Somebody Else Thinks Like Us!

Our outlook on client relationships is that of a partnership. To us, teamwork means using everyone’s expertise. The client knows their product best- we know design best. Our best work comes from a relationship where this is understood and we can use our creativity to make something great. This situation doesn’t always happen easily, though, and sometimes the whole thing requires a gentle nudge in the right direction.

This architecture firm feels the same way! It’s good to see this fundamental interlacing through industries.

How do you balance allowing for a necessary amount of compromise with clients with maintaining your creative integrity and vision on any given project?

One of the things that people come to us for is the quality of the design. Our biggest challenge is to maintain that quality of design, and to work within the parameters of each individual project. There’s no such thing as a project with no budget. Every project has a budget, and every architect has to work within those constraints.

Sometimes it just comes down to us constantly reminding the client, saying things like: “We’re not going to go down that path, because we don’t like that design approach, or we think the details should be done this way. This is typically what we do, therefore this is why you’ve come to us. If this is the kind of building you want, this is the direction we have to go.”

Then we try to understand what their goals are, and do what we can do within that framework to achieve something that we’re happy with from a design point from view, and from an execution point of view. A building needs to be built beautifully. That’s always our goal, and we remind the client. [laughs] A lot!

Read the whole interview with Richard Meier & Partners Architecture COO N. Scott Johnson here.

Ever Wondered About the Future of Web Designers?

According to Micael Aleo, you shouldn’t. The profession won’t die. In fact, it’ll thrive by the time 2018 rolls around. We’re glad to hear this (not that we were worried to begin with) because we really love all the hats we wear!

“Everyone in this industry fills dozens of roles throughout a given day. On a call with a prospective client, we take the role of salesperson. After the contract is sorted, we become researchers, combing through the client’s outdated website, looking at analytics and identifying breakdowns and room for improvement. Soon after, we become content curators, wading through the piles of content in PDF format sent by the client, identifying what works and what doesn’t.

Then we’re architects, laying out content to get the most important messages across, while ensuring that everything in our layouts remains findable. We design the website itself. We manage client expectations and work through revisions. We write code. We introduce a content management system. We carefully insert and style content. We create and update the brand’s presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We help to create an editorial calendar to keep content fresh and accurate. We check in on the analytics and metrics to see how the website is performing.

Notice that “design” is mentioned only once in all of that work.”

– Michael Aleo via Smashing Magazine

Glimpses of Genius, Beauty and Novelty. You Never Knew

• The death of a brand. 15 Words you had no idea used to be brand names.

• Get it right. Is it login or sign in?

• Wanna get your word out? Spread your tweets like wildfire.

• Knowing what do say, and how to say it aren’t enough. How to communicate.

• Ouch! You’re ugly and your mother dresses you funny.

Ahhhhhh. Relax; it’s Custom Built.

Having something made specifically for you can’t compare to anything created for the masses, no matter which way you try to spin it. It’s just that way. 

Some people have been going the cheap route lately when it comes to print and web stuff. We won’t lie- on some level we understand; we’re not exactly in a booming economy, anyway, and we’re finding our own ways to spend smartly. But there’s one thing we refuse to compromise on: quality. 

It’s an overall unfortunate situation, really, because those who go the cheap route are missing a really great opportunity. This is your chance to get ahead- while everyone else is settling for a template, you can bust out with custom built materials. There’s truly no better way to get your customers’ attention. 

We know you know what it feels like. Those shoes you spent a little extra on that are comfortable day in and day out- and have lasted you longer than you ever thought possible. That suit you bought brand new and the store had it specially tailored to fit; you walk tall and proud when you’re wearing it. That computer you saved up for that isn’t crashy, or buggy; you have more confidence in your work because of it. 

Having a website built just for you feels exactly the same. Was your business card created custom? If so, you know you won’t see another one like it in the whole world. It truly represents you, because it was built for you. We may have actually done the work, but it’s your voice behind every syllable, behind every pixel, and behind every backend function. It’s truly unique. 

Honesty is good. Customers believe and trust it. There’s no better way to build a relationship with them than by being yourself. Beyond that, there’s one last thing. When your customers see how much you care about your own business and reputation, they’re receiving a very strong message about how you’ll care for their business and reputation. When actions speak louder than words, custom built is the only way to go.

A Good Example to Follow.

A lot of people do a lot of good things out there. But these interaction designers are doing something we’d like to see more of. They’re going back to high school to teach the young hopeful how to solve problems in their communities. To us, they’re demonstrating the core of interaction design- really getting out there and solving worldly problems. Plopping themselves right in the middle of the puddle- and getting soaking wet.

Maybe you can’t go back to high school to teach your trade, but here is your challenge today. Find a way to reach out to someone else using your knowledge and experience, and give ‘em a boost. It can be as small as complimenting their work, or as big as donating your own time.