Interior designers have a number of applications at their fingertips today, making it easier to manage daily tasks. With so much on the market, from organization apps, to management software, floor planning and 3D visualization, it can be hard to know what’s worthwhile and what you can skip.
To help you out, below are three top online tools available to interior designers.
1. Evernote
A big part of the business is staying updated and organized, with the necessary materials ready to roll. In today’s mobile world, this challenge continues when you’re constantly on the move, meaning you need an app that moves as much as you do. Between jobs, clients, and vendor meetings, you need a tool that keep notes organized, stores inspiration ideas, and reduces stress, with the freedom to use anywhere.
Meet Evernote. A note-taking and organizational software, it moves with you to keep you organized wherever you go, and can be synced across all of your devices, whether you need it on your phone or desktop. Notes can be organized into notebooks, by tags, a combination of both, with an additional option of advanced search function for quick and easy retrieval. Take photos at a client’s home or of items while you’re out shopping, and import them directly into the app with additional notes indicating your thoughts for this piece.
Users have even developed a variety of other methods to use this tool that you can implement to increase its efficiency. Organize your thoughts and inspiration for projects into workbooks, add files and clip items into notes, then sync them with your devices to keep everything updated, and everyone in the loop.
2. SketchUp
Design software is every designer’s best friend. It allows you to visualize the room, create a 3D floorplan, and prepare something to show clients. With so many options available, how do you know which one to pick?
SketchUp is a leader in this field for interior designers, architects, and engineers. This incredibly popular software is also easy to use, making it a win-win for everyone. It creates visual 3D models, which can be turned into drawings and documents; has the option of adding model views to pages; the ability to choose drawing scales; and export final drawings to PDFs, image, and other file types.
Businesses generally opt for the SketchUp Pro, which includes more options such as third party plugins and rendering tools to create concepts. With extras like LayOut and other extensions, this software can solve any modelling problem that occurs. SketchUp’s quick learning curve will have you creating plans, models, and effectively communicating these to clients in no time.
3. DesignDocs
Business management software for interior designers is crucial, and you want the right one to make the process easy, in a package designed with all of your needs in mind. Today, you can purchase interior-designer-specific software that includes all of the necessary tools to run your firm efficiently.
With DesignDocs, you can track hours, expenses, POs, invoices, proposals, accounting and more, backed up with the numbers needed to continue growing your business. It even includes a mobile site to help you on the go, so you can keep up with all aspects of your job remotely. With easy scheduling management and end-to-end project management, this tool makes it easy to track vendor orders, payment, run reports, and other related tasks.
When you automate time-consuming tasks, you decrease task repetition, allowing you to focus more energy on your business. Its associated bookkeeping and accounting aspects save you time and keep you ahead. A fully integrated accounting and project management software allows you to run your business the best way possible by getting a finer look at where improvements can be made, tracking finances, and obtaining clearer margin visibility.
