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Hello and welcome to episode 37 
of design carries podcast. 

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I'm your host and Mentor Rebecca
Ward. 

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Today on the podcast, I'll be 
talking to you about the highs 

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and lows of a project and what 
the client might experience as 

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they're going through the 
process of a design project and 

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it's really important to kind of
brief the client about that 

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ahead of time, so that you are 
managing their expectations. 

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So, before we get into that, I 
just want to remind you. 

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You, I have some downloads for 
you. 

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It is the three things. 
I wish I had known before 

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starting my career in interior 
design and I also have the 

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roadmap for interior design. 
The steps along the way that you

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need to take to become an 
Interior Designer. 

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So it can find links for both of
those on my website are award 

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design.com forward slash podcast
and find out all that 

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information there, okay? 
So let's talk about the pain 

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points of interior design 
project, You're now listening to

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design, curious a place where 
you creative one are here to 

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learn about what it really is. 
Like, to be an interior designer

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and I'm your host and Mentor 
Rebecca, Ward, if you're worried

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about how to succeed in a 
creative career, if you're ready

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to learn your next steps to 
become an Interior Designer. 

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And if you want the satisfaction
of doing something you love 

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every day you are. 
In the right place, grab a 

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coffee, a notebook. 
And let's dig into today's 

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episode. 
So in my company, I typically 

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will take my clients through a 
seven-step process of start to 

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finish. 
And along the way, there will be

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a high and low point and so let 
me kind of take you through that

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process so you can understand 
what the client might be 

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expecting. 
When we start out on the 

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project, we do the initial 
consultation and then we also do

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the Gathering phase where we're 
collecting measurements and 

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photos of Space from getting the
design style of the client and 

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really honing in on what they 
put, the scope of work is and 

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what they need in their space 
and what they want to see to 

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make it work for them and their 
lifestyle. 

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So this is definitely one of the
high points of the process. 

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It's like the honeymoon phase 
where they're excited to work 

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with us for excited to work with
them, they can't wait to see our

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design. 
And the idea is that we have, 

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then they loved all the 
preliminary ideas that were 

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throwing out and it's just a 
really Lee High Point. 

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We usually have a little gift 
for them to in the beginning and

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it's just all the fun things are
happening at this point. 

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And so, after these first two 
phases, we kind of go into the 

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design phase which for the 
designer is definitely a high 

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point because this is where we 
get to do all the fun stuff of 

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curating the design, pulling 
finishes doing the space plan 

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and layout, and really playing 
with the design and working the 

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puzzle. 
And, you know, figure it all 

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out. 
So, for the designer, this The 

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high point, but by the client in
our process, this is a low 

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point. 
I would say because they are not

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hearing from us. 
Well, I mean, they hear from us 

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every week. 
Every Friday, we do a check in 

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with them but they're not seeing
anything from us. 

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We're not giving them anything 
to look at not asking for 

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feedback on our design. 
Because once we've collected all

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of our information at the 
beginning, we kind of closed off

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the client to the design process
because we want to be very 

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focused and efficient in this 
process and we want to Take what

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they've given us, and design the
best possible solution. 

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So they're not seeing anything 
along this point, but they're 

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paying a lot of money and are 
early fees because this is where

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a lot of our hourly fees are 
racked up because of all the 

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designing that we're having to 
do and all the details that were

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sourcing and drawings that were 
making and we're meeting with 

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trades on site. 
And so the client might be a rat

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hanging around for that trade a,
but they're really don't get to 

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see anything tangible until we 
get to the Patient. 

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So the presentation would be a 
high point definitely for the 

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client because that this point 
they get to see all that hard 

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work. 
All the bills that they've been 

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paying and is paid off because 
they have such a beautiful 

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design, they are inspired by 
what they see. 

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They have excitement for what 
the vision of the house is going

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to look. 
Like they can touch and feel all

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the fabrics and as we walk them 
through the space and they're 

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visualizing it. 
It's just a really exciting time

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to be at the presentation. 
In. 

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So then they love it. 
They say, yes, yes, yes, let's 

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move forward. 
Here's all the deposits, and 

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then we get into the 
implementation phase. 

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And so then this kind of becomes
a low point for the clients 

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because at this point, either 
were going to start demo which, 

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you know, if they're living 
through that, that's never fun 

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thing and we're going to process
the order. 

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So say we're ordering Furniture,
we're going to be processing 

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these orders and then you got to
sit and wait for the vendor to 

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supply the items that we've 
purchased. 

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And, you know, that And take a 
long time, months and months 

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sometimes. 
And so this is a harder part for

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the client because they're just 
sitting there either through the

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remodel, or it looks like 
nothing's happening and they've 

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been putting out more money and 
more money, but they don't have 

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a house that they can appreciate
yet. 

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They're still excited about the 
design. 

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So we reminder like go back and 
look at your presentation 

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documents. 
This is the direction we're 

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going. 
Hold on to hope that there's a 

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light at the end of the tunnel. 
So after several months of this,

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you typically could even be up 
to a year. 

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We've had that happen depending 
on how large the project scope 

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is, the client is coming through
this. 

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And typically during this time, 
we will, you know, be checking 

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in with the client, trying to 
manage their expectations will 

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usually send a gift for them 
being such Troopers going 

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through this process. 
And then we finally have a date 

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set for installation. 
And then this is the fun points 

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because Was it fun for the 
designer? 

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Because this is where we get to 
do our install. 

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We bring all the furniture, we 
staged everything we accessorize

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and set it up, and it's looking 
picture-perfect everywhere. 

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The clients usually sent out for
the day so that they can't see 

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it or a couple of days and we 
tell them to come back when 

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we're done. 
And so, then they would get a 

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walk through the door and their 
house is completely transformed 

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and ready to live in. 
And that is definitely a high 

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point. 
But unfortunately, that's not 

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the very end of the project. 
What invariably happens is that 

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there's maybe a chair that was 
delayed, or there's still some 

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molding that needs to get 
finished or there's like maybe 

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some deficiencies with cabinet 
door. 

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Got dinged. 
So I have to get a replacement 

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that's coming and of course 
everything that you have to 

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order replacement for takes so 
long more than the original 

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purchase it. 
Like are you have to get someone

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to come in and touch something 
up? 

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And so that conclusion of 
walking through the deficiencies

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is actually probably one of the 
lowest points at the project 

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because the client is like I 
just want to now live, in my 

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home, it looks beautiful, I love
it. 

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There's still a few problems but
I just want to be done. 

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I don't want to see my design 
anymore. 

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I don't want to see any more 
design, fees being sent to me 

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and unfortunately there is White
a bit that has to be done in 

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this concluding process with the
deficiencies. 

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So we usually try to tell our 
clients, upfront about these 

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highs and lows in the initial 
consultation and then we remind 

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them along the way. 
What to expect the last thing 

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you want is a client who is 
starting to feel really 

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frustrated with the process. 
It's hard to keep them from 

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completely feeling frustrated 
because when you're living 

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through Remodel and believe me, 
I know because Recently, I think

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I share that my house was 
flooded by a toilet hose that 

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flooded the upstairs. 
And so we had to tear apart, 

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sheetrock tear up the carpet. 
And so I'm living through a 

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remodel currently and it is not 
fun especially when you have 

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kids. 
So it's hard to completely avoid

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frustration for the client but 
it is really the job of the 

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designer to mitigate it somewhat
and to really manage those 

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expectations of the client. 
Ain't this is a really important

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part of a designer's services 
that they are able to guide the 

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client through the remodel 
process or through the design 

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process. 
Even if it's just Furnishings, 

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there's deficiencies at the end.
And there's waiting for the 

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product in the middle especially
if it was during the pandemic, 

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he know that was taking forever 
to get those things in clients. 

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It's completely out of the 
designers control but clients 

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were getting very impatient and 
so As a designer it is your job 

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to manage this for the client. 
And if you do, you will have a 

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happier client and you are more 
likely to get referrals and 

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repeat clients coming back to 
you because they know that you 

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will tell them the truth about a
project, you're not going to 

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see, it's all rainbows and 
daisies going through the 

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project, there's going to be 
challenging times but anything 

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that's worthwhile is worth the 
hard work. 

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So I think Think that as long as
you maintain your perspective as

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a designer and then help the 
client maintain their 

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perspective, then you'll get 
through this and both of you be 

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happy and satisfied at the end. 
So I hope that is helpful for 

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you to understand what the highs
and lows are of a design project

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and just the realities of what 
it looks like going through the 

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process. 
There's always challenges that 

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come up that you can't foresee. 
And so this is just Something 

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that you need to be aware of 
going into the career but 

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fortunately, I am here for you 
and I'm trying to keep your 

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expectations managed as well. 
So if you are interested in 

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having this document, I have 
provide it for my members in my 

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design Mentor in my business 
starter kit. 

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So if it's something that you 
would like to provide to your 

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clients, when you start your own
business, then you can get 

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access to this document that I 
use in my own company. 

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Denis and use it for your own 
along with many other documents 

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that I use in my company that I 
do include in the business 

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starter kit. 
Just one of the benefits of 

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being a part of my design 
Mentor. 

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So check that out. 
So let me know what you think 

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about that. 
The process of running a project

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in that there's going to be 
highs and lows for the client 

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and highs and lows for the 
designers. 

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Well but is really important to 
plan for those and to really 

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manage the clients expectations 
going into it. 

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So then they are not 
disappointed or frustrated 

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through the process. 
We definitely want to have a 

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happy client at the end of the 
project who really values, what 

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you have given them and the 
process you have taken. 

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Them through. 
So like I said, don't forget to 

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leave me a rating and review 
about the podcast, what your 

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liking, what you love, hearing 
on each episode, I did get a 

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great review from Kaylee who 
said this show is so easy to 

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understand the content is clear 
and empowering, it's accessible,

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for those curious about design, 
and how it works. 

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But also has practical insight 
for daily life, solid skills and

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mindset that can be applied. 
Two other Arenas as well. 

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So, thank you for that review, 
and go ahead and leave me one 

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wherever you, listen to podcast,
stay tuned for another great 

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00:12:03,700 --> 00:12:07,300
interview, next week, and until 
then stay creative. 

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Thanks for listening. 
If you loved this episode, 

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00:12:11,500 --> 00:12:13,200
please leave a rating and a 
review. 

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00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,000
This helps me reach other 
curious. 

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00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,600
Creatives. 
Like you, if you have a topic 

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request or would like to contact
me, simply head over to my 

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website, our Ward design.com or 
email me at podcast at our Ward 

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00:12:26,900 --> 00:12:09,800
design.com, Thanks for 
listening. 

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00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,600
If you loved this episode, 
please leave a rating and a 

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00:12:12,608 --> 00:12:14,500
review. 
This helps me reach other 

219
00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:15,600
curious. 
Creatives. 

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00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,200
Like you, if you have a topic 
request or would like to contact

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00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:24,000
me, simply head over to my 
website, our Ward design.com or 

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00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,000
email me at podcast at our Ward 
design.com,