Interior Design Academy of Ireland Reviews 85

I have found the staff at idai to be supportive, kind, professional and competent in their area of expertise. My experience with idai is a very positive one and I would strongly recommend anyone interested in learning interior design online as the course is informative, interesting,professional and the tutors are excellent.

So far the course I am in ( BETC national certificate - home version) seems to be super intense. Even though it's only the certificate edition - it dives right into everything from the very first few seconds in.

Also the course is taught fully through assignments - which, if it isn't your favourite method of learning, you'll struggle. The assignments are all broken down in multi tasks too, so it feels like you step into a world of lists upon lists.

I really was hoping for a slower introduction into this complete new industry (personally speaking), much more theory and a slower pace.

I am only at the beginning so the course seems daunting but I am keeping my hopes high.

Also if you have to do this much, this fast, for a certificate - seems like you do not need a BA whatsoever to become a interior designe just start here and see if you can handle it 😅

I'm a past student of the IDAI and I loved my time there in the classroom based course!
I've since started my own business and absolutely love my time working for myself as an Interior Designer

I am glad that I enrolled the Bachelor Course, the support I’m getting from the tutors is amazing.

I am very pleased with my decision to become a student at this Academy. The Tutors are demanding, but also very supportive. However, the highest recognition in my opinion deserves Kimberly Keogh, who thoroughly understands the needs of the student and is always looking for good solutions and is just very helpful. I would recommend this place 100 percent.
Dorota Witkowska

The program is very flexible, making it easy to put work into projects when possible and from anywhere. This flexibility has made it possible for me to work towards a BA degree where full time/in class isn’t an option at this point in my life. Which makes online a fantastic option. It is in no way easier than a regular program, there is still all the necessary interior design content, learning tools and standards.
It can be difficult to self manage assignments. Even independent students with good time-management skills may, likely, find it challenging.

The school so far has been great. Most of the course material is very clear and if there is any confusion, tutors can be contacted. I like the platform as well.

I completed the online Higher Diploma course. It took a lot longer than I anticipated- I took many hiatuses as I juggled work, house moves and personal commitments. You need to be self disciplined and prepared to put a lot of time and work in to see it through. Although I found it challenging, it was extremely worth while. A special thanks to Rute and Kimberly for their support.

Really enjoying my experience so far with Interior Design Academy of Ireland. I commenced my Degree course in September 2021. I opted for the evening time course. The tutors are so knowledgeable and also on hand to give guidance and support at all times. Would highly recommend.

IDAI really excellent academy to study with. Online support is excellent. Tutors are extremely helpful with queries and questions and their response time is very quick. I am very impressed with the academy and really enjoying my Design course.

and have completed 3 of the 15 assignments. The information and videos in the online resource centre are very comprehensive and well put together. I have received very detailed and professional feedback on my assignments, from my tutor. The tutor has been very positive and encouraging and they are available via email to provide support and answer any queries. I am really enjoying the course and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of beginning a career in Interior Design.

I was searching online for an accredited interior design school. I didn't want some hobby course I wanted quality and challenging interior design school.. In 2018 I enrolled on IDAI. It took me 4 years to finish school but if you ask me-I would choose it again. To be honest-if someone told me it will take 4 years to finish it-maybe I wouldn't sign in. But I am very glad I did. I learned a lot! During the winter period, I am free so I was spending most of my days working on projects. During the summer period, I work every day so I didn't work on projects at that time, at all.I am very thankful to my tutors and everyone in Academy for their help.I am very proud for finishing this school, I learned a lot about design and about myself. Probably the hardest lesson when you are studying online is to learn to push and motivate yourself.. Great journey, thank you!

Really enjoyed this course. I found every contact with the Academy extremely helpful and pleasant and my queries were always dealt with. I found the class tutor very approachable and very involved with all of us.
I would definitely do further courses with the Interior Design Academy of Ireland in the future. There was ample material and backup available to cover my needs when completing assignments.

Doreen Kilroe

I am studying for the 15 Assignment Postgraduate Diploma. I started studying in Jan 2020 and I am now on assignment 13 (I have been studying about 20-30 hours a week on average and not working).
I have really enjoyed the course and learnt so much and developed so many new skills that are far removed from my comfort zone. (My background is finance and investments).
The course is definitely intense and challenging ( and not a hobby course!) but if you put in the time and effort extremely rewarding.
I chose to do the classes and these went online due to the pandemic after 2 in classroom sessions. The academy did really well at accommodating the challenging situation and I am glad I perservered as although different they still worked.
My tutor is Tris and I have very much enjoyed all her classes and the real life stories and insights of the design world she has been able to provide. Tris has been a great help sending very detailed emails when I have contacted her with questions and this has been a great way to get clarity on sometimes confusing assignment questions. The feedback on marked assignments has also been very constructive, detailed and helpful.
As a side note for anyone wanting to manage timeframe expectations, I would say that the outlined 80 hours per assignment is perhaps an over optimistic time frame. Especially if you are aiming for higher than a pass. As is the number of months it takes an average student to complete the course.

Overall the experience has been very positive with good support from the tutors on the forum, and student service.Thanks again to Tris who has been excellent and also to The Academy as a whole in providing worthwhile and rewarding classes despite very difficult circumstances.

I signed up for the Higher National Certificate online Course as in introduction to Interior Design. I enrolled to get a grip on the basics before committing to a diploma or degree, and the college has significant steps to go further if inclined.
Starting off the course during Covid has been difficult with sourcing materials and tools to complete assignments, but the tutors are on hand to guide and suggest alternatives.
The course is more intense than I had originally planned when signing up, and in hindsight I should have applied for the Diploma course to at least have that certification after completing. The assignments have taken more than recommended study time of 80 hours per assignment in my case.There are no assignment deadlines and you can resubmit your work to improve your skills and presentations, which is very helpful.
There could be more content and visuals available for each assignment in setting a benchmark to aspire to, but in saying that my tutor (Rita) has been very helpful, informative and supportive in getting the assignments completed to a high level. After a slow start, I'm now enjoying the content and excited to see how my skills and work progress through the units.
A class room or online tutorial course would have been preferable in hindsight to benefit from a group dynamic to inspire, motivate and engage.
I would recommend the college and the course but I'd advise anyone interested to investigate the differing courses available to match their learning style and understand the level of research, study, investment and commitment involved as with any online course.

On balance there is a lot to recommend this course.
My tutors have been wonderful in the main and when I had a problem with my very first early on there was no trouble at all being re-assigned.
My tutors since then have been beyond helpful, knowledgeable and patiently have helped me get the most from the course.
The student services team are also really good and nothing is too much to ask.
As to the course itself... I came to the ‘Post Graduate Diploma in Interior Design’ from a totally different area of expertise in Science and Healthcare and had no background in the Arts at all. I have learned loads: from Technical Drawing to the Design Process to the History of Art, Architecture & Design - it’s all in there along with lots of IT & Digital Publishing. Each assignment deals with an aspect that arms you for a career in the interior design industry (although that may not be clear at first).
However there are definitely things I was not expecting when I started out-
▪️This is above all a ‘self-learning’ course - the Course materials are lightweight - I found if there was something demonstrated by Video in the early assignments it was only the simplest basic aspects and you were expected to take it far beyond this yourself. You will seek out all the information yourself- it is not provided as you go along.
▪️The Assignment briefs are often badly written and it can take a lot of effort to tease out what is actually expected.
▪️The Assignments are long and to do them justice requires far longer than the 80 hours per assignment estimated in the student advice manual.
▪️Note there are no deadlines for assignments and, as that was very different to my own primary degree, self discipline is absolutely essential.
▪️The presentation standards expected are very high and one needs to learn a decent level of IT skills to progress.

The course tutors that I have had have lead me through whenever I have needed help. I have found “direct contact” is the best way as the “course forum” (where questions on assignments are posted and answered by any of the tutors) is a little hap hazard and confusing.
The ‘Assignment Feedback” protocol on the course is excellent and the marking schemes are given in advance with each brief and very clear (if not a little repetitive). Feedback has always been very prompt for me, very detailed and helpful and has included encouragement as well as constructive criticism where necessary.

If you have a background in this field at all ( e.g art, architecture or CAD) this course is a wonderful “add-on” and I would imagine very simple to get through. Without such a background expect to put in a lot of effort getting to grips as you go.
Finally with respect to “value for money” the level of one-to-one “back-up” that I have been given on this course so far goes way beyond the fees that I have paid in my opinion.
This is a serious ‘design industry orientated’ course.
It is certainly not a series of sample boards and colour schemes.

When I enrolled in this course I expected to learn and develop skills, but what I got was absolutely different. I am extremely frustrated and feel ripped off. I don't think the course material is good enough nor that it guides students to realistic practices. We don't have a knowledge ladder, exercises/activities to practice anything and get specific feedback on the development of those skills before having to put them in an assignment. We simply have only huge assignments (PowerPoint presentations with around 100 pages/slides) to practice what we were supposed to learn, that we are expected to present at a professional standard work without being guided to get there.
The assignment briefs, besides being extremely long, are open to interpretation. On feedbacks, no matter how close to the brief we stick, we are always demotivated by being pointed to have not done something that was not required, for instance, how we felt doing the work. The usual, expectation is always to be failed. There are no examples of works, and when there were (in the first assignment, for example), they were wrong! If we followed them to deliver our assignment, we fail, because the example provided was not correct!
Tutors don't seem to believe we do our work and need to see even the 'thinking process', 'material tests' etc documented.
Feedbacks are sent to students only after weeks of the assignment submission. Always at the latest day of the deadline (when it isn't due already), and sometimes just to be told that the assignment was rejected (not assessed). They take weeks to say that.
An assignment can be rejected because you submitted it before receiving the previous assignment's feedback, but the Academy does not say that we are not allowed to do that. Only that they recommend us to wait.
I don't feel I am being evaluated for my design choices or my development in the interior design field. I usually get feedback relating to citing (for instance, not correctly mentioned because of 'Fig. number', or not in alphabetical order) or other issues other than Interior Design itself. I do want to correct all those mistakes, but I want my design, colour scheme, layout, zoning plan to be discussed as well. I want to learn.

I don't feel the Academy inspires confidence. What happens is that they make us feel demotivated, frustrated and that we are never going to make it. Not even for a second, they push us to thrive.

I am very disappointed. I have downgraded my course type already but even in the shorter version of the course, things don't get better.

My review here is to prevent other people to fall for this as I did.

Really love the course. I would definitely recommend. It has been challenging and exciting. You'll learn a lot from doing assignments and also their professional thorough feedback after. Everyone is helpful, especially my tutor who is very quick to answer my queries.

Great help & support. Always very helpful and friendly.
I am enjoying every moment of the course.