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Tips to Present a Stand Out Design Concept to Clients
Truly inspired designs are the result of experience, understanding and imagination. Below are tips to present a stand-out design and make an impact on your clients. The examples are in accordance to healthcare design but the tips will easily span across all areas of design.
Listen
Having the ability to listen to the client is the most important step in presenting a winning design concept. If you listen to the client and are able to meet their needs and apply their goals into your design, it will be well received. If you listen carefully and are creative in your approach, you will able to put something in there for everyone.
Understand
If having the ability to listen is the first most important thing, being able to understand is the second. Understand what you heard from the clients. There are most likely a list of limitations that you must adhere to. The best example is the limitations of the budget. Nothing is worse than presenting a knock out design that is out of the question because it blows the budget.
Understand the building’s location and the limits and regulations that come with it. Building codes are generally intended to be applied by architects, engineers and interior designers. If you are unaware or simply ignore the building regulations your design will never come to fruition. As an example, you may not be able to close off or move an entrance or an exit. If you present a design that ignores the building code, you will have wasted your clients time and your own. Even worse if they are unaware and choose your design, you could face a lawsuit.
If you are pitching a redesign, understand the current architecture and list out the buildings limits and it’s advantages. Having a full understanding of what you have to work with will help you minimize the architectural limitations, work around them, and highlight the buildings advantages.
Know the Latest Trends and Technology
Apply the latest trends and technology to your design in order to stand out. Doing so will help you overcome perceived budget and architectural limitations and save on costs in unexpected places. For example, using LED lights saves the client a lot of money over time in electricity, storage and the labor costs associated with maintaining old, cheaper light bulbs. Plus using LED lights better emulates natural light which is proven to be more effective in the healing process of patients and improves the outlook and performance of staff. Bring this knowledge and insight to the table. That is why you are there.
Be Positive
Each meeting, each pitch, each design will better equip you for the next. Remember that design is fun and it impacts the public in a very positive way. Stay the course and let yourself be inspired.
