A Day in the Life of the Design Director Katie Thomas

6.30am

I arrive at the event to be greeted by several of my business associates, and a delicious cooked breakfast! The event consists of a combination of informal networking, talks and presentations. Today I am giving a presentation on KTM Design and the work that we do.

9am

I arrive at my first client meeting of the day, which is for one of my office design projects. I sit at the boardroom table with the Project Manager, Architect, the company’s Managing Director, Finance Director and Head of Marketing. I present my latest designs for their new office on the presentation screen – 3D visuals, animations, technical drawings and design boards – and address any questions that they have. It is a large project and I am working on it from build through to completion, so there are a lot of details to discuss – from designs of wall graphics through to location of plug sockets!

11am

I get my hard hat and hi-viz jacket on and visit the building site (which is conveniently next door) to check in on the progress of the office build. I notice that some of the ceilings look to be different heights to what was previously discussed, so I speak to the site manager to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

12pm

Following on from this morning’s client meeting, I go to pick up samples for this project. I select colours and finishes for the two office kitchens, based on the client’s comments earlier on.

1pm

I visit an existing night club client in Bournemouth to take photos of some areas of the club that need re-vamping, from lighting features to wall decorations.

2pm

Lunch time! I have a business lunch with some colleagues and suppliers where we discuss collaboration and future projects.

3pm

After lunch I stay in the restaurant and catch up on emails and drawings on my laptop until my next meeting. I have a phone conversation with a new residential client who would like to arrange a consultation with me to help her give her home a new lease of life.

4pm

My final meeting of the day is for a Bournemouth restaurant that I am redesigning. It is a productive meeting with the client, surveyor and construction team. The meeting is in the restaurant itself, so it is easy to whip my tape measure out and check how much space they will need behind their new bar, for their new entrance, the new bathrooms etc.

6pm

I now head to AUB to teach an Interior Design short course! I really enjoy teaching the evening courses as it is a very rewarding, social way to finish my day, and often the experiences and things I have learnt throughout the day play a part in what I am teaching my students.

9.15pm

The course is finished and I head home for a good night’s sleep! I reflect on the day, check my schedule for tomorrow, try to do some reading and make sure I’m in bed by 11pm!

Find out more about BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design at AUB.

All illustrations by alumna Katy Dynes. To find out more about her work visit www.kittydinners.co.uk