There’s more to interior design project management than picking out the paint and throwing pillows. There are the late nights of coffee-fueled creative collaboration. And let’s not forget about the endless juggling of clients, contractors, and suppliers. At its core, interior design is the perfect marriage of art and science — and that’s no easy feat. But it’s all worth it when your designs finally come to life.

Let’s explore interior design project management — its lifecycle, the role interior design project managers play, and the software that helps bring it all together.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have the know-how and motivation to tackle your next interior design project with vigor.

Interior design project management is the process of overseeing different types of interior design projects.

For example, a designer may find themselves working on a residential remodel one week and collaborating on a new commercial office the next.

Now, interior designers work with a range of different clients spread across various industries.

And even though each project is unique, all clients expect the same high-quality, consistent results — and they want them on time and within budget.

So, having a project management workflow to organize tasks and keep track of milestones makes life a lot easier.

And although there’s no universal project management workflow, many interior designers follow a similar process when managing their projects.

We’ll cover our version of this process later.

We make sure the project flows as smoothly as possible from brief to final delivery. A skilled project manager is usually an experienced designer familiar with all aspects of a design project, including:

• Planning and organizing project schedules
• Assisting with construction documents
• Interacting with clients, contractors, and suppliers
• Sourcing materials and products
• Resolving conflicts

In other words, an interior design project manager has the technical expertise for making design-related decisions and the soft skills for communicating with project stakeholders.

Although it varies from company to company (and even more so if you’re a solopreneur), here are a few responsibilities interior design project managers handle day-to-day:

• Draft proposals based on client requirements
• Plan, budget, and execute projects (including final delivery)
• Coordinate with stakeholders
• Coordinate with contractors
• Conceptualize design
• Research products and maintain sample libraries
• Procure materials and maintain documentation
• Estimate projects
• Communicate (and haggle) with suppliers
• Manage schedules
• Guide staff and enforce project deadlines
• Conduct site visits
• Keep up-to-date with codes and standards

2. Working conditions

Traditionally, interior design project managers work in offices with small teams. And when they’re not in the office, project managers are often in the field, meeting with project stakeholders or inspecting work. Recently, big changes have shifted the way interior designers work (and where they work).

And second, easy access to cloud-based design technology and virtual meeting software has paved the way for the e-design­ movement.

That said, even though e-design and remote working are evolving rapidly, interior design project managers will still find themselves working in an office or in the field at some point — it’s hard to inspect a job over a Zoom call, after all.

Project managers use a systematic, repeatable approach to guide projects from concept to completion.

With interior design, this approach is called the interior design project cycle.

The interior design project cycle may vary from company to company — or manager to manager, for that matter.

But when you boil it all down, different project cycle frameworks have similar stages, goals, and deliverables.

Our version of the interior design project cycle contains seven stages:

• Initial client brief
• Site survey
• Conceptual development
• Sketching
• Design development
• Construction documentation
• Construction and inspection

Let’s take a closer look at each of these stages.

The initial client briefing is all about discussing your client’s desires and needs, as well as the outcomes of your client’s project.

Interior design is a very personal journey, and getting to know your client’s motivations will lead to better design decisions.

Ask your client lots of relevant questions and explore how they envision the look and feel of the finished product.

The initial brief should jumpstart your creative juices and get you thinking about how you can translate your client’s desires into a concept.

Remember that the ideas discussed during the initial client brief aren’t written in stone. In fact, you might only have a general understanding of what your client wants.

And that’s okay. All the ideas you and your client brainstorm are refined during the concept development stage (coming up soon).

A site survey is an analysis of your client’s existing space.

Normally, site surveys are completed during the initial client briefing, but not always.

For example, your client might ask you to come back another time, or in the case of new building construction, the space might not yet be built.

Here are a few simple things to remember to do when performing a site survey:

• Explore every nook and cranny of the space and note any thoughts that pop into your head
• Take lots of pictures
• Measure everything (you’ll need it)
• Ask for a copy of as-built drawings (there might be hidden surprises)
• Make suggestions based on your experience

Some design jobs — like an extensive renovation — may require a few site visits before you have all the measurements and notes you need to move forward.

Armed with measurements, notes, and your client’s goals, you can start transforming raw ideas into something a little more refined.

During the concept development phase, draw inspiration from previous projects or check out interior design concepts on Pinterest, Instagram, or Houzz.

And if you’re really looking to rev up your creativity, take a peek at our Inspiration Hub. You’ll find dozens of complete, ready-made designs that you can shape as you see fit.

Remember that concept development isn’t about assembling all the pieces. It’s about finding things — features, finishes, furniture, colors, tone/mood — you think to meet your client’s needs.

Finding ideas worth pursuing is no easy task.

Luckily, creating things like a mood board will help you narrow down the styles, themes, and features that stand out.

Once you have a few concepts worked out, start fleshing out your scope of work and thinking about an interior design contract.

The sketching phase is all about turning ideas into drawings you can present to your clients.

Now, sketches aren’t sloppy doodles on bar napkins.

Nowadays, clients want digital floor plans and 3D models so they can understand the design better and explore the space virtually — all things possible with interior design software like Foyr Neo.

Package your designs with a proposal and a rough estimate and send them off to your client for review and feedback.

Some clients may schedule a presentation and ask you to walk through your design piece by piece.

5. Design development

If your client approves your proposal and preliminary design, the project moves to the design development stage.

Design development requires fine-tuning details and finalizing everything related to the design, including:

• Layout
• Elevation
• Finishes
• Furniture
• Fabrics
• Colors
• Lighting
• Decor
• Millwork
• Appliances

Expect several revisions during the design development stage as your client attempts to balance cost and quality.

For example, your client might decide they now want more expensive furniture and ask if sourcing cheaper light fixtures will cover the cost.

And finally, when your client accepts the final design and estimate, your project rolls into the next phase: construction documentation.

There are two main deliverables from the construction documentation stage:

• A construction drawing set (the plans)
• Specifications

Drawings and specifications tell the contractor exactly what to build and how to build it.

Depending on the project, you may have to coordinate with architects and engineers to make sure your design doesn’t conflict with architectural elements or structural, mechanical, and electrical layouts.

It’s not uncommon for architects and engineers to change designs even after a project has started, so be ready to make revisions at any time.

Once your client approves the final drawing set, the plans will go out for bid, or a contractor is hired directly to complete the work.

7. Construction and inspection

And finally, it’s time for your vision to come to life.

At this point, everything is in order:

• Contractors are ready
• Materials are ordered
• All permits and legal requirements have been handled

As an interior designer, our main responsibility during the construction and inspection stage is answering questions from contractors and clients and performing inspections.