Saturday, 5 May 2012

Online Education: Making Your Mark with Furniture Design

If you have an interest in interior design, one specialty you might want to learn more about via online education is furniture design. In addition to online degree programs, Internet schools often offer individual courses or specialized programs that let you dig deeper into a particular area of interest. Furniture design is one example.
Furniture design has many elements. The most obvious, of course, is the visual appeal of the piece, which is important, but imagine peeling back the layers of a piece of furniture, and you start to get a sense of all the different elements involved in furniture design.
Starting with the visual aspect, which depends on a combination of size, shape, texture, and color, furniture design has to be original enough to be distinctive, yet still represent something people can imagine fitting into their homes for years to come.

Form and Function

Of course, most furniture also has to be functional. Once someone gets past first visual impressions, function is paramount. Are the materials inviting and pleasant to the touch? Are chairs and couches ergonomically designed? Are tables the right height and shape for their intended uses?
Beyond the initial look and utility of a piece, perhaps the ultimate test of a piece of furniture is durability. Is the woodworking and other craftsmanship sturdy and thorough? Are the materials durable and do they meet fire safety and toxicity standards?
In short, furniture design is about much more than drawing up attractive ideas. Another element you can learn in a furniture design program is how to use computer-assisted design tools, which can help you make color and scale changes automatically and see 360 degree views of your designs.
A furniture design program could lead you to a career as a designer, retailer, or custom furniture artisan or it could be part of a broader online degree in interior design.
Richard Barrington is a freelance writer and novelist who previously spent over twenty years as an investment industry executive.

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