Is E-design Right For You?
When it comes to deciding if you should use an e-design service for your home project - you need to determine if e-design is the right path to achieve the goals for your home project? This blog will focus on some important factors about e-design to help you figure out if it’s going to work for your project.
California beach house designed by Joshua Jones, JJones Design Co.
What is e-design?
Before we actually get into any further details, it’s important to understand what e-design is. It’s short term for online interior design, or some people call it virtual interior design. Your designer is going to work remotely and provide everything to you electronically. Typically, everything after that is up to you.
Factor #1 - Communication
Since your designer cannot see your space in person, it’s critical to have clear communication with your designer about what you need and want for your project. Respond to communication in a timely manner, inform your designer about your schedule and your availability, and be prepared to provide detailed feedback on all aspects of the design process, concept design, and final design. Since it is entirely virtual, your designer can’t read body language or tone over an email, so be clear and descriptive; they really depend on you to help them develop that perfect design for your space. And be yourself, interject your personality into your communication; it doesn’t need to be stiff and formal. If you don’t communicate well - your project is more likely to not turn out how you envisioned it or meet some of your goals for the design, or address certain problems. Of course, communication is both ways. Let’s hope your designer has excellent communication skills. The process can actually be a lot of fun if you vibe and gel with your designer!
Factor #2 - Project Management
Using an e-design service means you manage all of the hands-on aspects of your home project. That means you would have to draw the floor plan and measure walls, windows, and doors; take pictures/videos of each space, and provide design inspiration photos and other things that your designer needs from you in order to put the design together. Once your designer hands over the final design, it’s up to you to execute it in whatever way you want and on whatever timeline you want. You’ll be doing all the shopping, painting, installing window treatments, arranging furniture, decorating and more. Of course you can hire contractors for some of these items and if it’s a remodel, I’d recommend doing so. The point is that an e-designer is not going to do this for you. This is also how you save money over an in-person designer….you’re paying them for their time to project manage your design. If you love DIY and/or don’t mind doing a lot of the leg work yourself, e-design can save you a lot of money. If you know that you don’t want to hassle with any of that or you don’t think you can find the time to take care of taking care of things like measurements; then perhaps a traditional interior designer might be a better fit for you.
Factor #3 - Ability to visualize the design
Online interior designers provide you different ways to visualize your design with mood boards, 2D/3D renderings along with floor plans. Each one of these is going to give you increasingly more detailed final visuals for you to see how the space is going to turn out. This is important for you to feel comfortable with the design and decide if you want to make the investment in a remodel or furniture pieces. Online interior designers will do their best to explain their designs to you to help you to understand it better, though depending on the individual, it may be challenging since it’s not in person. If you know that you struggle to visualize a space or translate what you see on paper or screen into your room, then you might need to spend more for the pricier 3D renderings, which are photorealistic or decide that e-design might not be right for you.
It’s important to think through these factors before contracting with an e-design service. As an online interior designer, I have worked with a few clients where we’ve realized that e-design isn’t the right service for them; either because of time or feeling overwhelmed. It’s important to understand your role in the process for it to work and not waste your or your designer’s time. If you’re confident that e-design is right for you then go for it…I’ve had hundreds of very happy and satisfied clients! If not, I highly recommend you to hire a traditional interior designer to help you with your home project. If you’re a little on the fence and not sure, dip your toe into pool with getting e-design help for a single room and see how the process works out for you.
