Interior Design Laptop Requirements
The Interior Design Program's Studio/Lab provides each student access to a workstation that features an architectural drafting table, a computer monitor, and a docking station. Students are expected to bring their own laptops for work in design classes and will be able to connect to the monitors in the ID Studio using the provided docking stations.
After starting their studies in the design program, students will be advised when to buy a subscription for the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop and InDesign) and how to download free student versions of some drafting/design software (AutoCAD and Revit).
Students must have a personal laptop computer powerful enough to support the demanding video and computational requirements necessary for course work, as well as adequate storage to accommodate new software releases. In addition to completing design course work, most students will use their laptops to build digital portfolios and use various rendering programs, in addition to writing papers and emails.
The ID Program strongly recommends buying a PC (Windows) compatible laptop because the most important drafting programs we teach are designed for PC (Windows) and are not readily available for Mac OS. It is highly recommended for students to begin their studies in the Interior Design Program with a laptop that is powerful enough to serve them throughout the entire four years of their education.
General Recommendations
| Operating System: |
Windows 11 64-bit (Macs are highly discouraged) | |
| Processor: | i7 Intel® Core™ processor minimum, 14th generation; i9 Intel® Core™ processor preferred | |
| RAM: | 16GB Minimum. Consider 32GB if possible. Such a machine will serve you longer. | |
| Video Processor: | Dedicated Graphics Card (very important): Nvidia Quadro, Nvidia GeForce RTX, Nvidia GeForce 960 M, 1060 M, 1660 M, 2060 M, AMD Radeon Pro 5300M/5500M, AMD FirePro M4000 Mobility Pro (examples) | |
| Hard Drive: | 500GB minimum internal storage, 1 or more TB and Solid State Drive (SSD) hard drive preferred | |
| Screen Size: | 15” minimum screen size; 17” preferred | |
| External Hard Drive/ Flash Drive: | External hard drive for backup; flash drive required for most classes. | |
| Accessories: | Mouse required for use with most design software; wireless mouse preferred. | |
| Programs/Software: | Software: Autodesk Revit*, Autodesk AutoCAD*, SketchUp, 3DS Max, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop and InDesign), Microsoft Office*. Do not buy specialized software in advance. Students will be advised when/how to purchase or acquire software as needed for each course. * Free for students |
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| Recommendations: | Minimum 3-year warranty with theft and damage insurance Full number pad integrated into laptop keyboard preferred |
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| Note: | The recommended specs are based on running required programs at minimum requirements such as Autodesk Revit, Autodesk AutoCAD, SketchUp, 3DSmax, Adobe Creative Suite, etc. The majority of students who choose to purchase a MacBook Pro regret the decision. They find themselves working in the Windows side the majority of the time and are left with non-upgradeable and slower computers (after four years) than students who purchase a more flexible, Windows-based laptop. |
Updated: 10/01/2025 08:58AM