How to Package Your Interior Design Services
Updated March 2024
If you’re a designer, chances are, you’re still dealing with projects that should have closed out months ago (maybe even a year ago) and with every email, every site visit, every check in with your receiver, you cringe knowing your profit margins are going down.
I have a few interior design clients who are actually moving away from the full service model and are moving to a more in-and-out service offering so they can have better control of their schedules, get out of project management, and focus on doing just the design work they love so much (rather than all the admin and emailing and putting out fires that come with managing ongoing projects and renovations/construction).
It's the same way I've structured my business:
I have an intensive option with a clear set of deliverables, a limited timeframe, and a quick turnaround. And I also have a monthly service that is ongoing, has a ton of flexibility with what we’ll do, and my whole team is involved depending on what we’re working on for the client. While the work we do isn’t often an emergency, sometimes we are working quickly to prep for a new hire, set up new software, or get client-facing processes ready to onboard a new big project. Read this post for the top processes you should have in your business.
While both design days or design intensives are great for designers, I know having those full service projects lets you see the project through from idea to installation, so you get the satisfaction of an awesome transformation and a happy client. With a design only service, it can be a little frustrating to design a gorgeous space, hand it over to the client, say BYEEEE, and then hope they implement it all and do a good job and send you pictures.
I get it: it’s the same with my services. With my intensives, I cross my fingers and hope my clients use everything we created for them and implement my suggestions. With my monthly clients, we handle the implementation to make sure everything is ready to go, easy to use, and understood by the team.
I’ve applied this same service design approach to my clients and have helped designers all over the US + Canada roll out design days, just like my own intensive service.
It’s been amazing to see these smaller services sell so easily. Customers want quick design help right now. They want their houses to function better and look beautiful. They have no idea when covid will end and want to have some fun and beauty in their life. They’re not vacationing and they’re spending more time at home, and thus have more money to spend on their homes.
My designers are loving it because they’re in and out, focusing on just the design work they love so much.
There are so many ways to structure a design intensive service but the keys are this:
Quick turnaround for design deliverables. The longer you make a client wait, the more access they have to you, and that's when they can start to add to the scope (or try to), ask questions for more help, and think you are their full service/back pocket designer
Clear deliverables, timeline, and communication boundaries
This is great for clients who are happy to implement
Limited or no revisions
Contract
Welcome guide
MUST clarify with your full service clients that this is different than your full service offer so they know they don’t get you in an ongoing capacity
SET clear boundaries at every touchpoint
Why design intensives or design day services are better than design consultations:
For most of my designers, their customers are busy and value their time more than money. And they know they need expert help because they don’t want to make mistakes that will cost them more to fix in the long run. The issue with consultations is that customers end up with a long list of to-do items, but no know-how or specific guidance on what exactly to do, and no time to actually work through the list.
So the consult leaves them overwhelmed and unsatisfied, and still in a state of confusion about whether “this is the green you meant for the pillow” or “this is the green you meant for the pillow”. And then nothing gets accomplished so the whole experience is lackluster. If you’re looking to deliver high-quality design guidance in a profitable, efficient, and elevated way, check out our Paid Design Advice Consultation Client Experience Kit for Interior Designers.
With a design day, the client gets the in-home consultation PLUS behind-the-scenes design time where you’re sourcing the exact items for them, providing them with a clear-cut plan they can easily implement on their own. Sure, they’ll have a list of to-dos if you’ve suggested any paint colors, hardware changes, light swaps, etc, but they‘ll know exactly what paint color to use, exactly what hardware to buy, and exactly what light fixture to purchase.
Adding that backend component with the sourcing and structuring it so there is a limited support period allows your clients to have that full service experience and feel totally confident when they implement the plan knowing a full service designer created it for them and they were able to access that designer at a lower price point.
You get to do the design only and then you’re done once you hand over the design plan (unless the customer purchases through you, then you’ll place their orders and keep them updated).
Everyone wins.
This is also a great service because so many designers feel bad about saying no to small jobs, and want to have some way to say yes without moving to one-off hourly projects that will ultimately be the thorn in their side.
Design days are great for interior designers who:
want to focus on design-only and not all the ongoing project management
want to say YES to smaller projects or previous clients who don't fit into their full service container
want more flexibility + more control over their schedule
want to have a team member take on more design work
have a team member who can manage the support phase + communication
Design days are not great for interior designers who:
won't be okay with not getting photos of the completed space
won't set boundaries with clients
don't have time in their schedule to deliver design day presentations quickly
If you currently have a small service like this or are looking to structure a service like this, I’d love for you to check out my Design Day Templates and Design Day Contract below that were created just for interior designers who currently offer (or want to offer) a Design Day service or a Virtual Design service. The templates will guide you through the process with emails, Canva files, questionnaires, and tips for structuring your intensive so you and your clients are happy, and so you know exactly how to set it up for success at each phase. Check out the Design Library for more resources.
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