The Designer's Designer. (How we all lean on and learn from each other)
- aodesign11
- Oct 21
- 3 min read
Who is the ultimate designer's designer? It's kind of a trick question really and could be widely debated if you examine everyone who has passed this way before us. But, in a nutshell... the Designer's Designer is one that is working to continually learn from their peers.... those designer's who give back to their own design community... and those who strive to pool all of their wisdom so that they can serve their clients as best as possible, thus providing clients with a tangible outcome of undisputed value. Networking, continued education seminars, and Trade only events are critical. This is EVERY experienced designer.
Interior Designers learn hardest and fastest when they "flock together" (birds of a feather). In an industry where products, codes and procedures are CONSTANTLY changing from job sites to showrooms, as a designer, it is absolutely critical to be constantly absorbing as much info as humanly possible in real time. The real gemstone here is the act of sharing trade secrets, trade experiences and stories of magnanimous trials and pivotal tribulations. How can clients be best served? We talk about and educate each other on all of these things on a national, international and local spectrum.
Product changes / availability, tariff implementation / impact (hot topic)... manufacturing shifts among suppliers, industry shipping changes, lead time and packaging practices... terms and conditions for purchasing, manufacturing material sourcing and product performance. We expose these things to one another to save ourselves and our clients time, money and potential headache. How are we offering value to the client? How do we put our best foot forward for continued project efficiency? How are we best able to make sure that project dollars are best spent where it absolutely matters most? These are topics constantly on loop in our heads.
Interior Design culture is one that truly embraces opportunity and celebrates the large and small successes and victories that flow from one designer to another. The world is filled with potentially endless client relationship opportunities and certainly, equally endless creative design style mashups. This culture forms the groundwork for exploring new avenues in design and continually opens new doors for customization, new products and solutions for unique client situations. Afterall, if no two people in this world are exactly the same... how is it that they should all require the same design solutions? These opportunities and resources are known to be available to vetted, qualified members of the design community only. (For good reason, as we are viewed as trusted partners that are able to make important decisions that require experience and knowledge of product, performance and implementation at large). And for these reasons, manufacturers will often lean on designers to help them develop their products beyond what had been previously imagined! Exciting new frontiers where anything is possible!
The design trade has it's own language, code of conduct and expectations. The Interior Design community is rooted in education, experience, creativity and professionalism. The designer is able to delight a client's senses, protect their best interests and provide best-case deliverables and outcomes. Knowing that Design projects come in all sizes, big and small... and that every client is important no matter the scope of work... how fascinating is it to know that designers are able to offer/provide these products, resources and services to anyone who may be in any stage of the process! The majority of this success comes from being a Designer's Designer... being plugged in to the community and it's events.
There are so many resources in the form of relationships and combined knowledge to treasure in the design community! Another reason why your Interior Designer might be a super-cool and interesting human! Ha ha!
~ A.O.
Comments