Identifying With Your Environment
At the end of your interior design project you wouldn’t want to feel outof-place or uncomfortable in your own environment. You don’t want to feel like a stranger who can’t identify with the end results.
Most of us have had the experience of being in the office or home of someone where the surroundings just don’t seem to “fit” the person and their personality; or, does not seem to support the product or service offered. It just seems out of sync with their demeanor — even if you can’t exactly pin down why!
When you have decided to move forward with your interior design project, and have chosen your design team, the first steps of the process are critical to the right outcome. Your designer must become acquainted with your vision, with the prospective environment for that vision and with you, your product and or service. Thoroughly understanding who you are within the context of the design challenge is vital.
Realizing that one does not fit, or can no longer identify with their business environment is often the reason for planning changes. Just as the business “climate” fluctuates, perceptions about services and products also change. The styles of marketing approaches and presentation flow with subtle shifts that impact you and your competition.
Your design team is acutely aware of what works and what might not. Advising you about such trends is a large part of their responsibility to you when planning your environment’s design — or re-design. Sharing the path of your business growth can provide the progressive insights your designer needs. In order to match your installation with your pace (and the changes that have brought you to the decision to make changes) your designer will guide you through a relevant exploration. The growth and development of a specific service, the nature of your inventory (if retail) and the story of the expansion of your enterprise are some examples of the vital background information that your design team will seek.
In residential design or remodel, it helps the design team to learn about family growth and activities. Is it a young family or an empty nest revision that has inspired change for your home environment? Perhaps the addition of an elder, for special care-giving, mandates some interior modifications concerning equipment and mobility.
When multiple family members, business partners or employees participate in choices and decisions, it can be a serious management challenge for your design team! They need to make sure that it is your vision that emerges at the end of the process! Creative suggestions and contributions are appreciated, but the decisions must remain on track to a finished environment with which you can identify.
As your design plan develops and detail choices are made, you will want to feel increasingly comfortable. Your design team will be crosschecking throughout the process to be sure you are in tune with what is going together, step by step. They will want to be sure that you can comfortably see yourself, your product or service and your specific market’s niche and needs in the finished environment.
Robert Boccabella, B.F.A. is principal and founder of Business Design Services and a certified interior designer in private practice for over 30 years. Boccabella provides Designing to Fit the Vision© in collaboration with writingservice@earthlink.net. To contact him call 707-263-7073; email him at rb@BusinessDesignServices.com or visit www.BusinessDesignServices.com or on Face Book at Business Design Services.