{"id":244898,"date":"2025-09-21T22:37:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T22:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/244898\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T22:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T22:37:18","slug":"from-2d-to-3d-why-graphic-design-is-the-secret-weapon-for-interiors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/244898\/","title":{"rendered":"From 2D to 3D: Why graphic design is the secret weapon for interiors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even if it may not always be immediately obvious, graphic design actively shapes how interior spaces are conceived, designed, presented and experienced. We spoke to designers about how the two disciplines intersect \u2013 from subtly branding social spaces, to boosting client presentations.<\/p>\n

For more on the world of interior design, check out the most influential interior design trends <\/a>of the last 50 years, chosen by experts, or find out why graphic design is also essential to fashion<\/a> \u2013 from visual identities to gamification<\/p>\n

A shared visual language<\/p>\n

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\"Owl\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Owl Interior Design)<\/p>\n

At their core, both graphic and interior design share fundamental principles \u2013 balance, rhythm, proportion, visual hierarchy, contrast, unity, emphasis and detail, for instance \u2013 which create natural synergies between the disciplines. In both cases, visual elements guide the eye, create mood and communicate messages.<\/p>\n

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Colour palettes developed for brand identities now inform interior schemes. Typography choices that define corporate communications influence wall graphics, wayfinding systems and even furniture selection. The ability to create cohesive visual systems in graphic design is invaluable when designing spaces that need to function as unified experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe link between graphic design and interior design is like a beautifully choreographed dance: one defines the voice, the other creates the stage,\u201d says Marie Soliman, founder, creative director of Bergman Design House<\/a>. \u201cIn 2025, that relationship feels more intertwined than ever. Graphic design doesn\u2019t just decorate walls anymore , it informs brand storytelling, wayfinding, material choices, and even the emotional temperature of a space. In hotels, member clubs and residences alike, typography, colour theory, and visual identity have become as essential to the mood as lighting or texture.\u201d<\/p>\n

The invisible influence<\/p>\n

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\"Owl\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Owl Interior Design)<\/p>\n

From hotels and restaurants to offices and train stations, graphic design is present in almost all spaces \u2013 even when you can’t see it. The typography that guides your eye, the colour palette that sets the mood, the visual rhythm that makes the space feel cohesive \u2013 they\u2019re the result of graphic design principles infiltrating every aspect of interior practice.<\/p>\n

Sophie van Winden and Simone Gordon, founders of Owl Interior Design<\/a>, see this influence everywhere: \u201cGraphic design is everywhere in interiors right now. It shapes how we pitch projects, how we present mood boards, and how spaces are shared on social media. In commercial projects it goes even further \u2014 environmental branding, signage and digital layers all combine to tell a brand\u2019s story. Essentially, graphic design is the glue that holds concept and experience together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.<\/p>\n

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\"Heartbreaker\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Run For The Hills)<\/p>\n

But the real power of graphic design lies in its subtlety. Chris Trotman, creative director at Run for the Hills, has mastered what he calls \u201cinvisible branding\u201d: \u201cMost people are more design savvy than you might give them credit for. And can spot when there is a disconnect between the brand and the interiors. Even if it\u2019s on more of a subconscious level and they can’t put their finger on exactly why, they sense something is off,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo graphic design and branding play a huge role in the ambience of the interior space of a venue. All those brand touchpoints that guests interact with \u2013 from the menus to the wayfinding \u2013 can all be reaffirming the story and enhancing the ‘brand world’. We like to intertwine our interior design and graphic design, embedding brand elements subtly in fabrics, or hidden in art. We like to call it ‘invisible branding’, it’s the opposite of sticking logos everywhere.”<\/p>\n

The trend blend<\/p>\n

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\"Bergman\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Bergman Design House)<\/p>\n

“Visual trends in graphic design often ripple straight into interiors,\u201d says Marie Soliman, founder and creative director of Bergman Design House<\/a>. \u201cThink of the rise in layered typography influencing wall treatments and signage, or the bold, gradient-driven colour palettes that have inspired immersive feature walls and custom finishes. In our own work, we’ve borrowed from editorial layouts to create spatial ‘chapters’ in a building, each with its own tone, rhythm, and texture.”<\/p>\n

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The role of social media and the internet more broadly in shaping visual culture, has led to the dissemination trends accelerated dramatically in recent decades\u200b\u200b. \u201cGraphic design trends constantly cross over into interiors. Fonts, colour palettes, organic linework \u2013 you’ll see them jump straight from design mood boards to wall murals, fabrics or furniture shapes,\u201d say Sophie and Simone. \u201cAnd the ‘Instagrammable’ moment is now baked into most briefs. The strongest interiors take cues not just from graphic design but also fashion, art, and digital culture \u2013 it’s all part of one creative language.”<\/p>\n

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\"Dood\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Run For The Hills)<\/p>\n

Chris sees this as part of a global cultural shift, though he warns against mindless trend-following: “The world is smaller, and we have global trends that run across everything. Sometimes starting on the catwalk, or in films, but they sweep across everything,\u201d he says. \u201cSuddenly there is a seventies trend, and the colour palettes across graphics and interiors are more retro, there are more arches and groovy patterns. But if you are too ‘trendy’ your project can date quickly, so we try and put a spin on things to make it more timeless.”<\/p>\n

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\"Dood\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Run For The Hills)The presentation revolution<\/p>\n

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\"Presentation\n<\/p>\n

Presentation slide by Bergman Design House (Image credit: Bergman Design House)<\/p>\n

Graphic design’s influence is perhaps most immediately felt in how interior projects are conceived, pitched and sold. The visual standards that graphic design established have transformed client expectations. Interior designer Sarah Walter Boyd<\/a> has found that this often starts with personal branding:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the beginning of a project can be very reliant on graphic design. None more-so than with a design firm\u2019s brand identity \u2013 which in an increasingly flooded market can help deliver the identity of you as a design firm ahead of the pack,\u201d she says. \u201cThere needs to be something that speaks to a client in that first engagement.\u201d She remembers a client once saying, \u201cThey\u2019re buying into you \u2013 so they need to know what you’re about and that you\u2019re what they want\u201d. \u201cThis identity can be conveyed through your website, company logo and even the font used for design proposals,\u201d she says, \u201cwhich all comes back to graphic design.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Presentation\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Bergman Design House)<\/p>\n

Project presentations are often where graphic design can really make or break a pitch, Boyd says. \u201cWhile in the past, designers may have presented some hand sketches and renders of schemes to show a client alongside small samples of fabrics and finishes \u2013 the variety of tools available to designers has increased dramatically, thanks to advances in technology,\u201d she says. \u201cAt this point, to ensure quick buy-in (it’s amazing how one badly cropped image can ruin a pitch). Presentations should be sharp, with images aligned correctly and make best use of fonts and arrangement on the page to avoid distracting the eyes from the task in hand. You may have conjured a stunning room scheme, but if any presentation used to convey the scheme is poorly thought through or executed, you risk losing that client.”<\/p>\n

Sophie and Simone agree that client expectations have completely transformed: \u201cThe role is almost unrecognisable compared to a decade ago when it was hand sketches, sample boards, and stacks of fabric swatches. Now it’s digital-first: immersive visuals, video presentations, and pitch decks that look like glossy magazine spreads. The expectation for polish and storytelling has gone through the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Bergman\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Bergman Design House)<\/p>\n

Graphic design hasn\u2019t just influenced interior design aesthetically \u2013 it\u2019s reshaped the professional toolkit, with interior designers now routinely using software originally developed for graphic designers<\/p>\n

\u201cInDesign [is best] for client presentations \u2013 powerpoint is limiting and isn\u2019t very professional, Chris says. \u201cPhotoshop<\/a> for image manipulation \u2013 recolouring moodboard images to fit your page and cutting things out can all be done with a few button clicks.”<\/p>\n

The uptake of tech skills in interior design shows just how important graphic design now is to the practice. Sophie and Simone advise balancing professional-grade tools with more accessible platforms: \u201cIt\u2019s a real mix: creativity, project management and communication are still key, but the toolbox has expanded. CAD platforms like Vectorworks or SketchUp are essentials, and 3D-rendering tools make ideas feel real in seconds. On the flip side, Canva and other quick-fire graphic platforms help us sell a concept visually in a way that\u2019s fast, clear and client-friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Owl\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Owl Interior Design)<\/p>\n

Sarah agrees that with increased access to and use of technology, skills for interior designers is an ever-evolving space. \u201cWhen I started with SC&JF in 2009, assistants were only required to use the Microsoft<\/a> package at most. If images were added to presentations, these were often cut and pasted onto a backing board alongside fabric swatches, which made for wonderfully layered presentations \u2013 although one misplaced smudge of Pritt-Stick and you were done for!\u201d she says. \u201cSlowly over time, Photoshop crept in, then Powerpoint \u2013 and the landscape started to shift. A full understanding of Adobe<\/a> Suite is a must nowadays along with CAD.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although AI has democratised access to graphic design capabilities, Chris notes how a human touch will always be essential to interior design. \u201cYou really don’t need to have anywhere near the skill level you used to have for programmes like Photoshop. With the new AI features, it almost does what you want on its own with a couple of prompts,\u201d he says. \u201cThe one thing AI hasn’t got though, is taste. So it will always need a human touch and a designer’s eye.”<\/p>\n

Professional transformation<\/p>\n

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\"A\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Owl Interior Design\/Racheal Smith)<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s interior designer is part storyteller, part strategist, part technologist, even sometimes psychologist,\u201d says Marie. \u201cWe need the sensitivity of an artist, the organisational skill of an architect and the agility to work fluently with digital tools, from 3D visualisation and parametric modelling to AI-assisted mood boards. But none of it replaces the magic of human touch: the hand sketch, the impromptu conversation with an artisan, the walk through a space to feel its bones.”<\/p>\n

Marie adds that the disciplinary boundaries that once kept graphic and interior design separate have all but dissolved entirely. \u201cWhen I started and launched Bergman, the disciplines felt more separate, graphic designers lived in one world, interior designers in another. Now, boundaries have melted. We speak a shared visual language, and often, the graphic identity is considered in tandem with the interior architecture from day one,” Marie says.<\/p>\n

“Whether on a page or in a room, design is about connection. We’re not just placing shapes and colours; we’re creating experiences people will remember and, in 2025, that shared mission has brought graphic and interior design closer than ever.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Even if it may not always be immediately obvious, graphic design actively shapes how interior spaces are conceived,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":244899,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[648,1032,1033,171,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-244898","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-design","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115244686096670056","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}