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On the surface, it’s easy to overlook the breadth of an interior design career. But if you stop and look around in any space you’re in, everything you see is the work of an interior designer. From walls to ceilings, material choices and furniture selections, lighting, door types and more, interior designers work on a broad range of projects. Whether you hope to design  large commercial spaces or single-family residences, an interior design degree from Â鶹Éç Fox University can open up a world of opportunities. 

In fact, our students even get the opportunity to work internationally, recently partnering with Gensler, a world-renowned architectural firm, to design the Notre Dame Pavilion in Paris and work side-by-side with the Gensler team in Portland and in Paris via Zoom.

Other real-world project examples our students have designed are a mix of unique residential and commercial spaces, including:

• A medical clinic for children in Portland’s South Waterfront
• An elementary school media center in Honolulu
• A townhome in Northwest Portland
• A corporate headquarters office for Starbucks in Seattle
• The Hyatt Centric Hotel in downtown Portland
• A single-family residential home in the West Hills of Portland
• Housing solutions for the homeless communities of the Pacific Northwest
• A two-bedroom apartment and apartment building lobby in Goose Hollow
• An airport lounge in cities around the world
• A residential home addition for an older couple to age in Salem, Oregon
• A paper company sample room in Portland

Each semester, students embark on new design projects so that, by the end of their four years at Fox, they have a clear vision of what type of work they want to do, whether that be residential design, commercial design, project management, or working in the finish and furniture industry as representatives for large manufacturers.

Our program also focuses on mentorship and industry connections. In all of our studio classes, juniors and seniors work one-on-one with industry mentors from all over the country. Large architectural firms like SERA, Bora and Gensler are just a few of the commercial firms that work with our students throughout their projects, helping them from very early on in the programming phase of design all the way through their final design solution.

In residential projects, designers from Maison and Garrison Hullinger mentor and review our students’ work. These connections to industry professionals are vital for students  in preparation for pursuing jobs in the field.

Among the local firms that have recently worked one-on-one with our students::

• Bora Architects
• Gensler 
• SERA 
• VIDA 
• Scott Edwards Architects
• Hyphn
• ZGF
• Hacker Architects
• Olson and Kundig
• Maison
• Garrison Hullinger

As the only four-year interior design program in the Portland, Oregon, area that offers a curriculum that covers both residential and commercial interior design, Â鶹Éç Fox is the ideal place to hone your skills as a designer. We have close connections to the Portland design community and are actively involved in local professional organizations (IIDA) and (ASID).  

In partnership with industry organizations like IIDA, students participate in design events like the IIDA Student Design Competition that took place in October, at which four of our design students won cash prizes and two others qualified for the regional competition in Los Angeles in the spring. Alongside the experience and the prizes, these types of events allow students to interact with industry professionals. It is an excellent way to gain mentorships and network.  

As the only four-year interior design degree in the area, local firms actively pursue our students upon graduation for junior design positions throughout the Pacific Northwest. Recent graduates have gone to work for residential developers in Bend, Oregon, large commercial architecture firms in Tacoma, Washington, and for smaller residential design firms in the Portland area. In addition to the job opportunities available, students graduate with a robust portfolio and strong resumes with work experiences and industry internships.

If you’re considering studying interior design, Â鶹Éç Fox is an ideal option. Our students are knowledgeable about the industry, experiment with different types of design, and are immersed from day one in the industry. From design teams holding virtual meetings with professionals in Paris to creating new structures that solve humanitarian design problems, such as developing solutions to house our homeless communities, Â鶹Éç Fox interior design students gain a professional knowledge of the field and are one step closer to their dream design job upon graduation.