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Pilotiko for interior designers
A client wants to see three countertops at the showroom on Thursday, the cabinetmaker is waiting for final drawings and the sofa's delivery date just slipped: it all comes down to the calendar.
Pilotiko helps a Quebec interior design studio schedule consultations, on-site measures and showroom visits on genuinely free slots, follow each project from first meeting to installation, and draft meeting summaries and follow-ups that a person approves before they go out.
In short
- Each project moves through steps: consultation, measures, concept, drawings, selections, orders, site work, installation.
- Measures and showroom visits are booked like appointments, with the address and a travel buffer.
- The "Designer d'intérieur certifié APDIQ" title and your terms can be shown on your hosted website.
- Summaries and follow-ups are drafted by an agent; nothing goes out without your approval.
When does an interior design studio's calendar fill up?
Requests come in waves: after the holidays for spring projects, in late summer from clients who want to be done before December, and steadily for kitchens and bathrooms that follow contractors' schedules.
January is the month of good intentions: people dream of a new kitchen and call for a consultation. Design work fills the winter while contractors lock in their spring dates. If the final drawings aren't ready, it's the contractor's date that slips, not yours.
Late summer brings clients who want to host for the holidays. It's also when furniture and finish suppliers' lead times become critical: a selection approved in October instead of September can push an installation into January. On the commercial side, office and restaurant refits are often scheduled during the occupant's slow periods, which means short, fixed work windows.
| Period | Main requests | What to protect in the calendar |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Consultations, kitchen and bathroom concepts | Concept presentations to clients |
| April to June | Showroom selections, coordination with contractors | Showroom appointments and site measures |
| July to September | Projects due before the holidays, commercial refits | Selection approvals before orders are placed |
| October to December | Installations, final styling | Installation and delivery days |
Is the interior designer title regulated in Quebec?
Interior design doesn't appear on the Quebec government's list of professions governed by a professional order [4]. The Association professionnelle des designers d'intérieur du Québec (APDIQ), a non-profit, acts as an accreditation and certification body and aims to have the profession formally regulated [1].
"Designer d'intérieur certifié APDIQ" is a certification mark. Earning it takes a recognized college diploma (DEC) or a bachelor's degree in interior design, then passing the North American NCIDQ exam, required of new members since January 1, 2012; from 2025, ARIDO's RIDA assessment is also accepted [3]. Certified members must complete 30 hours of continuing education per three-year cycle (20 hours for provisional members) and follow APDIQ rules on professional liability insurance and record keeping [2].
Design isn't construction. According to the Régie du bâtiment, subclass 9.0, Interior finishing, covers installing floor, wall and ceiling finishes, while decorating work needs no licence at all [5]. And when a refit alters a building covered by the Architects Act, the drawings are reserved to an architect [6]. Your service sheet can spell this out at the first meeting.
| Role | Official benchmark | What Pilotiko tracks |
|---|---|---|
| APDIQ-certified interior designer | Certification mark, NCIDQ or RIDA, 30 h of training per 3 years [2][3] | Meetings, measures, selections and presentations |
| Interior finishing contractor | RBQ licence 9.0 for installing finishes [5] | Site dates coordinated with the project |
| Architect | Drawings reserved when a covered building is altered [6] | The coordination meeting to schedule |
| Decorating only | No RBQ licence required [5] | Styling and installation days |
How does Pilotiko organize a design studio?
The Professional services template creates Reception and front desk, Clients, Mandates, Meeting room, Management and Accounting. A studio with a sample library can add the Warehouse room to keep track of samples on loan. A project stuck waiting for a selection approval stays visible in Mandates instead of getting lost in a text thread.
Each meeting type has its own length: initial consultation, on-site measures with photos, concept presentation, showroom visit. Clients pick from genuinely free slots, and the buffer between appointments leaves time to cross the bridge. The presentation room can be set up as a resource so two presentations never overlap in it.
When a request comes in, Pilotiko suggests the designer with the most room based on workload and recorded skills (kitchens, commercial, staging). The follow-up agent drafts the presentation summary, listing approved selections and those still open; someone at the studio reviews it and sends it themselves.
How many kitchen projects can one designer run at once?
What objections do clients raise, and how do you respond?
- "Are you actually certified?" The APDIQ title rests on recognized training and an exam [3]. Show it on your website with a link to the association.
- "Can you also have the floor installed?" Installing finishes is work for an interior finishing contractor holding an RBQ licence [5]. Say so upfront and introduce the contractor you coordinate with.
- "Why pay for a consultation?" A consultation listed as a service, with its length and price, removes the ambiguity; the summary drafted afterwards shows what the client received.
- "I changed my mind about the countertop." Each presentation summary records approved selections and their date, so the conversation starts from facts.
What isn't available yet?
Where should a studio start?
Enter your meeting types with their length, your designers with their specialties, the presentation room as a resource, then open online booking for the initial consultation. The studio's website, built and hosted by Pilotiko, can showcase your projects; the content module drafts posts that you approve before they're published.
Further reading: how to build a complete Google Business Profile and how to reduce missed appointments. The trades you work with have their own pages: architects, cabinetmakers and flooring. Plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the interior designer title protected in Quebec?
Interior design isn't among the professions governed by a professional order in Quebec. APDIQ, a non-profit, grants the "Designer d'intérieur certifié APDIQ" certification mark to people who meet its requirements.
What does it take to become an APDIQ-certified interior designer?
A recognized DEC or a bachelor's in interior design, then passing the NCIDQ exam or, since 2025, the RIDA assessment. Certified members must then complete 30 hours of continuing education every three years.
Does an interior designer need an RBQ licence?
The RBQ says decorating work needs no licence, but installing floor, wall and ceiling finishes falls under subclass 9.0. If your studio has work carried out, check with the RBQ which licence applies to your situation.
Can Pilotiko handle showroom visits?
Yes. A showroom visit is set up as a service with its length and address; it lands in the designer's calendar without overlapping other appointments.
Does Pilotiko send meeting summaries to clients?
Not on its own. The follow-up agent drafts from the project notes; someone at the studio reviews and sends it. Automatic email sending isn't available yet.
Can requests be shared among several designers?
Yes. Pilotiko suggests a designer based on recorded skills, free hours and workload after the task; management confirms or picks someone else.
Sources
- Association professionnelle des designers d'intérieur du Québec, À propos de l'APDIQ (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Association professionnelle des designers d'intérieur du Québec, Le designer d'intérieur certifié APDIQ (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Association professionnelle des designers d'intérieur du Québec, Devenir designer d'intérieur certifié APDIQ (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Gouvernement du Québec, Liste des ordres professionnels et répertoire des membres (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Sous-catégorie 9.0 – Entrepreneur en travaux de finition (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Ordre des architectes du Québec, Activités réservées et titre d'architecte (accessed on October 15, 2026).
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