privacy policy

Effective Date: 11th May 2026

1. INTRODUCTION AND ORGANISATIONAL INFORMATION

The Interior Designers Hub operates through two legal entities:

• The Interior Designers Hub Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales (company no. 13373783), with its registered office at 4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 6EB. It provides commercial services including Hub Insiders membership, SketchUp’s Not Scary, Launch Lab Experience, and other related training products.
• Kathryn (Kate) Hatherell trading as The Interior Designers Hub is a sole trader operating from the same address. She provides the Level 3 Diploma in Professional Interior Design and associated qualification services.

Both entities are referred to collectively as “The Interior Designers Hub”, “we”, “us”, or “our” in this policy.

We, at The Interior Designers Hub, are dedicated to serving our customers and contacts to the best of our abilities. Part of our commitment involves the responsible management of personal information collected through our websites www.interiordesignershub.co.uk, www.interiordesignershub.ac.uk and any related interactions. Our primary goals in processing this information include:

• Enhancing the user experience on our platform by understanding customer needs and preferences.
• Providing timely support and responding to inquiries or service requests.
• Improving our products and services to meet the evolving demands of our users.
• Conducting necessary business operations, such as billing and account management.

It is our policy to process personal information with the utmost respect for privacy and security. We adhere to all relevant regulations and guidelines to ensure that the data we handle is protected against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Our practices are designed to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information, while enabling us to deliver the services you trust us with.

Kathryn (Kate) Hatherell is the data controller for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We do not have a designated Data Protection Officer (DPO) but are fully committed to addressing your privacy concerns. You can contact us at:

• Email: hello@interiordesignershub.co.uk
• Phone: +44 (0)20 3488 4181
• Post: The Interior Designers Hub, 4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 6EB

2. SCOPE AND APPLICATION

Our privacy policy is designed to protect the personal information of all our stakeholders, including website visitors, registered users, and customers. Whether you are just browsing our websites www.interiordesignershub.co.uk or www.interiordesignershub.ac.uk, using our services as a registered user, or engaging with us as a valued customer, we ensure that your personal data is processed with the highest standards of privacy and security. This policy outlines our practices and your rights related to personal information.

3. DATA WE COLLECT

Our commitment to transparency and data protection extends to how we collect and use your personal information. We collect personal data through various interactions, including when you use our services, register for an account, enrol on a course or qualification, or otherwise provide information to us. The categories of personal data we may process include:

• Identity data: first and last name, date of birth
• Contact data: email address, phone number, postal address
• Financial data: payment method and history (processed via Stripe or PayPal — we do not store full card details)
• Technical data: device ID, IP address, operating system and version, browser information
• Usage data: interaction logs (e.g. clicks, time spent on pages), browsing history, purchase history
• Location data: IP-based approximate location
• Identity verification data (diploma students only): photographic identification and proof of address — see Section 6

We only process information that is necessary for delivering our services, complying with legal obligations, or improving your experience.

4. HOW WE USE YOUR DATA AND LEGAL BASIS

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• Providing our services and fulfilling contracts: processing orders, managing accounts, delivering training content and qualification programmes. Lawful basis: performance of a contract.
• Authentication and security: verifying your identity and protecting your account. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.
• Payment processing: billing and transaction management via Stripe and PayPal. Lawful basis: performance of a contract.
• Customer support: responding to enquiries and resolving issues. Lawful basis: legitimate interests / contract performance.
• Analytics and performance tracking: understanding how our website is used in order to improve it. Lawful basis: legitimate interests (subject to cookie consent where applicable).
• Marketing and communications: sending you information about our products and services where you have opted in, or where we have a legitimate interest in contacting existing customers. Lawful basis: consent or legitimate interests. You may opt out at any time — see Section 9.
• Legal compliance: meeting our obligations under applicable law. Lawful basis: legal obligation.
• Qualification administration: registering students with our awarding body (AIM Qualifications), obtaining Unique Learner Numbers, and facilitating internal and external quality assurance. Lawful basis: contract performance / legal obligation.

5. data sharing and third party processors

We do not sell or lease your personal data to third parties. We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who process data on our behalf, under Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) that require them to protect your data in accordance with UK GDPR.

Our current third-party processors are set out in the table below. We will update this table when our processing arrangements change.

Our live chat widget is powered by Missive, which uses Twilio’s Conversations API as its underlying infrastructure. We use Missive to manage customer communications including email enquiries and live chat. Messages you send us through our website chat widget or by email may be stored and processed within Missive. Please do not share sensitive personal data through live chat.

6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR DIPLOMA STUDENTS

For students enrolled on our Level 3 Diploma in Professional Interior Design, we collect additional personal data to meet the requirements of our Awarding Body, AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group.

This additional data includes:

• Date of birth
• Proof of address
• Photographic identification (e.g. passport or driving licence)

This information is used to verify your identity and register you as a student with the Awarding Body.

To obtain a Unique Learner Number for your qualification record, your personal data may be shared with the Skills Funding Agency and the Learning Records Service. You will be asked to give your explicit consent before this sharing takes place.

Your data may also be shared with our staff and our internal and external quality assessment teams as required for the administration of your qualification.

7. DATA STORAGE & SECURITY

Personal data is stored on secure servers located in the United Kingdom and the United States. We partner with reputable hosting providers who are committed to state-of-the-art security measures.

Our security measures include:

• Encryption: data is encrypted during transfer and at rest.
• Access controls: access to personal data is strictly limited to authorised personnel with a legitimate business need. We enforce strict access controls and regularly review permissions.

Unfortunately, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. While we take all reasonable steps to protect your personal data, you transmit information to us at your own risk.

8. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OF PERSONAL DATA

Some of our third-party processors operate servers outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States. For services that require international data transfer, we ensure that such transfers comply with all applicable laws and maintain data protection standards equivalent to those in our primary location. A list of our third-party processors and their locations is set out in Section 5.

Data hosting partners: We partner with reputable data hosting providers committed to using state-of-the-art security measures. These partners are selected based on their adherence to stringent data protection standards.

9. DIRECT MARKETING

We may use your personal data to send you marketing communications about our products, services, and promotions. We will only do so where you have opted in to receive such communications, or where we have a legitimate interest in contacting you as an existing customer.

Every marketing communication we send includes a clear unsubscribe link. You can also opt out at any time by contacting us at hello@interiordesignershub.co.uk with the words “Privacy Unsubscribe Request” in the subject line. We will honour your request promptly.

10. cookies and tracking technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website. For full details of the cookies we use, how we use them, and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

11. DATA RETENTION

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. The following periods apply:

• Customer account data: retained for the duration of your membership or subscription, plus 6 years after the end of our relationship, in line with the Limitation Act 1980 (which sets the standard limitation period for contract claims).
• Payment and transaction records: retained for 6 years from the date of the transaction, in accordance with HMRC requirements.
• Diploma student records: retained for 4 years after the date of graduation. For information records shared with the LRS, retention is governed by the DfE’s own schedule.
• Marketing contact data: retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, after which your details will be suppressed rather than deleted (so we do not inadvertently contact you again).
• Correspondence and support records: retained for 3 years from the date of last contact, or longer if the correspondence relates to a contractual or legal matter.
• Website usage and analytics data: typically retained for 26 months in line with Google Analytics default settings.

Where we are required by law to retain data for a specific period, we will retain it for that period regardless of the above. At the end of the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

12. CHILDREN

Our services are not directed at children under the age of 16. If you are below this age, please do not submit any personal information to us. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child below this age, we will delete it promptly.

13. YOUR RIGHTS

At The Interior Designers Hub, we recognise and respect your rights regarding your personal information, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws. We are committed to ensuring you can exercise your rights effectively. Below is an overview of your rights and how you can exercise them:

• Right of access (Art. 15 UK GDPR): request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. Email us at hello@interiordesignershub.co.uk with the subject line “Personal Information Review Request”.
• Right to rectification (Art. 16 UK GDPR): request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure (Art. 17 UK GDPR): request deletion of your personal data. Email us with “Delete Account” or “Delete My Information” in the subject line.
• Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 UK GDPR): request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability (Art. 20 UK GDPR): receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format and transfer it to another controller.
• Right to object (Art. 21 UK GDPR): object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7(3) UK GDPR): where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
• Right to lodge a complaint (Art. 77 UK GDPR): complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe we have handled your data unlawfully.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@interiordesignershub.co.uk or +44 (0)20 3488 4181. We will respond within the timeframes required by law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

14. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, our services, or our processing activities. Where we make significant changes, we will notify you by email or by a prominent notice on our website, and will update the effective date at the top of this document. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. CONTACT US

If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or about how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

• Email: hello@interiordesignershub.co.uk
• Phone: +44 (0)20 3488 4181
• Post: The Interior Designers Hub, 4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 6EB

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk.