Myth: You Can’t Streamline Your Interior Design Business When Every Project is Different
Updated August 2024
This is a common struggle I hear from interior designers ALL THE TIME. They wonder how they can create a process when every project and every client is so unique.
I get it!
The work we do with our interior design clients is highly individualized based on their challenges and needs. What works for a solo interior design business owner might not apply to a designer with a team of fifteen. And a team of fifteen has very different needs and challenges than a team of one does.
So, how do you streamline your interior design process when every project is different?
Easy. (For real).
You streamline the process—NOT the scope.
So, the SCOPE can change with every project (obviously), but the process for completing the scope will be the same for each service you offer. Ta-da!!
I’ll walk through it with you.
Identify Your Project Phases for Each Interior Design Service You Offer
Look at your entire process for each service you offer (you DO have one, I promise!) and break it down into phases. These are phases you have to do to bring your designs to life and complete the scope of work for that service type. The phases that if I told you to skip them, you would be like, “NO WAY, I have to do this; otherwise, I can’t do [the next thing]!”.
If you have only one service (full service), you’re in luck. You’ll just need one process. If you offer multiple services, you’ll need multiple processes.
→ And, if you’re like a lot of designers we see (😬) and you offer a laundry list of a la carte items to anyone and everyone, well, then, THAT IS WHY YOU CANNOT STREAMLINE YOUR PROCESSES because every SERVICE is different.
Your priority (if this is you) will be to package up your design services into clearly defined offers. Here’s one way to do that.
The Typical Phases for Every Interior Design Project
Once you have your services dialed in, then you’ll want to map out the phases for each of them. If you offer Paid Advice Consultation Sessions or Design Days, obviously, you would have fewer processes and phases for those smaller services than for your full-service offering.
Read more about the client-facing processes you need in your business.
→ Inquiry phase
→ Onboarding phase
→ Design phase
→ Project management
→ Installation or walkthrough phase
→ Offboarding phase
Let’s break down what each interior design phase typically includes:
Interior Design Client Process: The Inquiry Phase
This inquiry phase is when the prospect is inquiring about working with you. They are not a client yet. They haven’t signed a contract or paid. You’ve done ZERO work for them.
In this phase, you might have sent an initial inquiry email, done a discovery call, held a consultation, and sent a proposal if they’re a good fit.
Interior Design Client Process: The Onboarding Phase
This is when the prospect turns into a client. Becoming a client means they have signed your contract and paid their first design fee. They are only onboarded once the paperwork is official!
Once they are onboarded, your welcome materials will provide clear instructions about the information you’ll need in order to successfully prepare the design for their home.
You’ll also typically have a new client onboarding meeting, an in-home kickoff meeting, etc. Every project should have some sort of research phase, even if you’re only doing the design plan or a virtual session (like in a Design Day service).
Check out my Interior Design Client Process Onboarding Checklist here.
Interior Design Client Process: The Design Phase
This phase will be specific to your process and varies based on the service booked and the interior designer.
Maybe you start with floor plans.
Maybe you start with a concept design.
Maybe you move right into your final design.
Then you’ll have your presentation.
Then you’ll have some revisions included
Read all about how to make the actual design phase MUCH more efficient.
Interior Design Client Process: The Project Management Phase
Once a project moves out of the design phase, it moves into ordering and project management and will likely sit here for the longest amount of time. If your service doesn’t include ordering assistance or project management, then this phase would not be a part of that process.
Unless you’re a licensed general contractor, your role should look like this during CA/PM phase.
Interior Design Client Process: Installation Phase/Walkthrough
If installation or a final walk-through is included in your scope of work, you would then move the project into the installation phase once the big day arrives. In this phase, you’re preparing for the big day, finalizing all the details, and making sure you, your team, and anyone else on the project have what they need for a successful install day. You might also be scheduling a photoshoot at this stage so you can take advantage of the freshly styled (and clean!) space and the fact your team is already at the project.
Interior Design Client Process: The Offboarding Phase
Depending on what you provided in previous phases, your offboarding phase might look like punch list support, preparing a gift for your client, requesting feedback, and closing out the project internally.
Design your own streamlined Client Experience Process by
downloading my complimentary Luxury Client Experience Blueprint.
Click the image to grab it!
Consider breaking down each service you offer into the above phases. This approach can significantly streamline your workflow. When I implement this with my clients, we can quickly identify their capacity (for instance, if they have ten projects in the design phase, it's clear they are on a long wait for starting a new project and should consider hiring design support). This method not only helps in managing workload but also in making informed decisions about resource allocation.
Additional Resources
If you struggle with your process and phasing your projects, I have three resources that will help you to instantly refine and fill in your gaps:
Business Blueprint for Interior Designers—standard operating procedures for every phase of your design process PLUS tools and calculators for pricing projects, managing your capacity, and forecasting your revenue.
Reverse engineer your entire client process with our Client Experience Templates for Interior Designers.
The Designed to Scale® Method—if you need help streamlining your services, establishing profitable pricing, implementing boundaries, and designing an elevated process for delivering your design services to clients, add your name to the waitlist to be the first to know when we’re enrolling our next cohort.
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