Transform Your Interior Design Business: How to Embrace the Virtual-Only Model

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Originally Posted on April 5, 2023 / Updated on February 22, 2025

When you first entered the world of interior design, what did you envision your day-to-day life looking like? Maybe you pictured client meetings, site visits, and endless design consultations. Fast forward to now—does your reality match that dream, or are you feeling bogged down by the never-ending demands of the interior design business?

The good news is, you don’t have to choose between your passion for design and a more balanced lifestyle. With the growing popularity of virtual communication, new technologies, and the desire for more flexibility, many interior designers are shifting to a virtual-only model to meet both their clients' needs and their own.

Instead of handling sourcing, project management, or in-person meetings, think about offering services like virtual design consultations, shoppable design boards, or personalized style guides. These types of services are not only in high demand but can help you boost your efficiency, cut overhead costs, and even expand your client base far beyond your local market.

Ready to make the leap? Here's how to get started!

Why Go Virtual-Only?

If you're wondering whether a virtual-only business model is right for you, here's why more and more interior designers are choosing this path:

  • Increased Efficiency: No more time-consuming in-person meetings or site visits! You can complete projects more quickly, take on more clients, and ultimately increase your profitability.

  • Greater Flexibility: Virtual design services allow you to work from anywhere, on your schedule. This flexibility is especially helpful if you have clients in different time zones or you’re planning a vacation (without your business taking a hit!).

  • Lower Overhead Costs: Without needing to worry about sourcing products, managing on-site projects, or maintaining an office space, your overhead costs decrease significantly. You could even run your business with a small team or outsource work to a Virtual Design Assistant, giving you more time to focus on what you love.

  •  Expanded Client Base: Virtual services remove geographical limits. Now, you can work with clients from all over the world, opening up more business opportunities and increasing your revenue potential.

7 Tips to Make the Transition to Virtual-Only Services

Making the shift to virtual design isn’t as simple as flipping a switch, but with the right tools and mindset, it can be a seamless transition. Here are 7 tips to help you embrace the virtual-only model:

  1. Refine Your Brand for Virtual Success
    Your brand should clearly communicate your virtual offerings. Ensure your website, social media, and marketing materials reflect your new business model and the value you provide. Take this opportunity to update your logo or even consider rebranding for a fresh look. Clients should instantly know that you specialize in virtual services.

  2. Streamline Your Process
    To stay efficient, you’ll need to streamline your virtual design workflow. Tools like Asana or Trello for project management, AutoCAD or SketchUp for space planning, and Canva for presentations are essential. Make sure you also use cloud storage (e.g., Dropbox or Google Drive) to keep everything organized and easily accessible for both you and your clients.

  3. Set Your Rates Based on Virtual Services
    Because virtual services often cost less than traditional in-person offerings, you’ll need to adjust your pricing. Research industry standards, consider your experience, and factor in the value you provide. Offering service packages or bundles can simplify the pricing structure for clients and make it clear what they get for their investment.

  4. Build Your Online Presence
    A strong online presence is a must for any virtual business. Your website should support online payments and clearly showcase your services, while your social media accounts should be regularly updated with relevant content and a portfolio of past projects. Don’t forget—professional photoshoots of your completed virtual projects are key to building trust with prospective clients.

  5. Provide Exceptional Customer Service
    Virtual design relies heavily on communication, and your customer service should shine through every interaction. Set clear expectations with clients from the start, respond to inquiries promptly, and provide regular updates throughout the process. Great communication helps build trust and keeps clients coming back for more.

  6. Set Clear Terms and Expectations
    Make sure you have a solid contract in place for all your virtual design services. Outline key details such as payment terms, timelines, and how you’ll collaborate remotely. This helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that both you and your clients are on the same page.

  7. Update Your Virtual Office Setup
    Even though you won’t be meeting clients in person, you still need a professional setup. Invest in a quality webcam, microphone, and lighting so you can offer high-quality video consultations. A comfortable, ergonomic desk chair is also essential since you’ll be spending a lot of time in front of your computer.

It’s Not All or Nothing

You might be thinking that switching to a completely virtual model means ditching all in-person services. Not necessarily! Many interior designers are adopting a hybrid approach by offering virtual-only for certain services, like consultations, design boards, or project management. This allows them to reduce their workload and increase their flexibility while maintaining a personal touch with their clients. You can find a balance that works for you—whether that means fully embracing virtual or just starting with a few virtual offerings.

Virtual Design is Here to Stay

Transitioning to virtual-only design services might feel intimidating, but with the right planning, tools, and communication strategies, it can be an exciting and profitable shift. You’ll gain more flexibility, work with clients around the world, and cut down on costs—without sacrificing the personal connections that make your designs special.

Good luck as you embrace the future of interior design!

xx, Danae

How Virtual Reality Can Help Interior Designers

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Interior designers are used to showing their proposals in 2D and 3D images. So, the logical next step is an even more immersive way to help clients better understand your vision and get a better sense of what the space will feel like. This is where Virtual Reality (VR) comes in. Users wear a headset to interact with realistic digital environments, taking design from theoretical and hypothetical to experiential.

Although polished and approachable programs for VR in interior design have not yet reached mainstream markets, a glance at technology news indicates that the industry is rapidly moving in that direction. If you need a sign of the times, Metaverse celebrated the first edition of the Metaverse Architecture and Design Awards (MAD).

So, let’s muse about the potential benefits that VR could offer you as an interior designer, proving that it’s worth staying tuned to its new advancements. By utilizing VR programs, both designers and clients can immerse themselves in 360-degree designed spaces, offering a heightened level of realism and perspective. This opens up possibilities such as:

Unleashing Creative Boundaries:

With VR, designers can explore daring and innovative design directions without the concern of significant time investments, fostering creativity and pushing design boundaries to new heights.

Enhanced Client Engagement:

VR enhances client meetings by providing an immersive experience that brings the space to life. Clients can visualize and feel the design firsthand, leading to better feedback, improved satisfaction, and stronger collaborative decision-making.

Streamlined Material Selection:

VR enables designers to virtually explore a wide range of finishes, textures, and materials. By visualizing these options in VR, designers can save valuable time and money on ordering physical samples, making informed decisions upfront, and reducing the need for costly returns.

Error Prevention and Design Accuracy:

Through immersive VR experiences, designers can identify and address potential design flaws or mistakes. By exploring the space from an immersed perspective, designers understand how different elements come together, minimizing the chances of overlooked details.

Gaining Competitive Edge:

As VR becomes increasingly sought-after by clients, embracing this technology positions interior designers ahead of the competition. Offering immersive experiences sets designers apart and meets the growing demand for cutting-edge design services.

So, are there any downsides to using VR as part of your interior design process? More than drawbacks, you’ll likely face some initial hurdles such as the investment and learning curve. While VR provides immersive visual experiences, it currently falls short in replicating other sensory aspects crucial to interior design, such as touch, smell, and realistic sound propagation.

All in all, VR presents a multitude of exciting advantages and possibilities for the field of interior design. As technology continues to advance, we can look forward to leveraging its capabilities to enhance the design process, create immersive experiences, and push the boundaries of what is possible in designing and visualizing interior spaces.

xx, Danae

DIGITAL TEMPLATES?

We love helping busy interior designers like you! So, in an effort to provide the best resources possible, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU about what templates you’d like to see from us. Browse our current collection of templates here for any you might need or want, and email us at danae@elitedesignassistants.com to let us know what other templates you’d like us to make and have available for instant download! 

Six Simple, Yet Highly Effective Ideas for Virtual Team Building

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Are you an interior designer with remote employees or outsourcing collaborators? Then you know how challenging it can be to maintain open communication and build a sense of camaraderie while juggling everything else. While the idea of team-building can elicit mixed reactions, it's a worthwhile and sorely underestimated investment for any business owner. By fostering connections between team members, you can deepen their bonds and improve communication, leading to better work performance, productivity, and job satisfaction.

The good news is that virtual team-building exercises don’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or necessarily cost you a penny. From simple check-ins to team games, you can build a stronger and happier team. Here are some easy ideas to get started.

1. Master your online platforms and software. To create a strong sense of community and effective communication in a virtual team, it's important to make the most of an online platform like Slack, Asana, or Trello. These platforms provide a space for colleagues to interact, share ideas, and collaborate seamlessly. Knowing your way around your video conferencing platform of choice, such as Zoom or Google Meet, is essential, as features like screen sharing, breakout rooms, whiteboards, and remote control are indispensable tools for virtual communication.

2. Set regular team meetings. By scheduling regular company-wide communication, you can create a welcoming environment that encourages everyone to share their thoughts and ideas. These meetings help to keep everyone informed, ensure that short and long-term goals are within sight, and give everyone a voice. To make the meetings more engaging, consider starting by having each person share their "high" and "low" of the week, whether it be work-related or not. Alternatively, you can kick off team meetings with an icebreaker question to get everyone thinking and interacting, such as “If you were alone in a dark cabin, with only one match and a lamp, a fireplace, and a candle to choose from, which would you light first?”

3. Welcome feedback. While team meetings can be a great forum for sharing ideas, they may not be the best place for constructive criticism. To encourage honest feedback, consider setting up a virtual “suggestion box” for anonymous submissions, and commit to reading and addressing them once a month. Additionally, taking the time to check in with each team member individually can provide valuable insights and allow for open discussion on what's working well and areas that could be improved. Even though you have the final say in your own business, being receptive to your team's feedback can be incredibly valuable.

4. Celebrate the wins. It's easy to get caught up in the momentum of completing tasks and immediately move on to the next one. But taking a beat to celebrate big milestones (completing an important project) or small successes (finding a creative solution to a design conundrum) boosts morale and pumps the team up to keep going. Whether it’s a quick shout-out in a team meeting or an Uber Eats gift card for a job well done, the gesture goes a long way. When team members feel appreciated and united, their performance tends to improve, so it’s truly a win-win.

5. Play online games together. One great way to encourage team bonding is by playing online games together, especially those that require collaboration and communication skills. Set a time limit beforehand and inform your team about it, so that no one gets stressed about time constraints and can organize their workday accordingly. Then it’s time to have fun! Here are some options:

  • "Can You Hear Me Now?" is a virtual game that requires excellent communication skills and collaboration. One team member becomes the speaker, and the others are artists. The speaker must describe a randomly generated image using only geometric shapes, and the artists must draw it and then share their masterpieces. The game is not only fun but also teaches the importance of effective communication in a remote team setting.

  • Pancakes vs Waffles is a decision-making discussion game that encourages team members to share their values. In each round, the team must choose between two options (such as Pancakes vs Waffles), with one being eliminated each time. The game starts with a simple choice and gradually becomes more personal as new options are added. The game mechanics are helpful for virtual team building because they create a low-stakes environment for sharing personal values.

  • There are infinite online games that you can play with your remote team, whether competing in groups or individually. Online trivia, quizzes, and games are a great way to spark enthusiasm. Some fantastic free options are Words with Friends, Scattergories, Skribbl (like Pictionary), TypingTest, or even Geoguessr. If you use Slack, you probably already know about their own game apps. Why not create a “Guess Who” quiz on Kahoot with fun facts about you and your team members? There are also paid platforms designed specifically for team-building experiences, such as QuizBreaker or TriviaMaker.

6. Spend time together offline.

If it's feasible within your company's budget and team members’ travel abilities, consider renting a property that can accommodate everyone and planning a fun itinerary with both group sessions and activities. Make sure to leave enough free time for spontaneous deep conversations that can really strengthen your team bonds. Otherwise, meeting to attend industry events together is a great way to keep up with design trends and also bond and learn as a team.

As you can see, when it comes to team-building activities, there are endless options to choose from. From team meetings to virtual games, the most important thing is to create an environment that fosters open dialogue, collaboration, and enjoyment among your team members–yourself included–who are the driving force behind your company's success. Not only will it add some joy and insight into your work day, but investing in your team today will reap high returns for your company. So why not start planning a team-building activity today and watch your team thrive?

xx, Danae