How House of Ponce Saves 10+ Hours a Week with Digs
Shannon Ponciano, CEO of House of Ponce, has spent 18 years building a luxury interior design firm known for pushing clients past the predictable. But as her projects grew more complex, so did the chaos behind the scenes — scattered files, endless follow-up emails, and contractors working off outdated specs.
About House of Ponce
House of Ponce is a high-end interior design firm specializing in luxury homes, renovations, and new construction. Founder Shannon Ponciano built the business from small-scale staging into a firm recognized for bold, custom interiors that collaborate closely with builders, architects, and vendors.
“We gently push our clients beyond their comfort zones with custom designs and innovative materials, ensuring every project feels fresh—never looking like just another Pinterest board,” Shannon says, describing her approach.
The Challenge: Fragmented Communication Across Teams
As House of Ponce took on larger, more complex projects, managing documentation and communication across contractors, architects, and vendors became increasingly difficult.
Inconsistent communication
Coordinating updates and keeping every team member on the same page became a persistent problem, leading to miscommunication and delays.
Fragmented documentation
Files were scattered across platforms like Google Docs and Dropbox, making it hard to track which version was current.
Excessive time spent on follow-ups
Tracking down specs, materials, and project details often took days of back-and-forth communication — slowing project timelines.
Outdated files reaching subcontractors
Builders and subcontractors sometimes worked from outdated specs without realizing it, resulting in costly rework and misunderstandings.
The Solution: A Single Source of Truth with Digs
Implementing Digs centralized House of Ponce's documentation and communication, transforming how the team manages projects.
Centralized documentation
Digs gives the team one platform for everything — floor plans, blueprints, product specs, and design details.
"It's a relief not having to resend documents or chase builders for confirmation. Everyone knows where to go — Digs becomes the project's source of truth." — Shannon Ponciano
With every file in one place, team members and subcontractors always have access to the latest version. Shannon reports this has reduced 3–5 errors per project on average.
Faster answers with AI-powered search (AskDigs)
Digs' AI search tool, AskDigs, lets the team find specs and details instantly by simply typing a question.
"Before Digs, we’d waste hours hunting down specific model numbers or confirming which tile we chose. Now, we just AskDigs, and the answer's there in seconds," Shannon noted.
This is especially useful for frequently referenced details, like faucet or sink specs, even while on the job site. Shannon estimates AskDigs saves the team 5–10 hours a week.
Greater vendor accountability
Digs allows House of Ponce to direct contractors and vendors to self-serve answers instead of relying on email chains.
“We’ve shifted the dynamic with vendors. Instead of endless emails, we tell them to check Digs. It’s cut down on unnecessary back-and-forth and mistakes,” Shannon said.
Smoother client hand-offs
Digs supports seamless collaboration between homeowners, electricians, cabinet designers, and other stakeholders.
"Clients especially love having access to all the selections and specs in one place. It makes them feel involved and eases the handoff at the end," Shannon shared.
The Results: Measurable Time and Cost Savings
Since adopting Digs, House of Ponce has seen tangible improvements across the business:
- Time savings: 5–10 hours per week saved on document and spec searches
- Cost efficiency: Trending toward saving roughly 1/4 of a designer's monthly salary — with even greater potential savings for larger teams of 4–6 designers
- Error prevention: 3–5 fewer errors per project from subcontractors referencing outdated files
- Improved communication: Stakeholders can self-serve the latest updates, reducing delays and miscommunication
Key Takeaways for Interior Designers
- Save time: Use AI-powered search to find specs and project details in seconds instead of days.
- Enhance collaboration: Give clients, contractors, and vendors one unified, up-to-date source of project information.
- Increase accountability: Shift responsibility to vendors and builders by encouraging self-service access to current files.
- Future-proof projects: Use a centralized platform as a hand-off tool, giving clients lasting access to product info and maintenance instructions.
Conclusion
With Digs, interior designers like Shannon Ponciano can simplify complex projects, centralize communication, and hand off cleaner, more accurate documentation to clients. The result: fewer errors, hours of time saved each week, and a more profitable design business.
