I’ve been working in the virtual design space since 2015 and when I started there was no one to tell me which interior design software worked best for an online design business (or design business in general), so after years of trial and error, I have developed a solid list of interior design software tools that I rely on for my business.
Google Suite links seamlessly between your computer and your mobile devices. Easy to open documents and spreadsheets no matter where you are.
As a professional interior designer, you will want to get an email address with your website domain instead of an @gmail.com email account. I have mine through Squarespace where I host my domain. This links to Gmail so I can read and send messages from a Gmail formatted account.
I use Squarespace to host my website. I got my domain, web hosting, email domain (@my website) and optional email CRM and sending ability. Square space is very user-friendly and comes with many beautiful templates you can use. You can also build and maintain your website from a desktop or mobile device.
Mydoma is a robust project management software with a built-in rendering tool. Mydoma will help you manage your projects from qualification to close-out. It’s incredibly robust meaning you’ll never have to go through the hassle of switching software because you’ve outgrown it. The Mydoma Visualizer allows you to create VR walkthrough experiences for your clients, rendered videos, and floor plans. Best of all, it’s incredibly user-friendly. Start your free 15-day free trial of Mydoma today!
Quickbooks is an incredibly powerful online accounting software that saves you time and money. Mydoma’s Quickbooks integration makes it easy for you to export paid invoices from Mydoma directly to your Quickbooks account.
Pro tip: Hire a bookkeeper even if you’re just starting out. In an industry with so many financial transactions, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got someone with experience to help you out.
You’ll love how easy it is to create marketing graphics, edit photos, create concept boards and more with Canva. In fact, I’ve created a course for Interior Designers, Design Presentation Techniques, to teach you exactly how.
Photoshop is more complex than Canva, but if you have previous experience with the tool consider making your concept boards, photo editing, post-render edits, and logo creation with the tool. Learn how in the Design Presentation Techniques course now!
Level up your professionalism by checking for grammar and spelling errors in everything you type on the computer with Grammarly.
Zoom is the ultimate tool for client and group webinar meetings. Zoom makes it incredibly easy to record a meeting which means you can always go back to review what was said in a client meeting.
Record yourself and your screen using Loom. It’s great for virtual communication with your client. Embed into your Mydoma presentations for a more personal client experience.
This messaging platform is perfect to communicate with team members and share files. Slack is ideal for teams, but not necessary for solopreneurs.
Active Campaign is a robust email campaign program and CRM. Collect and sort leads, email & nurture the list with newsletters, sales and new design updates. This is essential to nurture leads and past clients.
Create lead-generating quizzes, track analytics and create email sequences to follow with Interact (I link mine to my Active Campaign account). Google Forms would be a free alternative to embed into Mydoma for client questionnaires.
This task management software is super helpful to keep you and your team on track. But, I’m so excited that Clickup will soon be replaced by task management in Mydoma meaning one less tool!
It’s important to note that these interior design software tools are virtually the only occurring overhead I have as a primarily virtual designer (aside from keeping the internet and power on to my home office). If I’m ever able to pay for a program as a 1 year subscription, I do. There is typically additional savings for paying for an annual subscription vs. monthly.
If you want to learn more about how I use each of these interior design software tools, check out my courses in the Interior Design Playbook for an interactive training experience (more courses releasing in ‘23)!
Jenna Gaidusek is the Director of Education & Community at Mydoma, and formally the founder of eDesign U, the largest virtual school for continued eDesign business education.
As a practicing designer herself, she believes that an educator should practice what they preach. She also believes that there is plenty of room for everyone in this industry, and has dedicated herself to lifting up designers around her – empowering them to live the life that they’ve dreamt of!
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