CAD for Interior and Spatial Design

Level(s) of Study: Short course
Course Fee:
£495
Start Date(s): 20 July 2026, 10 October 2026, 30 January 2027, 17 April 2027
Duration: Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm, three weeks or Monday to Wednesday 10 am - 4 pm, three days
Study Mode(s): Part-time
Campus: City Campus
Entry Requirements: More information

Introduction:

Course dates:

20 - 22 July 2026, Monday to Wednesday 10 am - 4 pm, three days

10 - 24 October 2026, Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm, three weeks

30 January - 13 February 2027, Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm, three weeks

17 April - 1 May 2027, Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm, three weeks

This course provides you with technical skills related to interior design and, most importantly, the application of computer-aided design (CAD) within the profession.

Whether you’re looking to develop the digital skills used by professional interior designers, or enhance your creative practice, or even begin a career in interior design, this course will help you communicate ideas more professionally and creatively through hands-on workshops.

You’ll learn how to transform physical spaces into professional 2D drawings, 3D models and presentation visuals using industry-standard software.

Join a creative environment where ideas, experimentation and collaboration are actively encouraged. You’ll work alongside like-minded learners in a supportive design community. promotes discussion and collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas.
Benefit from small group teaching and personalised tutor support throughout the course. With plenty of one-on-one guidance, you’ll build confidence using industry-standard software at your own pace.
Learn from an experienced interior designer currently working within the industry, bringing real-world insight, current workflows and professional knowledge directly into the classroom.
On successful completion of the course, you’ll receive a certificate of attendance to support your professional development and creative portfolio.

“I enjoyed the satisfaction of completing plans in CAD and SketchUp. A great course, I have learnt a lot.” SK

"As I am a visual person, learning to use SketchUp and rendering in Photoshop really inspired me. Loved the course - will be signing up for the follow on course!" CC

"Learning various applications - CAD, SketchUp and Photoshop to visualise your room in 3D was great!" JF

"I wanted to do this course to gain a basic understanding of AutoCAD / sketch-up. I now feel much more confident with this! I really enjoyed having an interactive, small class size, meaning we had more one to one time with the tutor."

"This course has helped to develop my SketchUp skills. I have a newfound ability to use SketchUp and Photoshop together, I most enjoyed adding all the knowledge together at the end to create rendered visuals."

What you’ll study

Digital design skills are an essential part of interior design. Whether you’re presenting concepts to clients, producing technical drawings, or developing 3D visualisations, understanding how to communicate digitally is a key professional skill.

This course is designed to introduce you to the core software and workflows used in industry. You’ll learn how to produce 2D plans of an existing space in AutoCAD, create 3D digital models in SketchUp, and enhance your presentation visuals using Photoshop.

During this course you will:

● Understand how designers record and communicate spatial information

● Create professional 2D drawings using AutoCAD

● Develop 3D digital model using SketchUp

● Transform technical drawings into spatial visualisations

● Explore rendering and post-production techniques in Photoshop

● Build confidence using industry-standard interior design software.

●Introduction to interior design workflows, site surveying and recording spatial information. You’ll learn how to measure a space and produce initial CAD drawings in AutoCAD, before developing accurate 2D plans and layouts in AutoCAD. You’ll build your understanding of layers, scale, drawing conventions and professional presentation techniques.

● Introduction to SketchUp and 3D modelling.
You’ll practice converting 2D drawings into three-dimensional interior spaces and exploring composition, materials and viewpoint.

●Enhancing and presenting your design using Photoshop.
Combining your CAD drawings, SketchUp models and rendered visuals, you’ll start to work them into professional presentation boards.

Student Work

Interior design moodboard created by a student

Floorplan with dimensions created by a student

How you’re taught

Teaching is highly interactive, with opportunities for discussion, experimentation and feedback throughout the course. You’ll work independently and collaboratively while developing practice digital design skills relevant to the industry.

Contact hours

You will receive 15 hours of practical, studio-based tuition with an experienced tutor. Sessions combine demonstrations, guided exercises, individual support and hands-on project work in a creative learning environment.

Tutor profile:

Joey Liu is an interior designer and educator with professional experiences across residential and commercial interior design projects. After completing both her BA and MA in Interior Architecture at Nottingham Trent university, she worked as a part-time lecturer in interior architecture, supporting students in developing creative, technical and professional design skills.

Alongside teaching, Joey currently works at an award-winning design studio in Manchester, bringing current industry knowledge, professional experience and real-world insight directly into classroom.

Her teaching combines technical expertise with a supportive, approachable style, helping learners gain confidence with digital design tools. Joey is passionate about helping students develop practical skills that can support creative projects and career progression within the interior design industry.

Careers and employability

This course is designed to prepare you to step into the interior design industry by developing practical digital skills in professional practice.

Previous attendees have included aspiring interior designers, graduates, career changers and creative professionals looking to expand their technical skills and portfolio work.

By the end of the course, you’ll have developed transferable digital skills that can enhance both personal creative projects and professional opportunities within the design sector.

Certificate of attendance and digital badge

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a digital certificate of attendance and a digital badge powered by Accredible.

Your digital credential is more than just a certificate. It’s secure, verifiable, and protected against fraud through encryption and blockchain technology.

They also come with detailed metadata, including an overview of the skills you have achieved on the course, evidence of completion, and assessment criteria if appropriate.

Share your achievements seamlessly with friends, customers, and potential employers online, and proudly add your badge or certificate to social media platforms such as LinkedIn, so all the right people can see it.

Campus and facilities

You will be based in the School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment on the City Campus.

You’ll work in our spacious IT suites equipped with industry standard software including AutoCAD, SolidWorks and Adobe Creative Cloud.

You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.

You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.

Entry requirements

No software experience is required, although you must have basic computer skills and be familiar with Windows operating systems and file management.

You should have some level of professional or academic experience in interior design or have attended the Interior Design for Beginners course, either at NTU or an equivalent course elsewhere.

You must be over the age of 18 in order to attend this course.

Fees and funding

The fee for this course is £495.

Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.

Please bring with you to the first session: