This course introduces the principles and processes of space planning for interior environments, with an emphasis on human behavior, functional performance, and clear spatial logic. Students learn how people move through and use interior spaces, how design principles operate at the plan level, and how to translate programmatic requirements into effective layouts. Rather than focusing on decoration or stylistic trends, the course prioritizes thinking, diagramming, and spatial decision-making, and is taught using a software-agnostic approach that welcomes hand drafting, computer modeling, or hybrid methods.
The course follows a research-to-resolution workflow used in professional architectural and interior design practice. Students begin by analyzing existing spaces, then develop programmatic and diagrammatic planning strategies, and finally resolve a cohesive interior plan that integrates circulation, lighting intent, and material considerations. Three cumulative projects guide students through the full arc of the design process, from observation and analysis to spatial strategy and final resolution.
What You Will Learn
- Analyze existing interior spaces using human-centered research methods and observational techniques
- Identify and evaluate circulation patterns, adjacencies, and spatial hierarchies within a given environment
- Apply core design principles such as proportion, scale, balance, and visual weight at the plan level
- Translate programmatic requirements into zoning, adjacency, and bubble diagrams that inform spatial decision-making
- Develop and test multiple planning strategies before committing to a final layout
- Produce clear, scaled floor plans with appropriate furniture layouts and circulation clearances
- Integrate lighting intent and material concepts to reinforce spatial function and user experience
- Communicate spatial ideas effectively through diagrams, drawings, and concise written explanations
This course is available for 30 days. You can choose when to start your access period. Once you activate, you will have 30 days to complete it (access the course materials, quizzes, projects and videos). You may request one extension of seven (7) days. Other extension requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Videos are not downloadable.
