Approaching my final year on BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design, I have begun to reflect on the unexpected skills and habits I have gained from the course over the last two years. Not just the typical taught skills on Adobe or BIM, or making physical models. Surprisingly, I learned a few personal and professional things along the way.
Standing out
A brilliant part of being an AUB student is learning your creative flair, and developing your unique style to stand out amongst the masses while still being a crucial part of the creative community.
As I have approached each project, I have had opportunities to think about what that means for me. Through different creative briefs, I have realised what contexts drew me in, what research I most enjoyed, and how to curate my own personalised design style this way.
I thought I had to design for the industry, to create an impressive portfolio, but that would never be the single end goal for me. When I realised my core intention was to feel personally satisfied by each project I undertook, I felt less pressure to churn out work, and instead began producing it with more passion and personality, and being a little bolder with my decisions.
Learning to communicate my ideas
One of the biggest changes I have noticed in myself in the last two years is how much more confidently I can communicate my ideas through presentations, tutorials with tutors, and even to peers. These situations can feel daunting, particularly when explaining a project that's personal to me. Over time, I have learnt how to explain the thinking behind my projects, justify or defend my design decisions logically when challenged, and respond to questions without feeling like I need to have a perfect answer for everything.
I have also learnt that communicating a design isn't just about presenting the finished outcome. Being able to explain my research, intentions, and even the problems I have encountered on the way, helps others to understand my process. It has made me more comfortable to talk about my work and accept feedback without taking it too personally – and using it constructively to change my approach for the better.
Becoming a better problem-solver
The Interior Architecture and Design course has taught me that things rarely go exactly according to plan! A model might not work, a complex technical drawing might reveal a problem you hadn't considered, or if you're like me, you might be told often that your ideas need grounding in reality. I've had plenty of moments where I've had to stop, rethink an approach and find another solution and it has been reassuring to know this was part of the iterative process.
That has gradually changed the way I respond when something goes wrong. Instead of immediately thinking that something has failed, I’ve learnt to break it down logically, set down the designer's pride, and ask myself what I can change or learn from it. Design is full of experimentation, and sometimes the unsuccessful attempts are what eventually lead you towards a much better idea.
Seeing the world differently
Perhaps one of my favourite unexpected skills is learning to stop and really observe the spaces around me. Studying Interior Architecture and Design has changed the way I experience everyday environments. I find myself noticing materials, lighting, spatial orientation, way-finding, furniture arrangements and tiny architectural details that I probably would have walked straight past before university.
I've also begun to develop a personal exploration of craft and how this can make people feel in spaces, just from my own presence in different locations I have visited.
A café is no longer just somewhere to have a coffee; I might find myself looking at how people interact with it. Are they just there for a quick takeaway, or to sit and meet friends and family? Also where does the natural light fall or why has a particular material been chosen? Even when I’m not consciously working on a project, I’m constantly collecting little observations that might become inspiration later.
Resilience and confidence
Finally, I think the biggest unexpected lesson has been resilience. Not every project has gone exactly how I wanted, and not every piece of feedback has been easy to hear. There have been moments of creative uncertainty, difficult deadlines and occasions where I've had to completely rethink something I'd spent a long time developing.
Those experiences have gradually made me more comfortable with uncertainty. I’ve learnt that confidence doesn't necessarily mean knowing that an idea will work. Sometimes it means being willing to test it, discover that it doesn't work, and try again.
Looking towards final year
As I prepare to begin my final year at AUB, I’m realising that the skills I’ve gained extend far beyond designing interior spaces. I’m more confident communicating ideas, more comfortable solving problems, more observant of my surroundings and more willing to experiment when I don't know where an idea will lead.
You might start a creative degree expecting to learn how to make things, but you may be surprised by how much you learn about yourself along the way. For me, that's been one of the most rewarding parts of studying BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design.
