It's a Fact!

An Inside Look at the Big Business of Interior Design

1. High-Risk Taking is SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for Many Big Players

    In this day and age, young, fresh-minded, professional interior designers are stepping forward with a fast-paced and extremely technologically based mindset. The types of environments that they are designing emulate these characteristics, and companies that are willing to take a chance and truly step out of the box with the design of commercial interiors understand that this is a must. In today’s job markets, employers themselves are younger and are searching for these equally young professionals as assets to capture a youthful clientele. For example, “big players” such as Google incorporate slides and swings in their national and international offices to encourage a friendly work environment. Google and many other multimillion-dollar companies look to interior design teams that understand how to pragmatically and methodically integrate swingsets and bean bag chairs into a corporate image of stability and security.

2. The Tale of the Sale (Selling the Sizzle)

    No matter how talented the designer, if one cannot sell the design, one will not succeed, nor will he or she receive that next referral. An interior designer, just like any other businessperson, should possess the knowledge of how to seal the deal, and inevitably, that means asking for the money. Interior design professionals are constantly reminding their clients that the health, welfare and safety of both themselves and their families are directly affected by how well their space is designed – and that you can’t put a price on those assets. This is the first step in closing any potential sale. At that point, the benefit of hiring a true design professional is clearly evident. Money quickly becomes less of an issue and most importantly, well spent. Now, there is no false tale in that sale, that’s a fact! 

 3. Accentuate the Positive

    Unfortunately, not everything related to the designing of a new home or office is exciting. It certainly isn’t fun watching all of your savings dwindle down on drywall and insulation, so a designer with a quick sense of humor and witty repartee can keep the client’s experience as positive and pleasant as possible. It is statistically proven that individuals like being around those who are passionate about what they pursue and who have a positive outlook, no matter the situation. It is an expert businessperson who can turn any negative into a positive, all the while respecting the client’s vision – and most importantly, the client’s budget. The biggest lesson for any professional to learn is that mistakes do arise, products may become out of stock, and budgets may fall short, but everything happens for a reason and, believe it or not, may be much more satisfactory for the overall outcome. The better the designer’s ability to see a problematic situation as a breeding ground for opportunity, the more enjoyable the journey of getting there becomes for everyone involved. As famous author and motivational speaker Greg Anderson once stated, “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing the activity, but in doing it.”  I smell optimism, how about you?  

4. Put Your Ideas Into Action – Good to Great

    More often than not, the best ideas come directly from the client. But only the brightest designers are aware of this and are able to turn these “good” ideas into “great” end results, for both the designer and the client. Remember, it’s always about the client and never about the designer’s ego. As stated by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great, “Good is the enemy of great, and that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great… The vast majority of companies never become great because the vast majority become quite good – and that is their main problem.” Basically, interior design is like fashion; it has all been done before. It’s just the individual twist that is put on an age-old idea or design that takes it in a different direction that will get noticed. It is these great ideas generated by designers who are able and willing to think outside the box that transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary interiors that are talked about, photographed and jotted down in history – to be discussed with future generations. The perfect example would be the renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright or the master of modern architecture, I.M. Pei. 

5. Solid to the Core

    It’s obvious that the excellent designers you read about and see in magazines are the ones who exceed client expectations. No matter how big or small a project, the most talented designers are able to execute visions to almost perfection, all while the project is being catapulted through what some may consider a controlled frenzy. Designing out-of-the-ordinary interiors, going above and beyond the call of duty, and always bringing the best to the table are prerequisites for success and achievements that have become expected by those who are willing to pay for them. As Paul Mitchell, world-renowned hair product inventor and billionaire, says, “Invent a product or a service that is the absolute best and cater to the top market. Then you will not be in the ‘selling’ business, you will be in the ‘reordering’ business” (‘reordering’ being the equivalent to ‘referral’ for an interior designer). Abiding by your standards and staying true to what you believe when everyone around you says you’re crazy, is staying solid to your core. Every day you must do your very best, not for fame or adulation, but because you cannot imagine doing it any other way. Or in layman’s terms, you must walk the walk and not just talk the talk.    

Shane D. Inman, ASID, IIDA

Posted by Shane D. Inman & Brooke A. Arciniega at 8:15 pm