A Canvas Case Study: Christensen Design Studio

“Using Canvas is like having another employee, a design assistant who prepares models for me. Canvas has enabled me to work faster and easier.” – Shannon Christensen, Christensen Design Studio

Shannon Christensen, NCIDQ, IDS is an interior designer based in Portland, Oregon. She takes on about twenty projects per year on her own, in addition to assisting other interior designers with SketchUp drafting services.

The Challenge

Shannon decided to ramp up her business early in 2020, weeks before the pandemic sparked a huge increase in demand for residential interior design. Eager to help clients looking to reconfigure their spaces for remote work and school, Shannon sought ways to speed up collecting field measurements, which would minimize her time in clients’ homes. Additionally, Shannon wanted to offer her services at a price point that enabled clients of all means to afford high-quality interior design.

A "before" picture of a severely outdated kitchen.

The Solution

Shannon invested in a new iPad Pro with an embedded LiDAR sensor and integrated Canvas into her design process. She immediately saw a return on that investment: from the start, Canvas replaced an hour of measuring with a minute of scanning and she no longer worries about missing any measurements — all the measurements of the space are available within the scan.

A SketchUp screenshot of a remodeled kitchen

Before, Shannon would take those manual measurements and draw a 3D model in SketchUp to use as the basis of her design. Now, Canvas’s Scan To CAD service processes Shannon’s scans into editable, design-ready SketchUp files in approximately two days, which reduces the billable time she previously spent modeling existing conditions herself by about four hours per project. She reinvests that time in preparing renderings which help her clients visualize the final product and gets them to “yes” faster.

A rendering of a remodeled kitchen designed in SketchUp

Canvas also helps Shannon collaborate with designers who don’t use computer design software. These designers scan spaces using their own iPads, upload the scans to Scan To CAD, and send the resulting SketchUp files to Shannon. She then translates her designer clients’ drawings into 3D renderings for the end clients. Her designer clients are stunned by how quickly she’s able to create elevations, especially when designing homes with complicated architecture, such as vaulted ceilings and beams.

What does Canvas do for Christensen Design Studio?

Canvas enables Shannon to:

Expand her client base by offering her interior design services at a lower price point while protecting margins and profitability
Work in 3D on every project, which increases her creativity and ability to deliver multiple design options, while getting clients to “yes” faster
Collaborate with less technically-inclined interior designers at a speed that undercuts the competition

“Without Canvas, I didn’t feel like I could charge the amount of money I needed to compensate myself for the time I spent building detailed realistic models and renderings. Now I’m able to offer those services at an affordable yet profitable price point.” – Shannon Christensen, Christensen Design Studio

A Canvas Case Study: Christensen Design Studio

The Challenge

The Solution

What does Canvas do for Christensen Design Studio?

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