As designers, we want the spaces we design for your business to be the best they can be. Much of this responsibility lies on the design team and general contractor you have hired, but that doesn’t mean that you are off the hook! To ensure success we want you to be as informed and prepared as you can be when planning for your commercial interior design project; part 4 of our series is all about communication.
This LA based creative media company (designed by Edward Ogosta Architecture) is the result of careful communication between client and designer to achieve a space that sparks creativity using simple materials to create interesting forms.
Tip #4: Communicate with your Designer and the results will be clear.
As with any relationship, communication is key. Good communication will help achieve the functionality, look, schedule and price tag you have in mind for your project.
Budget and Schedule
We have touched on these two items in previous posts for this series, but it is worth reiterating that realistically communicating to your designer the project budget and schedule allowances/constraints is very important information that should be clearly provided from the get go.
If you decide to hire your design team after determining your project budget and desired schedule, give them this information at the initial consultation. If the budget is too low or the schedule too fast, they will be able to work with you immediately to determine a more realistic number and timeline. This will help to avoid surprises later on in the project that will ultimately cost both time and money.
Effectively communicating your vision with your designer helps to ensure your goals and aesthetic for the project are met; the result for the Kinoya Japanese Bistro pictured above (designed by Jean de Lessard) is a sleek and enticing space through use of form and an attention grabbing pattern.
Effectiveness and Clarity
“I want a cool, modern-but-not-cold space that my customers will love. I like colour, but not too much or too bright, and I am an outdoor enthusiast.”
This type of statement is an excellent place to start when communicating design direction and style to your interior designer. When you have had a lot of time to dream about your new space you want to make sure that you are able to clearly communicate the ideas and thoughts that have been cooking in your mind.
How can you do that? Walt Disney once said, “Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.” We would have to agree. Nothing communicates design ideas like pictures do, so compile a collection of images that inspire you. Use them to illustrate a very specific idea, or evoke a certain feeling that you would like to achieve in your own space. Go through these with your designer and talk about what you liked, or conversely, what you didn’t.
The benefit to getting your point of view across right off the bat? Saving time and money for both you and your designer. The more clear the direction is, the more likely the design process will be more efficient.
You may want your product to make the statement in your space like it does here at Muriel Grateaus boutique in Paris, but unless you communicate this with you designer at the beginning of the project it could be a drawn out process to get there.
Response Time
We know that you are busy. Running a business or organizing a start-up takes a lot of time, we can definitely appreciate that. That being said, it is essential to the success of a project that you provide required information or answers to your designer in a timely manner to enable them to effectively keep your project moving forward. Email, phone, text or a quick stop by the office to give your two cents is extremely helpful and necessary.
The owner of Cioccolato (designed by Savvy Studio) was obviously able to communicate to their designer that they wanted a fun, Willy Wonka-esque space for their candy store; and the designer delivered.
Give Praise Where Praise is Due
Did your designer do an amazing job? Tell people about your experience! It is always appreciated in a market where word of mouth means so much. Testimonials to include on their websites and recommendations on LinkedIn are also a great way to communicate with others who may be considering their services. Chances are that your designer is going to rave about the great relationship and amazing outcome to their contacts as well!
We hope this information inspires you to make the time to effectively communicate with your designer to help them design a space that is everything you hoped it would be. Check back in a couple of weeks for our final successful design project tip.
Did you miss tip #1? No problem, read about it by clicking here.
Did you miss tip #2? No problem, read about it by clicking here.
Did you miss tip #3? No problem, read about it by clicking here.
» Do you have a commercial interior design project in mind? Let’s talk. Contact Hatch Interior Design located in Kelowna, British Columbia – Because Good Design is Good Business.