What They Don't Teach You at Design School with Laura Hammett, Franky Rousell and Charu Gandhi
Fri Jan 30 2026
As interior design gains ground as a serious career and profession, more and more academic institutions are offering degree and master’s level interior design courses to teach the rudiments of this highly technical subject. But is this enough?
Susie and Jeff are joined by three renowned designers - Charu Gandi from Elicyon, Franky Rousell from Jolie Studio and Laura Hammett from Laura Hammett Interiors to discuss whether design schools adequately equip budding designers with the skills they need to take their place in our industry.
We explore the the important subjects that they don't teach at design school, and invite our panel to suggest what students and employers should do to identify and plug those gaps.
This episode was recorded in front of a live audience of designers at Arte in the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.
Thank you to our series supporters, Decorex 2026.
We are a Wildwood Plus production.
Chapters
(00:00:00) - What Don't They Teach You in Design School?(00:01:45) - Interviewing Designers(00:04:53) - Interviewing: Fit and Hard Work(00:07:04) - How do you test out a candidate's portfolio?(00:12:13) - Have You Got What it Takes to Be a Design Designer?(00:13:16) - Do graduating designers have the skills they need to survive life in an(00:19:46) - Teaching the management of client relationships(00:24:17) - The role of guest lecturers in interior design(00:27:31) - Can Anyone Become an Interior Designer?(00:28:59) - Are Interior Designers Team Players?(00:30:26) - What do you think are the really valuable lessons that they can't(00:36:27) - The Secret to Working As an Interior Designer(00:38:34) - The Importance of Interiors(00:39:33) - The Interior Design Exhibition
More
As interior design gains ground as a serious career and profession, more and more academic institutions are offering degree and master’s level interior design courses to teach the rudiments of this highly technical subject. But is this enough? Susie and Jeff are joined by three renowned designers - Charu Gandi from Elicyon, Franky Rousell from Jolie Studio and Laura Hammett from Laura Hammett Interiors to discuss whether design schools adequately equip budding designers with the skills they need to take their place in our industry. We explore the the important subjects that they don't teach at design school, and invite our panel to suggest what students and employers should do to identify and plug those gaps. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience of designers at Arte in the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. Thank you to our series supporters, Decorex 2026. We are a Wildwood Plus production. Chapters (00:00:00) - What Don't They Teach You in Design School?(00:01:45) - Interviewing Designers(00:04:53) - Interviewing: Fit and Hard Work(00:07:04) - How do you test out a candidate's portfolio?(00:12:13) - Have You Got What it Takes to Be a Design Designer?(00:13:16) - Do graduating designers have the skills they need to survive life in an(00:19:46) - Teaching the management of client relationships(00:24:17) - The role of guest lecturers in interior design(00:27:31) - Can Anyone Become an Interior Designer?(00:28:59) - Are Interior Designers Team Players?(00:30:26) - What do you think are the really valuable lessons that they can't(00:36:27) - The Secret to Working As an Interior Designer(00:38:34) - The Importance of Interiors(00:39:33) - The Interior Design Exhibition