A designer's hint on how to spend less and get more. How? Find out the three essential steps that have to take place BEFORE planning even begins. Follow the example scenerio to find out how to stay on track on your interior design and get professional results.
It all starts with a plan! That's what you've heard right?
Actually, there are an even more important earlier steps- a solid foundation for a great plan. It’s not money. It’s not time. So let’s see what happens if you leave out these important earlier steps when you are trying to make a plan.
Scenario:
Janet has just been hired as the office manager of a 15 year old Communications company. The reception area looks like a dentist office from 1990- dark, leather and southwest stylings and the desk areas are cluttered and battered from use. The head of HR has instructed Janet to improve it.
Janet needs a plan.
How does Janet get plan? She begins to wrack her brain – she’s not a decorator so how to impress her employer? How much can she spend? Not to mention she does not know any Designers. Step 1: Start by working out the preliminaries
A. With her new boss, work out a clear goal for the space – “complete an updated reception area.” A provisional goal came into play – new quarters in the building had become available because another neighbouring lease was up and tenants were moving out. Janet’s company was possibly going to move to a new space. In the case of a home owner – the possibility of listing sometimes comes up, and the home owners have to decide if they are going to move or stay and renovate. They can’t go forward until a decision is made and a goal is worked out for the project.
B. Work out a purpose: “To create a reception area that is more functional and aesthetic to improve customer relations and company moral.”
C. Work out the message: The message is the words that come to mind that describe the space. Work out three words that best describes what you are trying to say. Janet finds out from internal company surveys and previous studies in the creation of their new logo and her bosses that they need the public area to say – “we are service oriented, affordable, and professional.” Many people do not know or leave out this step. It is necessary because it keeps the project focused. With so many styles and products, projects are easily overwhelmed with the choices and don’t get completed. By sticking to an agreed upon message – the design does not get garbled. The work clearly relates to the goal and purpose. D. Design the plan. Now if Janet had been studying many design magazines –perhaps had taken a drafting course in high school, and been to a dozen offices in the past year – she could take on this task and pull it off by amateur standards. Not to mention – Janet would need about 20 hours of extra time a week. Since this is not possible and this company is losing precious money, staff and clients with their dreary dusty reception area, Janet decides she will leave it to the professionals who do this work every day. She needs to find out how much a designer will cost, set aside the funds and interview a few and hire the one she thinks will get the job done – according to A B and C. The professionals are the ones who know the best products, the best prices and the most reliable companies to work with. They provide plans that work – and are beautiful. In a lot of cases professional pass on their trade discounts – or you pay their cost plus 20% for the purchasing and delivery of the items. (If local) . So remember, you can help out your Designer tremendously by doing A B and C. And get a better plan in shorter time (saving you on the cost of design). Then once that is done discuss with the Designer A B and C. Whether you are the executive in charge of your home, or in charge of a business before you look for a designer work out A B and C - once you have the message decided – you can then look for the designer who can make a plan which communicates that message. The Designer will make sure your message gets communicated through the design. The whole project can come to a halt if the group – whether it’s a family, or a company does not agree on the message. The message is KEY to getting the RIGHT plan. Do steps A, B and C then call the Designer. Don’t’ forget steps A – Goal, B Purpose, C Message. You will get a good design plan every time. It’s as easy as ABC!