Org chart
The design studio branch is shown in depth, from the design head to a senior designer and the designers and draughtsmen. Project execution, business development, visualization, procurement, accounts and HR are drawn one level down. Staff move between projects, so reporting lines follow the work.
Levels and designations
| Level | Typical designations | Span of control |
|---|---|---|
| L1 Leadership | Principal Architect, Managing Partner | 4 to 6 reports |
| L2 Function heads | Design Head, Projects Head, Business Development Manager | 3 to 6 reports |
| L3 Seniors and leads | Senior Designer, Site Supervisor, Visualization Lead | 2 to 8 staff |
| L4 Designers and staff | Interior Designer, Junior Designer, Draughtsman, 3D Artist | no direct reports |
Approval chains
| Request | Approval chain |
|---|---|
| Leave | Interior Designer → Senior Designer → HR Executive |
| Attendance correction | Draughtsman → Senior Designer → HR Executive |
| Overtime | Junior Designer → Design Head → HR Executive |
| Reimbursement | Site Supervisor → Projects Head → Accounts Manager |
| Hiring | Design Head → Principal Architect → HR Executive |
How the structure works
The firm splits between designing a space and building it. Design studios, led by a design head and senior designers, take the brief and produce concepts, layouts, drawings and material selections, with interior designers, junior designers and draughtsmen doing the detailed work. A visualization team turns designs into 3D views that clients approve. Project execution takes the approved design to site, where a projects head and site supervisors coordinate contractors, carpenters and vendors to the drawings and schedule. Business development wins clients and manages the early relationship. Procurement buys materials and furniture, and accounts and HR support the practice. Staff are assigned to projects, so they answer to the lead of their current project.
How it changes with size
A small studio may be a founder architect with a couple of designers and a draughtsman, running site visits personally. A mid-sized firm builds design studios, a project execution team and a business development function, with senior designers leading projects. A large practice adds separate studios by sector such as residential, retail and corporate, a dedicated site execution arm, an in-house visualization and materials library, and project managers who run delivery. Some open offices in more than one city. Through every stage the project stays the unit of work, moving from studio design to site execution and handover.
Common problems
Design work does not fit fixed hours, and deadlines cluster before client presentations and handovers, bringing late nights. Staff are shared across projects, so who owns their leave and review can blur. Site visits and client meetings take designers and supervisors out of the studio, so attendance must work off site. Freelance designers and contractors work alongside staff but are not on the payroll. The steady fixes are output-based expectations with comp-off for crunch, one senior designer or project lead as reporting manager per person, and mobile attendance for site visits and client meetings.
- Output-based expectations with comp-off for deadline crunch
- One senior designer or project lead as reporting manager per person
- Mobile attendance for site visits and client meetings
- Freelancers and contractors recorded separately from staff
Set up this structure in ZeniaHR
- Create departments for Design, Project Execution, Business Development, Visualization, Procurement, Accounts and HR, so staff group by studio and function.
- Add designations such as Draughtsman, Junior Designer, Interior Designer, Senior Designer and Design Head, and use grades to hold pay bands.
- Give every person one reporting manager, usually the lead of their current project, even when work is shared, and an HR partner.
- Set a flexible shift with optional core hours so studio teams are measured on output rather than strict punch time.
- Use mobile app punches for designers and supervisors on site visits and client meetings, and use overtime rules with comp-off for crunch.
- Keep leave, corrections and overtime on the reporting manager then HR route, and add the principal architect as a hiring approver above heads.
See it on your own data
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What is the organizational structure of an interior design firm?
An interior design or architecture firm is led by a principal architect over design studios, project execution, business development and support. Design studios produce concepts and drawings, a visualization team makes 3D views, and project execution builds the design on site. Procurement buys materials, and accounts and HR support the firm. Large practices add studios by sector and project managers who run delivery.
Who does an interior designer report to?
An interior designer reports to the senior designer or design lead on their current project, who reports to the design head. For leave and attendance corrections in ZeniaHR, the request goes to the designer's reporting manager and then to HR. Because designers are shared across projects, one lead is kept as the reporting manager of record.
How do design firms manage deadlines and site visits?
Firms set a flexible shift with optional core hours, so staff are measured on output rather than punch time, and use comp-off for late nights before presentations and handovers. Designers and supervisors on site visits and client meetings punch on the mobile app. Each person keeps one reporting manager even when staffed on several projects, so leave and reviews stay with one owner.