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Programa Logo
Features

Specifications

Source smarter, spec faster

Presentations

Your designs deserve a stage.

Project Management

Coordinate your practice

Product Library

All-in-one hub for product details

Mood Boards

Visualize, present & develop ideas

Web Clipper

Product sourcing made easy

Client Dashboard & approvals

Studio space to share project details

Invoicing & Payments

Create & send invoices

Time Tracking

Capture every billable moment

Procurement

Order, ship, delivery, install

New

Introducing Presentations

Your project lives here. Now show it off.

Solutions

Solo designers

Find time to design again

Small studios

Fewer headaches, more projects

Large teams

Clarity across the whole studio

Watch demo

15 minute platform walkthrough

Pricing
Learn

Blog

News, product updates & more

Editorial

Read stories from our community

Contact us

Get in touch, we're here to help

Changelog

New updates and improvements

Log inStart free
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    © Programa 2026

    In this candid article, Melissa Lunardon—Interior Designer and Business Mentor—shares how she intentionally scaled her design business to create more freedom and balance. From spending six months in New York to preparing for motherhood, Melissa walks us through the mindset shifts, systems, and tools (like Programa) that helped her step back from the daily grind without sacrificing growth. You’ll learn practical steps for simplifying your workflow, building trust in your team, and setting up your business to thrive—so you can grow your studio without the overwhelm.

    BlogBusiness

    The systems & boundaries every designer needs

    Webinar with Melissa Lunardon

    Melissa Lunardon
    Melissa Lunardon
    Jun 20, 2025
    Scaling your business

    Interior designer and Business Mentor Melissa Lunardon, shares in this webinar how she built a business that could run without her - first while living overseas, and later while starting a family. In this honest piece, you’ll learn how she simplified her workflow, set up smart systems and created space to grow without working around the clock.

    What if scaling your design business meant less work, not more?

    That was the question at the heart of our recent webinar with interior designer and business mentor Melissa Lunardon. Melissa built a multi–6–figure studio that runs smoothly while she works just two days a week. Her secret? A combination of systems, boundaries, and mindset shifts that allow her to step back without slowing growth.

    Here’s a recap of her session and the key lessons for studios of every size.

    Work smarter, not harder

    Why scaling ≠ more work

    In the design industry, “being flat out” is often worn as a badge of honour. But as Melissa shared, business usually signals a broken workflow, not success.

    The goal of scaling isn’t longer hours, it’s better hours: spending your time on creative direction, client experience, and vision — not chasing invoices or rewriting the same client email.

    When your systems are solid, you can finally stop firefighting and step into the creative director role.

    Melissa LunardonFounder & Creative Director
    Shift your mindset

    The step back framework

    Melissa calls this her freedom formula :

    • Vision → Get clear on the role you want in your studio
    • Systems → Centralise specs, approvals, and schedules in one place
    • Delegation → Hand off tasks with confidence
    • Growth → Focus on design and strategy, not daily firefighting

    When you stop being the bottleneck, your business can grow without burning you out.

    The four essential systems

    Melissa outlined the non-negotiables every studio needs to function without chaos.

    1

    Centralised Project Hub

    One source of truth for specs, schedules, and approvals (Programa).
    2

    Templates

    Proposals, FF&E schedules, and email replies you create once and reuse forever.
    3

    Client Dashboard

    Real-time visibility so clients know what’s happening without constant updates.
    4

    CEO Report

    A weekly snapshot of margins, cash flow, and project status so you always know where you stand.

    Boundaries that protect creativity

    Systems only work if your boundaries do too. Melissa uses:

    • Office Hours → Clear reply times to set expectations
    • Revision Rules → Feedback forms that cap endless rounds
    • Scope Guardrails → Simple variation processes to stop scope creep
    • Milestone Payments → Payments tied to project stages, not inbox reminders

    These aren’t about being rigid — they’re about protecting your creative energy and profitability.

    Designer CEO Checklist

    • CEO mindset
    • Vision & strategy
    • Marketing visibility
    • Money & metrics
    • Client experience & process
    • Wrap up & team check-in

    What designers told us

    During the webinar, we asked designers what keeps them up at night. The top three answers were:

    • Building a pipeline of projects (36%)
    • Protecting profitability (29%)
    • Losing control of timelines (21%)

    Melissa’s frameworks directly address these pain points. From dashboards that reveal margins before you place an order, to templates that save hours each week, the goal is simple: give you back control.

    Quick wins to try this week

    Melissa suggests starting small:

    • Audit your to-do list → What can you template or delegate?
    • Write a 3-line “Working Together” blurb → Paste into proposals and emails
    • Choose 2 set times a day to check email → Batch your comms
    • Create a “Frequently Sent” folder → Stop rewriting the same messages

    Little changes add up fast when they’re backed by systems.

    Your Next Steps

    Scaling doesn’t have to mean chaos. The right systems can help you work less, earn more, and design with energy again.

    Start now

    • Start a free trial of Programa
    • Watch the Demo on Demand
    • Download Melissa’s Presentation PDF

    Your studio should amplify your creativity, not consume it.