Interior designers are moving forward with the notion that design is not limited to the physical world. Taking concepts into the virtual realm is bringing with it immense opportunities for those who are willing to stretch their horizons and go beyond the norm.
Spurred on by the success and growth of industry software tools such as BIM and CAD, savvy industry entrepreneurs are now making the most of an online platform in order to put their own spin on virtual planning and design.
This kind of platform has a two-pronged effect, with both of these effects having the ability to increase designer productivity and offer far more sophisticated insight into a development.
Taking for example the newly completed interior design-based web platform Project Decor, a form of virtual visualization of the to-be-designed space can be achieved through the use of interactive design boards, and project collaboration and advice can be given through the site’s forum space.
The boards offer users the chance to browse designer spaces and ‘tear’ items from them, creating a collage-type scenario on their own boards.
One of the most difficult tasks for an interior designer to undertake is in communicating a design scheme to the client. Project Decor co-founder Cliff Sirlin explains that by putting together these virtual rooms with the images of real furniture pieces, the room can come to life before any physical work has begun.
“It’s difficult for consumers to envision how various items from different brands will look together in a room,” says Sirlin. “Project Decor solves that problem and empowers users to easily create beautiful designer rooms that they can share with their social circle.”
Collaboration is the next major benefit that this site – and others in the same vein – offer, with a number of interior designers on hand for advice and their input into various projects.
“Decorating a home is an inherently collaborative process,” says Project Decor co-founder Andy Appelbaum. “Social Design with Project Decor makes it easy for consumers to share and collaborate with friends and family.”
Taking the design sector into the realm of the virtual allows for additional opportunities in the field. By taking this one step further – taking it online – these opportunities multiply. A growing number of industry members are discovering this, and those members will continue to benefit from the industry sector in its evolved online form.
