What You’ll Learn
- Why human insight remains essential in AI-assisted design workflows.
- How intentional upskilling helps designers guide AI with confidence.
- Practical ways to strengthen skills AI can’t replicate.
- Where AI supports design—and where human judgment must lead.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now becoming the norm in creative industries like interior design. Recent research from Houzz shows that the majority of designers are generally familiar with AI. Interestingly, that number drops when applying AI to design-specific workflows, highlighting the underlying need for more training around these tools.
Upskilling in AI isn’t about embellishing a resume with nice-to-haves, but a must for designers who want to maintain a competitive edge. These tools are constantly evolving, and the teams working alongside the technology have to grow with them. Here’s what designers need to know before embarking on their AI upskilling journey. They can start by narrowing their expectations—recognizing that no single model will solve every design task.
1. Micro Focus Has Macro Impact
First, understand what not to do when learning the ropes of AI. Don’t make the mistake of diving in with an “everything, everywhere, all at once” mentality. This approach doesn’t necessarily guarantee tangible results, and it will surely lead to feeling overwhelmed.
Instead, develop training blueprints in a modular manner by outlining different usage scenarios and learning more about how AI can fit into those use cases, such as automatically generating renders and smart matchmaking between clients, designers, and styles. A one-and-done overview won’t build the granular understanding designers need in order to know when and how to use these tools effectively.
Micro-courses or credentials are a more effective strategy to intimately familiarize designers with AI. These focus on those specific use cases, tools, and skills that can be seamlessly transferred to real-life applications in design projects.
For example, one micro-course could dive into ethical considerations around using AI in design, so designers understand legal requirements and comply with regulations when bringing a brief or idea to life with AI’s help. They might then follow with a micro-course on editing AI-generated renderings to ensure designs are feasible in the real world. These courses could bridge the ethical and legal considerations with the practical need to apply building codes and safety regulations throughout the design process.
Breaking those two hugely different but related areas of interior design into bite-sized courses improves the depth of skills development. If they had been clumped together from the get-go, the information could take much longer to digest and utilize.
One thing to note is the importance of assessment. Appropriate criteria help designers track their progress. And setting training goals both motivates and ensures that designers meet objective standards for skills development. Once those foundations are built, the natural next step is turning theory into applied practice.
2. A Hands-On Approach is Best
The next thing to keep in mind is that practice can make perfect—or as close to it as possible. Offer designers plenty of opportunities to practice using recommended tools and techniques. Hands-on workshops that feature simulations of real scenarios are especially effective.
For example, after using AI to create a proof-of-concept or rendering, a designer might be tasked with assessing the output versus the original brief. This can help them gauge the alignment between what was asked and what was produced—a crucial part of client servicing. It reveals essential information about the values and limitations of these tools, and reinforces why the human skillset still matters. Depending on the tool, it may be great at creating color palettes but fail to account for the impact of natural light or the functionality of certain layouts.
The practical approach familiarizes designers with the patterns of these tools, equipping them to understand what to look out for in an AI-involved design process. And once that technical fluency is in place, the differentiator becomes something AI can’t replicate: the human designer.
3. The Human Touch is Indispensable
Last but not least, remember that the human eye (and mind) is what determines whether AI integration is successful. The teams behind the tools make the final call on whether to move ahead with a design.
That’s why designers also need to refine those “soft skills” that are innately human. Some aspects of interior design, like managing client concerns or gauging the living psychology of a space, won’t be solved with an algorithm. AI can process data, but it doesn’t sit down with a person and get to connect with them on an emotional or personal level. Designers who can listen to—and understand—what their clients really want from a space and make that a reality are the ones who excel.
That’s why skills like emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and awareness of the psychology of color, light, and spatial layout will remain at the heart of good interior design. Designers are and always will be the curators and overseers of what makes “good” interior design. AI just speeds up and streamlines the project pathways to get there.
By committing to growth, refining both technical and creative skills, and employing AI tools wisely, designers position themselves as the visionaries who transform concepts into built environments that positively impact people.
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About the Author
Joyce Huston
Joyce Huston is co-founder of Decorilla Online Interior Design, a digital platform linking consumer access to residential interior design expertise through technology, including booking, project tracking, 3D visualization, and AI tools. Leveraging her bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and 15 years of experience in design for retail commercial, hospitality, industrial, and residential spaces, Huston currently serves as director of procurement for Decorilla.