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Art, Architecture, Design & Travel

The Design Process For Interior Designers

1. Meeting the client 
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, remember that people make up their mind about you in the first 2-3 minutes.
The first thing to talk about? Don’t immediately start talking about interior design.
What should you talk about
Questions the client may ask you?
What possible answers could you say?
Dress and appearance:
You should adopt a style of clothing that doesn’t draw attention to itself or that is distracting. The client should notice your clothes, because you want her to focus on the interior design issues.


Listening skills
Defining the clients need
Identify the client’s style preferences
Next you need to understand the client’s style preferences.
Ask her about her lifestyle - Different lifestyles require different types of interior design.
Identifying the problems
Apply your expert eye to the problems of the room
In your notebook, write down any problems you see. Don’t necessarily tell the client these problems. Why would you do this?

Taking a Brief
Now you need to define the brief. The best way to define the brief is to repeat what you think she wants:
Ending the meeting
You have visited the potential client at their home.
You have ascertained their needs.
Tell the client what will happen next, if they want to proceed.
This may be the end of the job, or you may be involved in further developments.


2. Confirmation 
It is important that you get a formal arrangement with the client. Why do you think this is?

Clients are sometimes unhappy about signing a formal contract. A letter of agreement is more informal, so clients are usually happy to sign it.

So once you have emailed them, with an acknowledgement letter, telling them how much you are looking forward to working for them. You can also email/send letter of agreement that they should send back to you with payment.
Don’t do any work for a client who won’t sign the form or doesn’t send you a cheque.

The letter won’t guarantee that you’ll get paid, it merely increases the chances of getting money, and it also ensures that there is no misunderstanding as the sums involved.


3. Research/developing – develop a plan strategy 
At this point you will have to sit down and work out some design ideas. It’s a good idea, especially in the early days of your career, to do more than one sample board, in case the client doesn’t like your ideas, or you have just mis-judged what they want. Don’t however, give clients too much choice, otherwise they will never make a decision.

4. Develop Boards - Concept 
When you go back to your clients house, be professional, how do you think you should present yourself and ideas?
Don’t just put the sample board on the table and say there you go, what do you think?
Treat the event as though its theatre. Present your ideas at the dining room table, rather than on the sofa. Why do you think this works?
Do a preamble. Take your time over it. Treat it as a slow build up. Summarise the clients concerns and aspirations.
Hopefully, the client is nodding at the things you say. If you’ve got something wrong, you can smooth it over when you show the sample board.
Tell the client about the rooms weaknesses in a polite and positive way – explain how they can be improved.
Now bring out the sample board, you have paved the way and the client will be wound up with excitement. They will be more positive about your proposals if you work in this ordered way.

Give the client time to look at the sample board, answer any questions or doubts. They may be worried about being bold. Most non-professionals prefer?

Don’t be defensive if they don’t like it, find out what their concern is and offer an alternative
If the client is happy with the work, see if they want to proceed .


Even if there is work to be done, leave the board and information with the client – they have paid for it, and you should have written all the necessary details down for future use.

5. Refinement 
After presenting the ideas to your client, there may be some minor changes or alterations to be changed before going on. This is called refinement.
Once these have been changed and signed off then the job/project will become live.
Lets say the client is happy, and requires no further work, give the invoice, thank the client and leave


6. Job is live/product development 
Now that everything has been signed off, then it is the time to start the job, in order to do everything in order you need to prepare a scheme of works. Do you know what this is?
Once the work has been completed you can then install the furniture and dress the room.

7. Completion
Once the project is completed you can check with the client to make sure they are happy, you may have some snagging???
You may ask the client to photograph the work to help go towards your portfolio.
It would also be a good idea to ask for a testimonial.



'INSTITUTE OF CREATIVE SCIENCES' - AN ENTRANCE PREPARATION STUDIO FOR ARCHITECTURE , DESIGN AND ART CAREERS IN DELHI.  
  • B.ARCH ( NATA / JEE ) COACHING 
  • UCEED, IIT BOMBAY ENTRANCE COACHING 
  • NID ENTRANCE EXAM COACHING 
  • NIFT ENTRANCE EXAM COACHING 
  • CEED & NID MASTERS EXAM PREPARATION 
  • PORTFOLIO FOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN STUDIES ABROAD
  • DIPLOMA IN CAD DRAFTING AND DESIGNING
  • INTERIOR STYLING AND FASHION STYLING CLASSES

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