"Interior Design in the New Economy--Lessons Learned from the Great Recession"
As I mentioned in my previous current event, the article that I chose is 44 pages long! However, I have found that this article is full of helpful pointers and information that is very applicable to the design field and relates closely to what we have been working with at Studio Entourage. I will now continue where I left off, covering a second part of the article.
Just to recap… the design professionals that have put this article together are offering their advice with how to deal with the industry and the economy, and how to get the most out of your business.
"Specialize"
- These designers present a good point here “Don’t try to be all things to all clients. Determine what you are good at, select a niche and become the best at it.” I think that this goes for design just as much as it goes for business practices in general. We can often try to cover too much ground and spread ourselves too thin, so that we are just mediocre at everything, rather than excellent at one thing in particular. Studio Entourage has done a great job with finding their niche in architecture and interior millwork (including K&B design) with a particular client type, while staying flexible enough to ride the wave of the economy and maintain clientele.
"Develop a Depth of Knowledge"
- Continue to educate yourself by attending additional classes, continuing education for professionals, lunch and learns, etc. Jane has recommended to me a couple times that I become NKBA accredited and attend the local meetings as a way to further develop my skills (and to network). It is also recommended that you take on projects that may differ from your normal scope of work. This is a great way to challenge yourself in a different scenario and to further “develop a depth of knowledge”
- These design professionals area also recommending that the designer learn about the problems and situations that their clients are facing. How will they deal with these circumstances? How will it affect their lifestyle? How will it affect their home? How will it affect your profession?
"Get Credentialed"
- I was speaking with Jane about this the other day actually! Jane is actually a special case of a brilliant woman who worked in corporate America for the first half of her career (in a field not directly related to design). She always loved to draw, but she took an interest in drafting and is actually self taught! You wouldn’t believe it if you saw her work though! She has studied the NKBA books and takes every opportunity to learn, however, she lacks the typical design credentials. Though she feels like acquiring these credentials at this point in her life will not dramatically improve her scope of work, she does think that it is in my best interest to do so. She, along with many others, feel that these credentials help you to get the job and thus, any leg up is worth its weight in gold. I am already LEED accredited and I plan to become NKBA accredited so that I will put myself in the best position to find a job after college.
"Sell Solutions, Not Services"
- With all of the popular big box home furnishing stores like Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrell, and Restoration Hardware, interior designers are finding that it is harder and harder to compete with product sales. Thus, they are having to find ways to market themselves in ways that set them apart from others in the field. If you can find a way to market your problem solving abilities and your space solutions, you will be much more profitable. The designers go further as to give us a few pointers on how to go about doing this…
o "Expand your value proposition"
§ Capture your clients’ attention by offering innovative ideas, rather than “good design”. Find ways to set yourself apart and come up with new ideas. It may even be helpful to head into realms such as sustainability, wellness, health, productivity, employee satisfaction. How does the built environment affect the way we live and work? Sell it!
o " Rebrand Your Professional Skills"
§ Find ways outside of the typical scope of interior design to market your clients. Be willing to do more than strictly the design aspect. Take on opportunities in project management, strategic planning, and providing business solutions that align with the triple bottom line.
"Collaborate Instead of Partner"
- Partnerships are legal binding agreements between individuals and/or organizations that can often lead to trouble, especially in a unpredictable market. Instead of finding a partner, find people with compatible companies and ideas that you can collaborate with.
- Seek out people outside of interior design that you can learn new ideas and ways of thinking from—lighting designer, acoustic specialist, environmental designer. Many of the concepts that these specialists work with day to day can be effective in your scope of design.
- Connect with Other Firms that Have Complimentary Talents/Skills
o I have seen this as a particularly relevant piece of advice that Linda has put into effect. Linda has a few other architects that she works with at times. She does not view these people as competition, but rather they help each other out when different projects fall better into the scope of another. For example, Studio Entourage was just hired for a kitchen renovation that has lead to the addition of a porch. Linda, who specializes in multimillion dollar houses, would usually not take on a project like a typical porch addition. This isn’t that she is above doing this, rather her creativity and design time is better spent in areas with a bigger budget. Rather than forking up the project to another architect, she called in an architect with whom she has worked with a lot in the past, to do a little freelance work and crank out some porch drawings. It pays to stay connected…literally!
ASID. "Interior Design in the New Economy." Asid.org. American Society of Interior Designers, 2010. Web. 27 June 2011. <http://www.asid.org/NR/rdonlyres/E24FD5C1-27B6-4077-A1B5-0E9F39483A4B/0/DesigningInTheNewEconomy_FINAL.pdf>.
