Abstract
With rapid economic development in Korea, interests in interior design have increased gradually. However, interior design markets were poorly evaluated from 2015 Korean Consumer Evaluation. It is necessary to identify what kinds of problems, defects, and consumer claims have arisen during interior design planning and construction procedures. Therefore the purpose of this study is to investigate claims and disputes in interior design project procedures and to find out when defects or claims take place in those procedures in order to reduce claims or defects. Email questionnaires were distributed to KOSID members (professional interior designers) using Google Survey. In addition, a focus group interview was conducted. A total of 54 responses were collected and analyzed using SPSS 19. As a result, in an agreement stage, alteration in materials is the major source of claim. More than a half of respondents addressed time shortage for programming and planning. During the construction stage, approximately 31% respondents experienced client dissatisfaction with materials and finishes. The reason for project completion delay was due to claims during construction. The claims most frequently appealed by clients were related to painting. The satisfaction with project quality is positively related to the quality and contents of design documents including design drawings and specifications. Regulations and communication with clients are important issues to reduce the gaps between interior designers and clients/ consumers.