CAD and Interior Design

CAD can be a useful tool to interior designers, architects and other designers in every stage of the design process, from conception to presentations for clients. In the initial drafting stages, CAD allows for quick and easy reproduction of design elements, so that certain parts of the design can be kept while others are changed.

A designer may explore variations on a basic design concept without having to reproduce every part of the drawing manually, like trying multiple drafts of a word processor document without losing the original. This means that an interior designer, for instance, can work from a basic floor plan in CAD indicating the dimensions of a room and the location of doors and windows, and then try multiple design concepts for the placement of furniture or lighting fixtures. Similarly, architects and engineers can explore multiple options at each stage of the design process, addressing problems as they arise.

In communication between designers and building contractors, CAD is a rapid and effective facilitator. Because interior designers often work from the plans of architects, knowledge of CAD makes accessing those plans much easier. Architects can send CAD drawings electronically to interior designers, building contractors or clients for review, saving time and money by not resorting to professional printing services. The editing power of CAD programs makes client feedback easy to incorporate. Instructions to builders can be greatly clarified by communicating through CAD, everything from complex engineering schematics to indications of paint color on the different walls of a room.