the World Bank, more than 40% of Indians will live in urban centers by 2030. Thus, demand for residential interior designers will see a massive jump in coming years. Interior designers can either work in a firm or do freelancing; find out the best career option for you:

All About Freelance Interior Design Career

As the name suggests, a freelance interior designer is a self-employed interior designer who does not work under anyone. Many interior designers want to be their boss, and for them freelancing is a very lucrative interior design career option.

How do Freelance Interior Designers Work?

Freelance interior designers primarily serve in 3 major ways:

Project Based Freelancers: Project-based freelancers randomly take up any interior design project, like residential or commercial, as per their choice

Self Employed Freelancers: Self Employed freelance interior designers set up their design studio. They hire a limited number of people temporarily for projects.

Independent Contractors: Freelance interior designers also work on a contract basis. They work for a few specific projects of design firms, construction companies, etc. 

How Free Lance Interior Designers Get Clients?

Social Media Marketing: Having a strong social media presence on Instagram, Houzz helps freelance interior designers get clients.

Client Referrals: When a client is satisfied with the freelance designer, they often refer them to others.

Networking: Freelance interior designers in major cities like Bangalore have built a strong network with real estate agents and developers, which helps them get clients

Pros of Freelancing Interior Design Jobs

Flexibility and Independence: Freelance interior designers can decide the number and type of interior design projects they want to work on.

Higher Income Potential: Freelance interior designers can undertake luxurious interior design projects in Bangalore to boost their earnings.

Creative Freedom: As freelance designers don’t work under anyone, they have a greater degree of creative freedom.

Cons of Freelancing Interior Design Jobs

Irregular Income: Many freelance interior designers in Bangalore have reported they do not get frequent clients. This hampers prospects of a stable income.

Difficult Marketing: As freelance designers don’t work for reputed interior design companies, marketing is often a challenging task.

High Competition: There are approximately 50,000 freelance interior designers in Bangalore, which makes it a very competitive field.

All About  Interior Design Career in a Firm

Interior Design firm job still remains the most popular career pathway for interior designers in Bangalore. More than 1,00,000 interior designers are employed in Bangalore in various companies. These companies undertake various projects ranging from residential to commercial.

Pros of pursuing an Interior Design job in the firm

Stable Salary and Benefits: Interior designers working in a firm get a stable salary ranging from 1.8 LPA to 10 LPA in Bangalore.

Structured Work Environment: The roles and responsibilities of each designer are clearly spelled out by the interior design companies.

Learning and Mentorship: Junior interior designers can learn a lot from seniors in interior design firms.

Cons of working in an Interior Design Firm

Limited Creative Freedom: In most design firms, the designers have to follow the company’s design guidelines, which limits their creative freedom

Fixed Work Schedule: 9 to 6 or 10 to 7 is the norm in every interior design firm.

Limited Earning Potential: Most designers are assigned counted projects in a month which restricts their earning potential.

Factors to be Considered before Choosing Freelancing or Firm Based Interior Design Job

Do you want Financial Stability?

For financial stability, going for an interior design firm job is the best. Almost all the interior design firms in Bangalore pay a fixed salary on a monthly basis.

How do you see Work Life Balance?

For work life balance, becoming a freelance interior designer is the best option. Freelancer designers get the luxury of choosing the number and types of projects they want to work on at a particular time.

What are your Aspirations?

If you want to build your brand, then becoming a freelance designer is the best option. While if you want senior roles in a design company, a firm-based job is the best.

Do you want Creative Freedom?

If you have a very expressive side to your design, then freelancing work gives you a creative freedom. While, if you work in a design firm, most of the time you will have to follow the design style of the company.

Are you willing to take the risk?

 If you don’t want to take career risk, then working in a firm is the best option, as it guarantees fixed income. Though freelancing is risky, it has a greater earning potential.

Currently, the hybrid model is in trend in Bangalore, where the designers go for a mix of both the approaches. It works in two ways, the first way is when an interior designer working in a firm leaves the job and starts freelancing. They can do a firm job and freelancing simultaneously as well.

In the second way, a freelance designer on the back of a strong work portfolio joins an interior design company. Freelancers typically join reputed firms for greater career prospects.

Frequently Asked Questions