As an interior designer, easy to use tools are a must.

Some of the earliest tools for designers included t-squares, a variety of compasses, scales, pencils, charcoal, templates, and a host of other items! These tools were not only cumbersome to carry around, drawing with them took a lot more time and tedious attention to detail.

Not much changed until the 1960s when a computerized sketchpad was invented to replace these “primitive” toolkits. This program became known as AutoCAD – Auto Computer Aided Drafting. AutoCAD has since revolutionized everything from architecture to airplane design. It’s become the go-to tool for designers of all trades. It has been revamped to include 3D design, visual ‘walk-throughs’ of design projects and can actually render your finished projects for the ultimate visual experience.

Another tool introduced to designers, mainly graphic designers, is Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop has changed the way we see the world through artistic computer nerds everywhere, being used to create unforgettable movies like the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the new “Star Wars” and most recently “Avatar.”  Artists also use Photoshop to create detailed comics, advertisements and stunning websites. And of course, architects and interior designers love the tools of this techy new program as well!

As an interior designer, it can be difficult to explain your “vision” to a client. The combined use of computer drafting and Photoshop has been an essential gateway in letting clients and designers communicate with each other on a whole new level.  With AutoCAD, the designer is able to draw up floor plans, elevations and even furniture pieces -  to scale, so their client can see exactly how it will look. The tricky part is trying to describe how a certain color, fabric, or countertop will look in that three dimensional picture. Here is where Photoshop is indispensable. Designers are able to incorporate finished materials visually into a drawing to create the finished product. It’s truly amazing.

As if these technological tools weren’t enough, designers, architects and graphic designers have been blessed with a new, fun and helpful device to aid us in the perfection of customer care: the Apple iPad. Here at The Picket Fence, we believe wholeheartedly in the importance of being up to date with the newest technology available, so we have recently purchased iPads as a new tool for our designers and ecommerce.

The Picket Fence is dedicated to providing the best customer, web, and design services available, and the apps available on ‘smart’ products like the iPad are changing the way we are able to do business with our clients. With the iPad, we are also able to ‘take our website’ with us wherever we go. Our designers are able to show a client a product he or she may love in the comfort of their own home and check availability and price immediately. In this day and age we are all used to accessing information immediately, so this has become an extremely important tool for our clients to know we have available.