Expert: Bob - 1/6/2010

Question
Hi brother Bob,
My name is Prakash. I am working as Desktop Support Engineer in a private concern. I am B.Sc(CS) degree holder. I have planned to change my career in Interior Designing. I need your help. I want to become an Interior Designer. Cause i would like to do own business in Interior field with my father's support. Moreover my father is a carpenter. He has studied only 4 th standard. I must do something to be proud to my father in this Interior design field. We are going to make this as our family business in 1 year. My brother also working with my father.

Please help me to acheive my aim.  

My question is:
1. I am using Autocad 2004.I want to know space planning and how to apply the real measurement in autocad. That means: How to measure a room? and How to apply that measurement in Autocad at the same time.(Scale Concept)

Thanks in advance brother Bob.. I welcome all the suggestions from your side.


Answer
Hi --

Good luck on becoming an Interior Designer. Sorry, I do not advertise myself as a career counselor, but I  CAN say:
1- I am presuming you are in India (Name is commonly Indian, and your English is not American)-- but wherever you are, you need to check on local customs, schools, etc. The profession is different in different countries, and even within countries. Use search engines to check out the profession in your area, look for professional organizations and schools. Then MEET some local designers who will give you a few ideas on how to start.
2- I personally consider an Interior Designer to be ONLY someone who has gone to a proper school, learned the history of design, how to space plan, how to budget, etc, etc --- people who are unschooled are decorators or remodelers, to me. Again, this is LOCAL, and I cannot sit in Los Angeles and tell you what to do where you are.
3- There are plenty of books on design which are useful to be adapted to any local situation, as well as good magazines in English and other languages.

Furthermore, your initiative in finding your own local answers is the kind of initiative one needs to be successful.

As for the AutoCAD question --- scale is not involved in drawing. One draws only at full size. Scale is involved in printing. (Some people draw to scale, out of outmoded habits, from before modern AutoCAD. This is extremely basic -- if you are going to use AutoCAD, get a good book and study the basics.

Good Luck

BOB