Naomi Asai always had designs on working in a creative field. The only trouble for the L.A. native was narrowing down her options.

“I vacillated between industrial, graphic and fashion design for a while, and finally realized that interior design in some way incorporated elements of all three,” said Asai, now design director for Aecom’s West Coast interiors practice.

Her first step was to earn a degree in interior design from California State University, Long Beach, in 1986, but she said that the real learning process didn’t begin until she started working with clients.

She worked at a series of architecture and design firms after graduation, ending up at downtown L.A.-headquartered Aecom in 1994 (the interiors practice was then known as DMJM Rottet). She led and contributed to numerous award-winning projects as a design principal with the firm. Asai later worked in private practice at Michael S. Smith Inc., then returned to Aecom earlier this spring.

She said that she worked on smaller projects during her time at Smith and that helps her bring a different perspective to the large-scale commercial projects at Aecom. But the company’s global reach also gives her the opportunity to work with clients from around the world, and Asai’s current projects include work at a university in Abu Dhabi and launching a hotel brand in China.

Over the years, she has seen her approach to design evolve.

“I tend to favor streamlined, crisp interiors,” she said. “But I’ve gained respect for the decorative arts and more traditional design as well. There is a lot of beauty in perfectly proportioned traditional homes and antiques.”

She said it’s important to find new approaches to design challenges.

“Keep an open mind with a good sense of direction, and you’ll uncover great solutions,” she said.

Asai lives in Malibu with her husband, Gene, and her 12-year-old son Kelan, 12, and 9-year-old daughter Rei. In her free time, she likes to take walks, play tennis and snoop around open houses.

Ilana Berger