“Hi! My name is Celine Johnson. My friend, Emily Dresdan, told me I should call you.” announces the voice on the far end of the phone.
Emily Dresdan? I try to recall.
“I’ve seen what you do on the internet. I think you’re very talented, and I was hoping you could help me out. My husband and I have tried on our own, but we’re just not getting anywhere.”
No amount of Viagra can help Celine and her husband’s woes. What they’re looking for cannot be addressed by Dr Ruth. She needs a design therapist!
“When would you like to get together?” I inquire. And the date is set.
The interview process is perhaps the most important step in developing a healthy client / architect relationship. It is where first impressions are made and expectations are set. It is also the time to determine if it is the right match.
While we have no Match.com perhaps a service like “A-Harmony” that finds common values among architects and clients, wouldn’t be a bad idea. The right partnership will make all the difference. I don’t care how talented a designer you are. If there is not a level of comfort and candor between client and architect, the entire project is doomed to become the designer’s idea of what the client should want.
My advice to prospective clients?
Be prepared: Have a list of your goals, a list of known road-blocks, and most importantly a good clipping file. Images that you have collected and marked up with notes, are perhaps the best way to communicate your ideas.
Be natural: Don’t try to impress. I recall one interview wherein the prospective client showed up so over-detailed in her self-conscious attire, that I had no idea what her natural style was. (However, I couldn’t imagine her shoveling snow in leopard-print gilt-leather jacket and matching boots.)
Be inquisitive: Architects are so comfortable in the design world, they often don’t realize how alienating their archi-speak can be. Don’t be intimidated to ask for explanation.
At the end of the first date, it should be clear to both parties whether there is a future for this couple. It’s important to listen to your gut too. I have gotten involved in projects that I have taken for the wrong reasons, thinking “I didn’t really click with them, but this could lead to something bigger” or “I know we didn’t really connect, but they’re friends with a previous client, whom I like”.
Once you’ve established a good base for your relationship, staying in communication should be easy, and that will make all the difference in the journey to producing a project that truly meets your needs.
Emily Dresdan? I try to recall.
“I’ve seen what you do on the internet. I think you’re very talented, and I was hoping you could help me out. My husband and I have tried on our own, but we’re just not getting anywhere.”
No amount of Viagra can help Celine and her husband’s woes. What they’re looking for cannot be addressed by Dr Ruth. She needs a design therapist!
“When would you like to get together?” I inquire. And the date is set.
The interview process is perhaps the most important step in developing a healthy client / architect relationship. It is where first impressions are made and expectations are set. It is also the time to determine if it is the right match.
While we have no Match.com perhaps a service like “A-Harmony” that finds common values among architects and clients, wouldn’t be a bad idea. The right partnership will make all the difference. I don’t care how talented a designer you are. If there is not a level of comfort and candor between client and architect, the entire project is doomed to become the designer’s idea of what the client should want.
My advice to prospective clients?
Be prepared: Have a list of your goals, a list of known road-blocks, and most importantly a good clipping file. Images that you have collected and marked up with notes, are perhaps the best way to communicate your ideas.
Be natural: Don’t try to impress. I recall one interview wherein the prospective client showed up so over-detailed in her self-conscious attire, that I had no idea what her natural style was. (However, I couldn’t imagine her shoveling snow in leopard-print gilt-leather jacket and matching boots.)
Be inquisitive: Architects are so comfortable in the design world, they often don’t realize how alienating their archi-speak can be. Don’t be intimidated to ask for explanation.
At the end of the first date, it should be clear to both parties whether there is a future for this couple. It’s important to listen to your gut too. I have gotten involved in projects that I have taken for the wrong reasons, thinking “I didn’t really click with them, but this could lead to something bigger” or “I know we didn’t really connect, but they’re friends with a previous client, whom I like”.
Once you’ve established a good base for your relationship, staying in communication should be easy, and that will make all the difference in the journey to producing a project that truly meets your needs.
This is the first in what I hope will be a continuing series, mapping the course of the residential design process. I hope you enjoy!
ReplyDeleteRamsay,
ReplyDeleteThis is hysterically great! But I'm not sure anyone really reads blogs unless they get mercilessly cross-promoted. You guys are pretty good at that but by the time you have someone's attention, they don't need a blog to become your client - they're alreayd hooked.
Still, I would continue with this exercise because I think little-read blogs are a bit like willfully devulged diaries - they suffer just enough indifference to allow the writers to become very relaxed and even a bit irreverant. What's better than that in writing?
So keep writing this stuff and after you've done it for a year - you'll have a fabulous book. You can self-publish it with LuLu or go through a big time publisher and get a speaking tour. Either way, you'll surface big time!