If you’ve ever found yourself answering the same question three times, searching through email threads for a decision that definitely happened, or getting a call from a builder asking for clarification you were sure you already sent—you’re not alone.

Most communication breakdowns in interior design projects don’t happen because anyone is careless or unprofessional. They happen because the way we’re taught to manage information simply doesn’t scale with the complexity of real projects.

As designers, we hold an incredible amount of detail in our heads: finishes, dimensions, lead times, changes, approvals, revisions, substitutions, and site conditions—often across multiple rooms, multiple vendors, and multiple timelines.

In the early days of running a design firm, that mental load can feel manageable, but eventually, it becomes the bottleneck.

And when communication breaks down, it doesn’t just create frustration. It erodes trust. It slows projects. It puts builders in the position of making decisions without you. And it creates the exact chaos designers are trying to avoid.

After more years of working in new construction and large-scale residential builds, I’ve learned something most designers don’t realize until much later: Clear communication isn’t about sending more messages.

It’s about designing a system that holds the project for you.

Here are three interior design project management shifts I made that completely changed the way I run projects and the way builders, trades, and clients experience working with my firm.

1. Stop relying on memory. Start relying on documentation.

In my early years, many project decisions lived in my head.

And by not having every single detail document the project was unintentionally at risk. Because the moment I wasn’t available, or the project moved faster than my inbox, those details became vulnerable. Builders had to wait. Trades had to guess. Clients had to double-check. And every clarification pulled me back into reactive mode.

One major shift I made in the way I managed my interior design projects was simple, but profound:
Every decision now lives somewhere other than my brain.

That meant creating my Spec Book System which is the single source of truth where all selections, finishes, elevations, and specifications are documented clearly and consistently—room by room, project by project. 

Documentation isn’t busywork. It’s how you stop interior design projects from feeling chaotic and set your design business up to be scalable,

When information lives in one place, you protect your time. You protect your client’s investment. And most importantly, you protect the builder’s ability to execute the project well, which is exactly why having every detail of your design project documented sets you up to become their preferred interior design partner.

2. Make decisions visible to everyone at the same time.

One of the most common reasons projects stall is version confusion.

Which file is current?
Which email had the update?
Was that approved or just discussed?
Did the builder see the change?

When different people are working from different information, communication will always feel fragile—no matter how good your intentions are.

That’s why another project management change I made was designing communication for shared visibility.

Instead of sending updates through email chains, attachments, or one-off messages, every project decision now updates in real time inside the same living document—my Spec Book.

Builders, trades, and clients all access the same source of truth. When something changes, everyone has immediate access to those changes. 

No forwarding. No follow-up. No wondering who missed what.

To make this seamless on site, we use QR codes that link directly to the live project documentation. Anyone can scan and instantly see the most up-to-date selections and specifications. It sounds small, but the impact is enormous.

That single decision eliminated almost all clarification calls, reduced mistakes, and removed the friction that used to slow projects down. Builders stopped chasing information. Trades stopped guessing. Clients stopped worrying.

When your interior design project communication is visible, it becomes calm. When it’s calm, it becomes reliable. And reliability is what gets you referred again and again.

3. Create a repeatable system so nothing lives in your head.

The final shift was the most freeing one: I stopped reinventing the process for every project.

Instead of asking myself, “What do I need to remember this time?” I designed my Spec Book to be a repeatable structure for what gets captured, documented, and shared—every single time. 

My Spec Book system ensures that:

• The same categories of information are always collected
  
  
• The same documentation is created for every project
  
  
• The same communication flow supports builders and clients
  
  
• Nothing critical depends on memory or availability
  
  

This is where most designers accidentally stay stuck. They improve project communication by working harder instead of building a structure that works for every single project, and provides details even when they’re unavailable.

But builders don’t want more emails. They want clarity.

Clients don’t want more updates.They want to trust you’re handling the details.

And designers don’t need more tools. They need a system that carries the weight of the project so they can lead it instead of chasing it.

When the way you run your interior design project becomes easy and repeatable, you stop being the bottleneck and you start being the designer everyone wants to work with again.

Why this changes everything

Clear communication doesn’t just make projects smoother. It changes your referral pipeline.

Builders refer designers who make their jobs easier. Trades recommend designers who are organized and decisive. Clients talk about designers who made the entire experience feel calm, not chaotic.

That’s how you move from unpredictable inquiries to consistent, high-quality referrals. Not through more marketing, but through better project leadership and it starts with the way you run your interior design projects.

If you want your next level of projects to feel easier, more profitable, and more repeatable, start by redesigning how information flows through your business. It’s the quiet work that creates the loudest results.

Want help building this into your business?

If you’re ready to build a system that earns builder trust, improves communication, and turns great projects into repeat referrals, I’d love to invite you to join the waitlist for Five Star Builder Relationships.

Inside the program, I teach you how to:

• Build a builder-approved Spec Book system
  
  
• Create documentation builders rely on
  
  
• Streamline communication across every project
  
  
• Show up as a true project partner, not just a designer
  
  
• Build relationships that lead to consistent, high-margin referrals
  
  

You can join the waitlist here and be the first to know when doors open.