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Interior designer James Treble’s practical new online design course

The brainchild of interior designer and media personality James Treble, ‘Practical Design’ is a new online course created for those building or renovating a house as well as students of design. “The feedback I’ve often received is how practical my knowledge is, so I thought it was time to share it,” says James who presents the course alongside a team of industry-leading mentors. Created over a period of 18 months, the course features nine modules that contain a wealth of practical knowledge as well as a whopping 1800 inspirational images.

A display home designed by James
A display home designed by James

The first module covers the basics of design including colour placement and the history of architecture while the second module covers design documentation and planning. There are several other modules too, covering kitchen and pantry design, bathroom/laundry/mudroom design, internal and external selections, space planning, styling and more.

“The course is designed to teach people about how to understand space and materials and is brimming with practical information such as a full explanation of basin and tap styles as well as the differences between tile types, timber flooring and cabinetry profiles,” says James who believes that people need to understand all the pieces in the toolkit before they can appreciate how to apply them in their home.

Interior Designer James Treble
Interior designer James Treble

“For someone building a new home, this course will give them immense confidence in the process. I work with people who are building with budgets between 775k and two million dollars and to get it wrong is frightening!” says James who explains that the course is designed to take the stress and pressure out of the process.

James believes that interior design students have plenty to learn from the course too given such practical advice often isn’t taught. “Students usually learn the fundamentals and understand the processes but what they miss is knowledge and experience which is where I come in,” says James who sees the course as an adjunct to formal interior design qualifications.

A display home designed by James
A display home designed by James

The course is presented via a combination of text and video and there are live quarterly workshops also. “They will be live via Zoom, and I’ll be explaining things and dealing with questions. There will be direct access to me.”

Twelve months of access to Practical Design is priced at $972 (or three $325 monthly instalments) and Interiors Addict readers are invited to receive a 20 per cent discount on the fee using the code THEINTERIORSADDICT.

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Design

iscd: Online interior design courses with a difference

Sponsored by iscd (International School of Colour and Design)

While there are plenty of online study options in the design space, quality can vary greatly. I remember my own experience of remote learning at university when the technology was in its infancy and the whole process felt rather disconnected (the irony!) but online learning has come a very long way which is great news for budding interior designers.

Whether you’d simply like to learn more about design, you’re after a career change or you’re already a design industry professional, iscd’s (International School of Colour and Design) online offering got a makeover recently and is now one of the best around.

“iscd has been educating in the interior design space for 35 years, having pioneered courses in interior design and training before there was a real demand for it,” says Cherie Karlsson, design educator at iscd. The company currently has two bricks and mortar campuses in North Sydney and Melbourne CBD. Its primary specialty is in interior design (its interior design courses are approved by the Design Institute of Australia) and it offers a Certificate IV in Interior Decoration and a Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration, both of which are available to study online.

“In exciting news, we have completely refreshed our Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration to have the latest content and technology, more video and personalised video feedback for every student on every assessment so it is an exciting, engaged and personal online study experience. In fact the online experience is so good our last group of graduates had a strong presence in the recent industry awards!” says Cherie.

iscd student moodpboard

Whether you work part-time, full-time or are considering a return to the workforce, the convenience of online study cannot be overstated. Iscd’s offering allows you to study when it suits you, on any device, moving at your own pace. There’s an easy to follow study calendar and you have 24 months to complete, working slower or faster in some weeks, depending on your other commitments.

Personal
Where some online courses literally leave you to your own devices, iscd believes that personalised feedback is key to optimum learning. “Our online courses are a genuinely personal experience. We offer individual video feedback on assessments for all of our students who are mentored by experienced educators every week,” adds Cherie.

Collaboration
The courses also encourage collaboration with fellow students – good training in something that is ultimately a vocational necessity. “The courses offer daily discussion boards where you can share and connect with fellow students. You can be as active or passive as you like within these communities,” says Cherie. I personally found online discussion boards very useful when studying my degree.

Connection
We have a long history with select partners and it is key to our offering linking students to the design world. Real Living magazine, Dulux, Resene, DiLorenzo Tiles and James Treble are just some of our design industry connections,” says Cherie. And as you’re no doubt aware, networking is often central to securing a job in design (as it with most professions) and I can personally attest to this. While I obviously had the requisite skills, most of my jobs have been sought through networking.

“We also ensure that you remain connected in a digital sense by offering an easy to follow study calendar, engaging online content, training in the latest programs and apps, industry designed briefs plus incursions, excursions and job alerts,” says Cherie, who explains that there is a student services team designed to support you throughout your entire study journey too.

With the next iscd student intake slated for November 21, perhaps now is the time for you to set your interior design career aspirations in motion. For more.

*The iscd courses are delivered on behalf of Academy of Information Technology ABN 35 094 133 641; RTO 90511; CRICOS 02155J; iscd RTO91439.