Behind every polished interior design reveal is a maze of logistics to track—and when you’re the head of a firm, it can feel like every one of them is on your shoulders. Clear operations management makes all the difference. Tightly structured operations systems can unleash a designer’s creative freedom.
We asked a handful of pros, including New York–based designers Kathleen Walsh and Gil Melott; Charlotte, North Carolina, designer Barrie Benson; and Pittsburgh designer Betsy Wentz, to share the strategies that keep their focus on the craft and their firms running like well-oiled machines.
Define Roles for Every Team Member
Even the smallest design firm needs support staff—someone to help pull fabrics, track procurement, chase invoices—so that the principal designer can direct the bigger picture. Kathleen Walsh, who has a BFA in interior design and an MBA in management, says her name is on the door, so clients expect that she’s doing their design.
Walsh’s operational structure is similar to that of larger firms like Barrie Benson Studio and Betsy Wentz Interior Design, which have 11 and 7 team members, respectively. Both firms’ namesake principal designers assign a team of one or two additional designers, a project manager, and a logistics manager to each project.
The logistics manager tracks everything that’s been ordered and owns questions like Where is it? When does it arrive? And is it damaged? Betsy Wentz notes that a staffer dedicated to logistical management is something many firms lack.
Streamline Your Presentation Process
Pulling together a client presentation involves a lot of recon: the homeowner completes a questionnaire about their likes and dislikes, visual references are sorted through, and maybe even a discovery day of sample pulling and window shopping occurs.
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Once the scheme is crafted, it’s time to present the client with plans. Finding an efficient way to do this is key. Walsh says that in the interest of valuing the time of
Document Workflows to Prevent Errors
The path from presentation to procurement to install is long, and details can easily slip through the cracks when it’s not clear who is responsible for what. Betsy Wentz thinks of it as catching butterflies, with many details to track.
At her firm, physical corkboards on the walls serve as a living reflection of the project, with samples pinned on and updated as they are approved. The project designer updates a PowerPoint presentation and the firm’s procurement software, Studio Designer.
As operations management processes are implemented, designers focus on creative work, and systems in place help prevent errors and ensure a smooth workflow. With the right team and systems, designers have more creative freedom and run their firms efficiently.
Having a clear understanding of operations management processes and implementing them effectively reduces administrative burden, allowing designers to focus on creating beautiful and functional spaces for clients. This leads to increased client satisfaction, improved reputation, and more business opportunities.
Automate Your Reporting
Software like Programa and Studio Designer offer robust reporting functionality, from project status and procurement to financial and P&L reports, to monitor timelines and spot red flags. Betsy Wentz’s team uses Studio Designer and refers to these exception reports as “hot lists.”
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The project manager runs a report confirming whether everything approved has been ordered, while the office manager runs a report flagging items with balances still to be reconciled. Wentz says it helps them do a better job of running day-to-day tasks.
Barrie Benson uses a Gantt chart to track project progression and cash flow, with estimated budgets, ordering phases, and projected timelines plugged into a spreadsheet and updated quarterly.
Schedule Regular Staff Meetings
Regular, dedicated staff meetings are essential for nuance and alignment, especially as the firm expands. This could mean weekly or biweekly all-hands meetings to check project status, prepare for visitors, and share updates about installations and staffing schedules.
Smaller project-based team meetings are also key to ensure everyone has the latest information. At Wentz’s firm, the project manager schedules regular project meetings in the shared calendar every week or two.
Keeping clients in the loop is key. Wentz and Walsh recommend keeping clients updated on project status before they start asking questions. For Wentz, this means a biweekly report emailed every other week. For Walsh, it’s a weekly update every Friday.
Updates can be simple, confirming furnishings are being ordered, or detailed, with progress notes about fabric arriving at a workroom or a scratched table being repaired. These updates serve as a proactive coordination tool, allowing designers to lock in dates for upcoming milestones, such as home design installations, well before they become urgent.