Below we hear from one of our highly regarded past students, Natalie Crowder, who completed not only an NDA Diploma in Interior Design but also our BA (Hons) Degree in Interior Design. We are all very proud of the academic success that Natalie has achieved and now wish her every success in her future career in the design industry.
“My nature is very much about goals and having something to focus on no matter how big or small, I always want to achieve whether in my personal life or professional career.
Four years ago I was an Education Coordinator working for a youth charity where I met a colleague who had started the Interior Design Diploma with the National Design Academy. I was immediately intrigued and asked to see her portfolio of work. I was so inspired with what I saw and just how much she had already learned, that without hesitation, I booked myself onto the same course.
The Diploma started as a hobby for me and I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t wait to enrol onto the Foundation Degree. Distance learning was perfect as I had a full-time job which I had to travel over twenty miles to every day, so the flexibility was perfect. Throughout the course I accessed workshops with the NDA and studied AutoCAD for a year to help boost my additional skills. I had come so far and knew that my goal now was to become a qualified Interior Designer, so I worked my way through the BA (Honours) Interior Design course and graduated in July 2013.
Throughout my time with the NDA I had continuous support from staff and tutors who were always friendly, understanding but most of all extremely professional. They made my Degree achievable.
Using a combination of the skills I was taught and the helpful resources offered by the NDA I am now working on setting up my own business.”
About Natalie’s course
The BA (Hons) degree in Interior Design is one of the most popular qualifications from our selection of design courses. The degree course allows students a platform to build on the skills learnt at Diploma or A Level and combine this with their love for interior design. The core topics covered in this course include; Research and Contextualisation, Spatial Planning, Design in Historical Context, Creative Lighting and Technology, Sustainability, Show Home and Home Staging Design, Professional Practice and Furniture and Furnishings. In the final year, students will also have the opportunity to study either Hotel Design or Exhibition Design followed by a research project and culminating in an extensive independent study which can form the basis of any future portfolio.
The BA (Hons) in Interior Design degree will allow students a base to progress on to the MA in Interior Design, which is also offered here at the National Design Academy.
