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Designer Training Australia
Welcome to Designer Training Australia
Thanks for dropping by
Designer Training Australia (DTA) is a private registered training organisation (RTO) specialising in design training and professional development for kitchens, bathrooms and interiors.
Since 2010 we have been delivering quality training to the industry all over Australia. We deliver a range of programs to the design industry including a qualification, short courses and professional development. Our head office is based in Brisbane, but our students are from all over the country. We are the only national provider who specialise in kitchen and bathroom design.
Our trainers are experts in their field and are successful practicing designers as well as having many years sharing their knowledge and coaching others in Vocational Training and Education (VET).
Our graduates have gone on to be award winning designers and are regularly featured in national awards programs with peak associations such as the Kitchen and Bathroom Designers Institute (KBDi), and the Housing Industry Association (HIA).
Keep in touch
We are the only registered training provider in Australia who specialise in kitchen and bathroom design
Expert Trainers
Our team of trainers are practising industry professionals, with expertise including retail, design, sales, marketing and business management. They are all qualified, experienced trainers.
Online but not alone
Courses are structured to ensure that they are as openly accessible as possible. Whether you are distance-challenged or time-poor, DTA’s solutions offer the perfect opportunity to learn new skills with support from our expert trainers.
Pathways
Our courses provide pathways to get the skills you need when you need them. We have options to allow our students to enrol in a course to suit them and their career journey.
Australia-wide solutions
The DTA national office is based in Brisbane QLD, and we deliver training to students living all over Australia.
Success Stories
Sheena Hanks
Interior Designer
Alicia Jeffries
Interior Designer
Sam Robinson
Interior Designer
Nicole James
Interior Designer
What did you do before interior design?
I have renovated a number of houses over the years, however I lived in a remote area of Western Australia for many of these years and never had the opportunity to follow my passion of design. Working in Human Resources, I found that I had no creative outlet and knew I needed to do something different.
What study have you already completed?
When I moved to Queensland I had enrolled in a Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration. I was so passionate with my studies that I would find myself staying up to all hours to perfect my assignments and was always submitting my assignments ahead of time because I enjoyed working on them so much. With my success in the course and positive feedback from my lecturers I knew I was finally on the right career path. I pushed out of my comfort zone and was able to create designs that were different from the rest and better than I expected.
What led you to kitchens and bathrooms?
Kitchens and Bathrooms have always been an area of interest for me. They aren’t an area of the home that is changed every few years so they need to be well planned and timeless.
Why were you interested in the Certificate IV in Design of Kitchens, Bathrooms and Interior Spaces?
This course will benefit my career as it will fill the gaps from what I learnt in my Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration and specialise in areas of bathroom and kitchen design. Having worked alongside experienced kitchen and bathroom professionals, I can clearly identify the gaps in my knowledge compared with theirs. Kitchen and bathroom design is an area that interests me the most and a field I want to pursue.
What have you gained from undertaking this course?
I was offered a position with a leading bathroom company on the northside of Brisbane. This role has much more scope than the previous role as I work closely with the project managers and the suppliers to assist with design and product selection. I think this course helped me to secure the role, just like my previous job.
This interview was undertaken whilst Alicia was completing her studies with DTA. She has since completed the qualification and is still working as an Interior Designer with Mint Kitchens.
Qualifications: Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration and I have almost finished the Certificate IV in Design of Kitchens, Bathrooms and Interior Spaces with DTA.
Current job: Working Full time as a Design Assistant at Mint Kitchens in Moonee Ponds (Melbourne).
How long have you been in the industry?
I started actively trying to network within the industry in my second semester of my interior design course. The following year I did some voluntary work to try and pick up as much as I could about what a day in the life of a designer looked like and how they went about tackling their projects and communicating with clients. I was then fortunate enough to start working full time, and have been doing so for over a year now and absolutely loving the variety every day!
When did you first get interested in design?
From a young age I can always remember being interested in interior design and ‘organizing space’, frequently re arranging my bedroom into numerous different layouts! As I grew older I began to realize that I had a love for customized cabinetry and how it could be designed to suit a space in any way and create functional and practical storage solutions. From here I decided that my passion was organizing space, and particularly kitchen design.
What do you enjoy most about studying the Certificate IV in Design of Kitchens, Bathrooms and Interior Spaces?
I love that the course is so detailed about kitchen and bathroom design and really focuses on the significant aspects of both rooms and things that are very important to keep in mind when designing such a space. The course is also online and allows you to work through it at your own pace which has been great for me to fit in around full-time work!
How is this qualification benefiting your work?
Whilst having a very hands on role across different kitchen and bathroom projects through my full time work, the course has provided me with the knowledge of different standards and technical information that I now rely on day to day to make sure I am dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s.
What inspired you to enrol in this qualification?
After having wanted to focus on Kitchens and Bathrooms, rather than all areas in Interior Design, I began looking into courses that may be more tailored towards the industry and came across DTA. As an industry partner with the Kitchen and Bathroom Designers Institute (KBDi) it is well recognised and allow me to apply to be a Certified Kitchen Designer and a Certified Bathroom Designer once I also have four years of industry experience.
What advice do you have for others who are thinking about training in kitchen and bathroom design?
It is a must! I think without it a designer may lack the practical understanding of what goes on when and how all the different trades are involved to bring the project to life. The course also covers good design practices, drawing skills and communication skills which are all very important to understand, especially when you have multiple projects on the go!
Qualifications: Advanced Diploma of Interior Decoration and Design, Advanced Certificate Decoration, Certificate IV in Design of Kitchens, Bathrooms and Interior Spaces (kitchen and bathroom specialties)
Current job: My current role is managing and operating my own Design Company. Sam Robinson Interior Design covers all aspects of Design in both the Residential and Commercial spectrums. The Decoration aspect of my business provides me a creative outlet which has led me to be a stylist with a major shopping centre. My days are jam packed full, in a world that I love. In fact I would love to have an extra day added to every week so that I can fit more in! Is there a course to teach me how to do that?
How long have you been in the industry?
Approximately 25 years professionally in total although probably dabbled in the field all of my life. I began consulting for real estate agents, almost by accident, assisting clients in preparation of their homes for sale and have lead a rewarding and creative design career ever since.
When did you first get interested in design?
Huge thanks to Lego, Barbie’s and copious amounts of paper and pencils. Seriously! Construction and making things as beautiful as they could be, was a significant part of my childhood growing up in a country town. That then transferred to real spaces as I entered my teenage years. I was forever arranging and then rearranging and just when it was perfect do it all again. My imagination and flair became more obvious in my early adult life and my passion for Interiors and architecture grew. It became my distinguishing trait and I realised that I could make a living doing something that I adore. How many people could be so lucky? The rest is history and I am so proud to have won the title of the KBDi Australian Bathroom Designer of the year.
What did you enjoy most about studying your Certificate IV in Design of Kitchens, Bathrooms and Interior Spaces?
Keeping current is so important to any field but particularly in the design sphere. The challenge of continually acquiring current knowledge and revising existing skills, allows you to always give the very best concepts and creations to your clients. To have the privilege to study with industry colleagues and peers along with individuals with the desire and the dream, is such a pleasure. The design industry is bursting with passionate personalities. As a result it is on a constant path of development and innovation, with fresh approaches and original ideas and concepts always being sought and emerging. The day you stop learning in this industry, is the day you should quit! The more you think you know, the more you realise that you don’t know.
And how has this qualification benefitted your work?
Up to date proof of learning is such an impeccable recommendation. Keeping current with education automatically puts you ahead of the crowd and provides you with credibility within your industry peers and clients alike. The training delivered today is outstanding and prepares designers (existing or newbies) for the real world with tangible and transferrable skills. The benefits for me have been upgrading my skill set, opening my mind in a learning situation, where any idea is a good idea, and providing confidence that my skills are relative to industry standards and requirements. This relates directly to be able to provide clients with my absolute best.
What inspired you to get the qualification?
My diploma was achieved in the Dark Ages. To sit back and say that is all I ever need to do, is to sentence myself to a self-induced expiry date. Learn more and when that has been achieved, go and learn even more.
What advice do you have for others who are thinking about training in kitchen and bathroom design?
Do it! Design is such a rich and rewarding career and so diverse. Training in this area can provide you with a fulfilling and worthwhile career, with so many tangents to follow. To possess the ability to help individuals and families achieve their dream is gratifying, especially when considering the costs involved in such projects. Your clients will thank you for the security you provide them with your knowledge.
Nicole, one of Designer Training’s graduates, said: ‘When I completed my Certificate IV in Design of Kitchens, Bathrooms and Interior Spaces, I had such a feeling of elation. I experienced an overwhelming boost of confidence—I could now design kitchens and bathrooms professionally, and be paid to do it.
‘The course is industry-based, and presented by industry-based trainers who “talk the talk”, and back it up with their impressive resumes and industry awards. Not only did they teach us how to commercially design a kitchen or bathroom with professional prowess, they also introduced us to the industry through a variety of networking opportunities that you just don’t get with many other courses.’
Nicole said that one of the many highlights of the course was the final assignment where she compared her current work to her first, very basic, efforts. Being able to see how her skills and knowledge had grown was exhilarating.
And her advice to others who might be thinking about training to become professional kitchen and/or bathroom designers?
“Jump in (like I did) and just do it. I have compared lots of courses and Designer Training courses stand head and shoulders above them all. I now have knowledge and skills and a qualification that people in the industry recognise and value.”
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