In this course, you will be taught in a studio format that is reflective of commercial design studios. Your teachers will interact and work with you as if you are a junior designer.

You’ll learn through lectures, workshops, studios, online learning, and classroom and industry presentations, real-world briefs, and on-site visits. You’ll acquire a broad range of hands-on skills (rendering, architectural drafting, CAD, Rivet, model making, Photoshop, client presentation), and develop knowledge of the history and theory of colour and design.

During your studies, you’ll work on live projects with members of industry, modelling the consultancy practice of interior designers and decorators for client presentations.

Ongoing assessment throughout the semester includes concept design development, digital and verbal presentations, group projects, research and practical tasks.

RMIT offers a variety of learning and teaching approaches including lectures, seminars, studios, workshops, presentations, group discussions and syndicate work. These are primarily in English.

You will have access to online resources.

Students of this course have the opportunity to participate in an industry mentorship program run with the support of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA).

In the first semester of second year, you can apply to be a part of a 10-week placement with an industry mentor that will support you in professional practice, give you real-world experience, and help provide industry contacts.

You also have the opportunity to collaborate with industry throughout your studies. You’ll work with major Australian companies such as Dulux, Boyac, Jardan and BQ Designs on simulated and real-life projects delivered on-site and in a studio environment. You’ll complete projects that respond to a design brief, receive mentoring and feedback throughout concept development, and present to a panel of relevant Industry representatives.

Students of this course have had the opportunity to undertake study tours in New York and Paris, collaborating with FIT NY, design and architectural studios, and local design schools on various complex and exciting challenges and projects.

The knowledge and skills you will acquire throughout this diploma and how they can be applied in your career are described in the learning outcomes.

In your first year of the diploma you will study residential briefs that will develop your understanding of architecture and space planning, colour, materials and furnishings, decorative arts, and historic and contemporary interior style.

Visual technology and communication skills underpin the presentation aspects of working as a designer/decorator. You will work with computer-aided design (CAD), Photoshop and other industry-standard software.

From your second year onwards, you will deepen your knowledge of residential and commercial briefs, underpinned by the principles of sustainability across lighting, soft furnishings, interior building materials and techniques. You can also apply to take part in a unique mentorship program.

You'll develop your 3D visualisation and modelling skills to produce detailed and accurate spatial documentation, and you’ll hone your presentation skills in design practice studios for both concept and finished presentations.

Students can expect to attend 21 hours of classes over four days, and complete approximately 20 hours of additional self-directed study and research per week.