How It Started
If you've ever watched an interior designer at work, you know it's not all about picking pretty pillows or arguing about the right shade of "eggshell." My wife, a talented interior designer, is living proof. Over the years, I've watched her juggle more tools than a circus performer with a caffeine addiction.
Let me paint you a picture:
- Emails and calls for initial client contact
- Google Docs for contracts
- Google Forms for managing inquiries
- Google Slides for presentations
- Google Spreadsheets for budgeting
- Pinterest for inspiration images
- Milanote for moodboards
- Gather to validate purchases and track deliveries
- QuickBooks for invoicing
- Todoist for internal task management
I'm sure I'm forgetting some tools, but you get the idea.
Every time I saw this digital chaos, my inner voice screamed, "There has to be a better way!" (My outer voice just made supportive noises and fetched more coffee.)
The Problem
If you've ever tried to run a business with a patchwork of apps, you know the pain. Each tool is great at one thing, but none of them talk to each other. You end up copying and pasting, losing files, and wondering why you can't just have one magical app that does it all.
We wanted to grow the business, but we knew something had to change. The dream? Replace all those tools with one single platform. The reality? Such a tool didn't exist. So, we had to build it ourselves.
Birth of Studio Gahissy
With a mix of excitement and way too many late-night sessions, we decided to shut down my wife's previous company and start fresh. She picked the name: Studio Gahissy.
It took us six months and more than a few "why did we start this?" moments, but we finally launched the first version of our platform.
One platform, way less headaches
Thanks to our new platform, every project at Studio Gahissy is managed in one place (okay, plus email-let's not get ahead of ourselves). Here's how it works now:
1. Clients take the first step
No more back-and-forth emails just to get started. Clients can sign up anytime and create a new project with a few clicks. It's as easy as ordering pizza-except you get a beautiful home at the end, not just a food coma.
2. Inquiry and initial brief
Clients fill out a visual questionnaire to define their project. Want a Scandinavian kitchen? A jungle-themed bathroom? It's all there. They even get real-time pricing, so there's no "price-per-client" mystery. Everyone loves transparency-except magicians.
3. Discovery call
When the client is ready, they can schedule a call with the lead designer. This is where we get to know each other, answer questions, and make sure everyone's on the same page (and color palette).
4. Contract: Automated
After the call, the platform automatically generates a contract with all the project details and client info. It's sent for digital signature-no more printing, scanning, or chasing signatures like a detective on a TV show.
5. All phases of the program
All the fun stuff-moodboards, inspiration images, design programs-happens inside the app. No more hunting for that one Pinterest board or mysterious "final_v2_reallyfinal.jpg" file.
6. Articles: Approve, reject, comment
Clients can see every proposed item, approve or reject them, and leave comments. The app tracks the budget in real time for each space, so there are no nasty surprises. It's like shopping online, but with a professional designer holding your hand (virtually, of course).
7. Invoicing: As simple as it gets
The platform generates invoices and tracks payments-partial or full. No more chasing payments or wondering who owes what. (We still accept cookies as payment, but only the chocolate chip kind.)
The Results: More time for creativity (and less for chaos)
Building this platform wasn't easy, but it changed everything. Now, Studio Gahissy runs smoother than ever. Projects are more organized, clients are happier, and we spend less time wrestling with software and more time doing actual work.
Next steps
We did solve a problem we had. It's been 2 years and we're still using the platform. We're happy with it and we're using it to grow the business. This problem is not unique to us. I'm sure there are many other designers and architects that have the same problem.
Most of the clients and partners we work with confirm the idea we had at the very beginning: to open the platform to other studios and agencies.
This is where we are heading next but this time it won't be out of our own pocket. We want to find a way to fund the development of the SaaS version of the platform.
Visit our website to learn more and maybe even start your next project.