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One of the most common questions we hear?
“If I love design… what should I actually study?”
Interior design? Architecture? Construction? A short course? A degree?
Here we unpack the answer – and unsurprisingly, it’s not one-size-fits-all. In fact, the biggest takeaway from this conversation is this:
Start with your outcome. Not the course.
Design Is Not One Job (And That’s Where People Get Stuck)
When women say they “want to work in design,” they are often talking about very different end goals, even if they do not realise it yet.
Some want:
- The confidence to renovate their own homes properly
- The skills to communicate clearly with builders and trades
- The ability to make smarter, faster design decisions
Others want:
- A career inside an architectural or interior design practice
- To work on high-end residential or commercial projects
- To build a design business of their own
These are very different outcomes, and they require very different pathways. The mistake many people make is choosing a course based on how it sounds – not where it actually leads.
As Rebeka puts it, before you enrol in anything, you need to ask:
“What do I want my day-to-day life to look like at the end of this?”
Degrees, Diplomas and the Reality Check No One Gives You
Rebecca shares her own experience of studying interior design, expecting it to lead to one outcome, and discovering mid-way through that it did not.
The early stages of formal design education often focus heavily on:
- Colour theory
- Materials
- Styling fundamentals
- Drafting by hand or learning one design program
While these skills are valuable, they do not always translate directly into the spatial, technical or architectural work many women think they are signing up for.
And here is the part no one explains clearly:
In many architectural and design firms, “three years’ experience” really means “a degree”, not a diploma. This can limit employment options, regardless of talent.
That does not mean degrees are bad. It means degrees are specific tools and you need to know exactly what job requires them before committing years of time, money and energy.
Practical Experience vs Academic Learning
One of the strongest themes in the episode is the value of learning alongside real work.
Both Rebeka and Rebecca agree that working inside an office, even briefly, can fast-track learning in ways textbooks never will:
- You see how drawings are actually set up
- You learn hierarchy, templates and documentation standards
- You understand how ideas translate into buildable outcomes
Studying while working allows you to ask better questions, because you are applying knowledge in real time, not hypothetically.
As Rebeka explains, many assignments become far easier when you already understand how things are done in practice.
You Might Not Need a Degree…
We know this might surprise you, but again, it’s about starting with the outcome you’re after.
If your goal is to:
- Renovate for profit
- Communicate clearly with builders
- Design confidently for your own projects
- Improve outcomes without becoming a practising designer
Then a full degree may not be the best use of your time.
Short, targeted courses, such as learning CAD, SketchUp, Revit or ArchiCAD, can give you exactly what you need:
- Faster skill acquisition
- Lower cost
- Immediate application
Rebecca points out that many women simply want to be able to draw ideas properly, present them clearly, and avoid costly miscommunication – not run a design practice.
That is a very different brief.
In the Same Instance, Knowledge is Invaluable
Some may not know that Rebeka recently completed a postgraduate garden and landscape design course – not because she wanted to become a landscape designer, but because she wanted to understand it better. How outdoor spaces actually work, how they influence a build, and how to make smarter decisions across her own projects.
The biggest takeaway? Confidence, perspective, and a whole lot of respect for the specialists. The course gave her enough knowledge to design and plan for smaller projects, but it also reinforced something important: knowing when to bring in the experts. It was never about collecting another qualification – it was about learning enough to ask better questions, collaborate more effectively, and make decisions that lead to stronger outcomes.
Freedom, Flexibility and the Bit No One Talks About
Another important factor is lifestyle.
High-end design roles often come with:
- Long hours
- High client expectations
- Constant availability
- Significant pressure
That can be exciting in your twenties. It can feel very different once family, flexibility or autonomy become priorities.
Rebeka shares openly that while status once mattered, freedom eventually mattered more. That shift informed her own decisions, and it is something many women only realise after committing to a path that does not fit their life anymore.
There is no right or wrong choice here. There is only an informed choice.
Borrow the Job Before You Commit to the Career
One of the most practical pieces of advice in the episode is simple:
Find someone doing the job you think you want, and talk to them.
Ask about:
- Their pathway
- Their day-to-day reality
- What surprised them
- What they would do differently
Even spending a short time observing or assisting can save years of misalignment later.
Rebeka notes, many people say they want “the pretty stuff” – materials, styling, shopping – without realising how much of the job is documentation, coordination and problem-solving.
The Golden Rule: Plan Backwards
If there is one principle that underpins the entire conversation, it is this:
Work out your end goal first. Then design your education pathway backwards. Not the other way around.
Whether that means:
- A degree
- Short courses
- On-the-job learning
- Or a mix of all three
The right path is the one that supports:
- Your desired lifestyle
- Your appetite for pressure
- Your long-term goals
- Your actual definition of success
And that clarity? It is far more powerful than any qualification on paper.
In a recent episode of Building with BuildHer Rebeka and Rebecca chat about this in more detail. This is an honest, practical listen for anyone drawn to design but unsure where it fits into their bigger picture.
Take a listen here.
