4 Tips to Manage Interior Design Project Timelines
Have you ever found yourself tethered to a project much longer than expected? Not only can that be draining, but it also affects your bottom line. Being able to wrap up projects in a timely manner and move on means you make more money.
Managing interior design projects takes major organizational skills but also knowing the right things to ask and expectations to set will make or break the success of a project.
I’ve been doing this long enough (ahem...made enough mistakes) to now have a few tips that have helped me and my team better manage interior design projects.
I hope these tips will help you better manage your projects so you can make👏 more 👏money👏.
#1 Set Expectations Upfront with Clients
The HGTV effect is real. Clients see unrealistic timelines and budgets all the time on TV and in magazines. It’s your job to educate them on what’s realistic.
To determine our own availability and to set a project timeline, we use a Gantt chart (See example below). This way we always know when we can start a project. From the very first phone call with a client (before we even book an in-home consultation) we let clients know our earliest availability.
At the end of the consultation - when we have a better idea of the scope - we’ll give clients a general idea of how long our design process will take (typically 6 weeks). Then when we meet with trades/contractors we can establish a timeline for any construction that might occur.
Furthermore, educate your client on the impact of making major changes or adding to the scope mid-project which can dramatically impact the schedule.
PRO-TIP! Don’t be afraid to let your clients see your schedule like this one below. Keep a copy printed out your binder when go to consultations. When it’s time to talk timelines, and they see this, not only do they see you’re organized but also in high-demand! They know you have other clients besides them and they are more likely to respect the timeframe you suggest for the project.
#2 Set Design Phase Dates at Outset of Projects
So many designers get started on design without ever establishing a date to present to their client. The problem with this is, it leaves your client hanging without any expectation of when they will start to see the design come together. Set your milestone dates for the design phase at the outset of a project and above all STICK TO THEM.
Here is a brief overview of our process. Once a client is confirmed (contract and retainer in hand) the very first thing we do is establish major milestones for the Design Phase. It’s typically too soon at this stage to determine the duration of construction beyond broad strokes. Here are the typical dates we establish right away.
Week 1: Site Survey Date - This is the day we come and take detailed measurements, photos, and inventory of existing items to incorporate
Week 2: Trade Day (if not the same as Site Survey Day) - Trade Day is when we bring in people like our contractor, wallpaper hanger, window treatment pro, etc. to provide estimates for their work.
Week 3 or 4: Concept Design Delivered - This is the preliminary design package delivered via PDF and followed up with a phone call. It includes big-picture design ideas, recommended budget, and a preliminary floor plan.
Week 6-8: Design Presentation - This is the whole design plan delivered in-person. It includes the completed budget, estimates from trades, all drawings, samples, specifications, and design boards.
Pro Tip: I once had a client leave for 4 weeks to go sailing in the Greek Islands without any notice. Lovely for him. Disastrous for me!. Lesson learned! A quick email/conversation to your client asking them if they have any major upcoming travel or work deadlines, not only shows that you care about their schedule too but will allow you to avoid surprises and work around those dates.
#3 Give Clients Deadlines
Last week we talked about setting boundaries with clients. You are NOT available indefinitely to work on a client’s project. Period. The most successful projects happen when a client shares in the responsibility to keep the momentum going. In my business, if a client does not meet their established deadlines, they risk forfeiting their place in our calendar. Meaning, we may have limited availability to continue working on their project because we’ve moved on to our next client who has been waiting. Their project may go on hold and they will remain on our waiting list.
Here are the deadlines I recommend setting for your clients:
Respond to the Design Proposal for our Services - 1 week - This includes receipt of the Client Agreement and Retainer for services
Client Inventory - First week of design - Clients often have items in storage or heirlooms they will be inheriting, etc. that are not on site. If we aren’t able to access them for inventory, it’s up to the client to provide photos and dimensions if they want them incorporated into the design.
Feedback on Concept Design - 3-5 days - We usually send the PDF package on a Thursday and give them the weekend asking for a reply by Monday so we can keep moving forward.
Feedback on Design Presentation - 1 week - Design presentations can be long and there is a lot of decision-making that needs to happen. Some clients need more time to process their thoughts than others. One week is typically more than enough time. We expect about 90% of the decisions to be made within this time. Beyond that, it can be hard to keep the momentum of a project going.
I can’t emphasize this enough -> Don’t spring these deadlines on your clients! Set the expectation from the very beginning!
#4 Incentivize Contractors
Unless you are a Design-Build company, generally you are not responsible for the construction timeline. That is up to your contractor. The exception, of course, would be if you didn’t order materials on time such as lighting, etc. which delays the project. Once the design phase is over, you have a lot less control around timelines. Be sure to set this expectation with your client. Even the best contractors may take longer than anticipated.
One method we have had success with is incentivizing contractors. Since we don’t hire contractors directly, this is an approach we always recommend our clients take (If they don’t take our advice and a project takes longer than expected, the heat is off us). Instead of penalizing a contractor for not meeting a set deadline (which just creates friction), we incentivize contractors with a bonus for finishing on time. Here are the basic ideas.
Make the incentive enticing. 10-20% of the quote is average.
The incentive shouldn’t disappear on day one of missing the deadline. Tier the bonus like this example with a 20% incentive
Week 1 past deadline - Reduce by 5% - 15%
Week 2 - 10%
Week 3 - 5%
Week 4 - No Incentive
If a significant addition to the scope of work creeps up during construction, the deadline should be fairly negotiated between the Contractor and Homeowner.
Have very clear definitions of what is considered “complete” and which parties are responsible. Usually, that is that the punchlist is completed.
Challenge
Is there at least one of these tips that you think would improve the way you manage timelines? How can you implement that into your interior design projects today? Do you need to add language to your contract? Add a policy to your Welcome Package? Add a step/reminder to your Asana workflow? Whatever it is, don’t just think about it. Make it an established part of your project management process.
You will make more money and lose less sleep at night when you do.
