Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

1. Field of work and areas of responsibility 

Certified design advisors in the interior decoration trade work in interior decoration firms.
Their main responsibilities are provision of advice for customers with regard to the design of floor spaces, upholstered furniture, room decoration, protection against light and sun as well as privacy protection, wall and ceiling decoration; meeting customer requirements, and preparation of offers. They work at the business/customer interface. Design advisors are qualified to perform the following tasks related to their field of activity:

• Receiving and meeting customer requirements, and carrying out the tasks related with order procurement and processing and final inspection,

• Designing room environments and products,

• Preparing offers, planning projects and preparing order processing.

2. Occupational skills 

Certified design advisors in the interior decoration trade have several years of experience which they have as a rule acquired through relevant initial vocational training and further practical work. In order to perform the above-mentioned tasks, they command the following skills in particular, which are tested in the areas of "Advice and Design" and "Order Preparation and Project Planning":

• Winning, advising and supporting customers; providing information about typical properties of goods, negotiating and procuring orders in cooperation with customers and company staff; making arrangements concerning delivery date, terms of delivery and terms of payment; conducting quality assurance measures; processing complaints and assisting the management with marketing measures; applying the principles of conversation;
• Recording customer requirements; preparing proposals for design together with the customer; drafting alternatives to meet customer requirements; working out plans and making drawings; taking design and production engineering aspects as well as economic, ecological and health aspects into consideration; taking relevant rules and regulations into account; using computer-aided presentation techniques; customized design of presentation;
• Preparing cost estimates and offers; project planning; recording of data for order processing; assessment of the company's human and material resources for order handling; taking economic aspects into consideration; handling of modifications; cooperation with order execution staff.

3. Skills accreditation 

According to the Federal Government regulation of 17 January 2006 (Federal Law Gazette BGBl. part I, p. 54), the certified design advisor in the interior decoration trade must have demonstrated the skills listed in section 2 above in an examination administered under public law. A certificate is awarded on passing the examination.

4. Examination requirements 

Before sitting the examination for certified design advisor in the interior decoration trade, all candidates must have completed vocational training in the recognized occupation of interior decorator or must have passed the final examination for a recognized interior design occupation, followed by at least one year's relevant work experience.
Courses are offered to prepare candidates for the examination; their duration depends on the relevant functional tasks.

Last modified on: January 30, 2008