We strive to ensure that our clients’ highest expectations for their projects have been exceeded, not just met. As with any successful relationship, communication is critical to achieving that. Being too prescriptive during the design process might keep you from getting all you could out of your architect.
A past client, who is a creative professional himself, gave me a great analogy. He said that when a client tells him to make something red, they leave him no creative freedom. There is only one way to get to red—by making it red. This may ensure that you will get what you expect from your designer but it also ensures the solution won’t exceed that.
However, if the client says to make it warmer or make it more energetic, the designer can take that in many directions—red, orange, yellow, etc. As creative professionals, we want you to be surprised in the best way with what we design. By building flexibility into your feedback, you give the architect more room for creativity.
It definitely involves walking a fine line—communicating enough information so the architect and builder meet your expectations, but also giving them enough freedom and artistic license to surprise you. When that happens, and with the right design team, the results can bring the project to heights you hadn’t expected.
