How to know if your designer is “the one”
The designer and client relationship is special because it spans both personal and professional. Clients are like friends; they invite us into their homes, share their stories with us, and help us get to know their families. We work on two of the most personal spaces someone can own: their home or their business. As a result, clients should feel included in the design process and welcome to contribute their ideas and inspirations. But, clients hire us as specialists: architects and interior designers. As professionals, our job is to troubleshoot design problems and propose innovative solutions. We are ultimately responsible for creating a space that meets our clients’ needs and hopefully exceeds their expectations, but also complies with codes, building practices, construction schedules, and budget constraints.
So, knowing that the personal and professional in a designer and client relationship must be balanced carefully, how can we make sure it’s a perfect match on both sides? We at Shelter like to use 3 “gut-checks” to answer this question: 1. Does the designer have experience relevant to your project? 2. Does your budget align with what the designer has proposed? 3. Is there a level of shared chemistry and trust with your designer?
Relevant experience
The first question to pose when choosing a design team is whether they have experience relevant to your project in their portfolio. Relevant experience can be gauged by scale (size and budget of the projects in their portfolio), scope (areas of focus in their portfolio, including architecture vs. interior design, new builds vs. remodels), style (visual aesthetic and feel of the projects), and staff (team expertise and accreditation, including involvement in professional organizations like AIA and ASID).
Goal alignment
Another key consideration is whether your project goals and financial expectations align with the design approach proposed. While price should not be the only defining factor in the designer decision, it’s understandably a top priority for most clients. Design fees typically account for 10%-15% of a total construction budget, meaning that a majority of a project’s costs come from the construction of the building. And if the building isn’t designed correctly and thoughtfully, you’ve lost the bet before construction even begins. So, being confident in your design team’s experience and in their alignment with your ultimate goals and budget is mission critical.
Choosing between a design-build vs. an architect-contractor can also influence how your project meets your vision and budget goals. Design-build firms often have monetary relationships with vendors (i.e. cabinet manufacturers, framing sub-contractors) and therefore typically encourage the use of specific products and professionals. Alternatively, design firms who partner with independent contractors, like Shelter does, are not obligated to work with any specific products or professionals. Architect-contractor teams source products and refer professionals that are aligned with your individual project needs and budget expectations.
Chemistry and trust
Balancing personal interaction with professional service is a skill we as designers are constantly fine-tuning. After 20+ years in business, we know that a positive client and designer relationship is based on mutual trust (just as any good relationship is). As designers, we trust that our clients will share a complete wish list and budget with us up front, and then provide honest feedback about the ideas we propose. On the flip side, we hope that our clients will trust us to create designs that suit their needs, and to provide honest answers to the questions they have. We also trust that clients know a “yes” from us is heartfelt, but a “no” is heartfelt, too. We trust that our clients know that adjustments to budgets and schedules entail changes to the design, but that we will always have their best interests at the forefront of each decision we make. Because at the end of the day, our dedication to the success of your project ends up being just as personal as your investment in us as your design team.
Want to see if we might be the right fit for your next project? Let’s connect.