DESIGN MANAGEMENT

Subject Code- BDI- 341

Ar. Upendra Joshi

Unit - 2 Client & Designer – Content

Nature of relationship between a client and the professional

Why Client prefers Professional Designer?

Client’s Level of Awareness

Categories of a client

How Clients seek a Professional Designer?

General strategies to create long term positive Client- Designer relationship

Do’s & Don'ts in a Professional Relationship

Nature of relationship between a Client and the Professional Designer

In a client-designer relationship, both of them need to feel supported and know that your
ideas matter. Mutual respect for each others' viewpoints and open lines of communication
make for a sense of well being.

Clients prefer to work with someone whom they already know rather than to find a new
interior designer.

A Client, to solve problems, desires not just a skilled person, but one with a predictable
and socially acceptable behavior-the professional.

A professional needs assignments with compensation, to profess the skill. Client and a
Professional are thus mutually dependent.
Why Client prefers Professional Designer ?

Client’s Disabilities

1 . There is no awareness of needs or of problems.

2. There is no insight to the nature of skills required.

3. Things are not always very simple, easily selectable, readily available, or producible.

4. There are no obvious means to judge the rightness of decisions made.

5. There are no resources, or, one is not aware of the resources required to accomplish
something.
Clients’ Levels of Awareness

Clients come to a professional with varying levels of awareness, what a professional could
and should do.

• A client at a very basic level is a lay person, who has never seen or experienced a
professional in action, and so is guided by a well wisher. Such clients are very inquisitive,
and eager to participate in the work-process of a professional and if allowed to do so
appreciate the professional’s contribution better.

• Some clients are experts in their sphere of work. Such persons (restaurant owner, club
manager, managing director, etc.) are well informed of both, the product and the process
to achieve it, but seldom have the time or inclination to accomplish the same. Such expert
clients may consider a professional to be just a service provider, and not necessarily a
unique creative person.

• A client could be very detached or unapproachable, due to either lack of time or

understanding of the subject.

• A Client representing an organization may not show distinct interest, to limit the
involvement within the ambit of the authorized powers. Their comments though may
come, but little belatedly.
Categories of a Client

An Individual Client

At simplest level the client is representing own-self, or perhaps the family. Such a client is very
real and visible in personality. Such individual clients are easy to define. Such clients
are easily accessible and provide interactive feedback during the meetings.

A Specific Group Of Persons As Client

Clients representing a specific group are partnership firms, private or limited companies,
corporations, societies, associations, some government departments and semi-government
organizations. A specific group has members who have formed the group on their own
initiative, or have joined a suitable existing group.

The designated leader or a small group of representatives invariably have the authority to
represent their group. So individually or collectively they behave almost like an individual
client.

A General (Nonspecific) Group Of People As Client

These are set of people or beneficiaries, classified per certain logical norms, and are
represented by a public organization, a government appointee, a public leader, etc.
How Clients seek Professionals

In case of Interior Design, a client primarily comes to know about a professional on seeing a
project. However, personal contact is established through intermediaries like friends and
relatives.

It is rare for a client to call on a designer, directly on seeing a project, a sketch or a

publication about it. And it is extremely rare for a client to contact a designer through yellow
pages or such directory type of listings.

Clients initiate a project on the basis of one or many of the following Five assets

Needs

Finance - investable resources

Space - land or building

Experience – expertise

Intense desire, aspirations.

General strategies to create long term positive Client- Designer relationship

Being a designer means more than just knowing how to create a functional and
aesthetically pleasing design proposal. It also means being an effective communicator, a
teacher, a leader, and a generous service provider.

Teach your client how to work with you

Your style of working may be different from other designers your client has worked with.
They also may have never worked with a full-time freelancer. Whatever the situation, it's
up to you to communicate your process, whether that’s feedback you need, project
scope, or a timeline.

Whatever you do, you’re training your client on what’s acceptable or unacceptable and
what they need to do so that you can do your job as a designer.
Know your roles

A clients' job is to give a designer what they need to succeed on a given project. This means
the client must be able to communicate their own goals and metrics to the designer. Clients
can offer feedback on how things look. But they should avoid micromanaging and focusing
on tiny details.

In the role of designer, you’re in charge of taking the client’s vision for the project and using
your expertise and creativity to make them happen. Being a designer means making
decisions not only artistically, but also analytically. You need to take feedback and make
necessary changes, but also be able to push back in a polite, logical way when you disagree.
Ultimately, the client does have the final say, so choose your battles wisely. Be willing to not
get too emotionally invested in your work.
Communicate openly and honestly

Knowing that you’re not just telling a client what they want to hear is another way to earn
trust. If you offer constructive responses to their feedback, instead of just saying “yes” to
everything, they’ll have better faith in your abilities. Open Communication falls into the
category of trust. This is vital in the client-designer relationship.

Like any relationship, communication relies on not keeping things bottled up. If you have
any issues with the project , convey that to client as soon as possible.

Part of being a good communicator is the ability to listen. Let a client express their
thoughts. Take the time to absorb what they’ve said instead of waving them off, or
dismissing what they want to say.

To feel valued, your client needs to know that you are actually taking in what they’re
trying to communicate. It makes for better collaboration when both the designer and the
client are on the same page.
Have patience

Your client may not have the right words to communicate what they're looking for. It's
your job to guide them by asking them the right questions. Explain yourself in a way that
a non-designer will understand. This means taking time and being patient, no matter
what the question is.

Be prepared

Both you and your client have busy schedules. You should enter any meeting with a
good homework, especially if it's the first meeting. It's okay if you only get a surface
level understanding at first. Talking with clients gives you a chance to ask deeper
questions. In ongoing meetings, having an agenda will keep client meetings focused and
on-track.

Be flexible

You’re not always going to see eye to eye with your client. And sometimes personalities
differ. Building a relationship with your client takes effort. You need to understand their
perspective and what they value. Trust and communication are at the core of productive
collaboration.
Do’s

Always

Identify User(s) (Family, newlyweds, single client etc…)

Study your client’s lifestyle (Daily activities, habits, routine, personality etc…)

Ask about the budget

Know your client’s taste

Understand the space (Day light, ceiling height, corners, floors, etc…)

Be 100% confident about your work

Be flexible with your client (Give and take strategy)

Concentrate on the flow of circulation in your project.

Theory Question

Describe & Explain as a Designer at least 3 strategies to get commissioned for the
project as well as maintain a long term positive relation with your client.  
Don’t’s

Degrade your clients collections

Imposing your opinion

Imposing your taste

Not leaving space for your client’s touch

Not presenting your work in each step

Over using daring colors (Use them in the right spaces)

Working without contracts or agreements

Tips

You have to know which type of client you’re dealing with. Usually there are two kinds of
clients. The ones who care about comfort and the others who care about show off. You
have to know who you’re dealing with.