Thinking point, Idea searching

It is possible to create a visual concept by process rather than by inspiration. This can be helpful at times when you are under deadline pressure. The technique is to select two or three adjectives from the brief that summarise the experience the client wants from the space. This may be easier than you imagine; clients will often use words such as ‘sanctuary’, ‘warmth’, ‘urban’, ‘natural’ and the like when referring to the feelings they want your finished design to generate, particularly when dealing with a residential project. You can search for images that are strongly suggestive of these adjectives, and create a single unified collage. Generally, you will collect many images and edit them down to those that best illustrate the key adjectives you have chosen.

Finally, these few will be further edited to produce a collage in which each image tells its own story and melds with the others to create a single composition, thus reflecting the story that the client wants the space to tell.

Once you have created the concept, the images can be read to give direction for the decorative scheme. Texture, colour, form and style from the concept can all be echoed in the finishes you select, imbuing the completed scheme with the same sensory experience as the concept.

This concept collage has been created using found images and has been composed in a way that allows pattern, texture and colour to suggest a smart and sophisticated environment. It has been used to generate a scheme for a hotel bar and restaurant, situated by the River thames, overlooking a marina.

Researching concepts

Concepts can take many forms; they may be visual or literary and may be found or created. A concept can be embodied in a story, a photo torn from a newspaper, a collage of images, a poem, a pattern shown on a fragment of used wrapping paper, a page from a scrapbook, or indeed anything that grabs your imagination and provides an anchor, a strong and compelling idea that says everything that you need it to about the project; what it looks like, how it feels, the history that it evokes.

However it is presented, the strongest concepts often make little direct reference to the constituent parts of the project. Rather they are an abstract representation of the ideas of form, texture, colour, style and mood expressed in the brief by the client.

Concepts work by providing a reference point for the designer. All the decisions made during the development of the design that dei ne the look or feel of the space can be checked against the concept. Does the formal, grid-like furniture layout you are contemplating work with the concept? Which furniture fabric strengthens the ideas of sophistication and elegance that the client wants? Check against the concept, and you will have your answer.

Communicating concepts

Some designers like to work in a very abstract way during the first stages of a project, allowing ideas to coalesce about a central idea. Their concept work could be generated in the form of ‘mood (or concept) boards’. Others will have strong ideas from the start, and without getting into detailed planning they may confidently produce ‘concept sketches’ which are not intended to be dei nitive, but which serve to illustrate their first thoughts on how a space might work.

Clients may want to see initial concept work so that they are confident that the design will progress in a direction that they are comfortable with. However, both mood boards and sketches may be very raw, visceral and unfinished. This is exciting and liberating for the designer, but can be confusing for the client. You will need to judge the personality of the client and, if necessary, modify the work before presenting it. Careful line drawings organised into an understandable if tentative and unfinished representation of the space, perhaps with colour added to define form, can be a very evocative and ultimately persuasive tool for the designer. Concept work is not about perfection; it is about capturing and communicating the spirit and character of a space.

Scrapbooks are a very useful way of collating research material, especially if this is visual in nature. Rough working in this way encourages free thinking and helps in the generation of design ideas during later stages of the project

Case study
Concept development

Project Orange responded at short notice to a brief for the ‘Urban Interventions’ exhibition (part of the London Architecture Biennale) to look at how architecture can reinvent and enhance the fabric of the city. Local architectural practices were asked to submit pieces of work, which were then displayed as a ‘collection of road signs and street furniture’. Housed in a disused 1950s shed, the space was painted yellowin order to lead visitors in from the street, the idea being that they create their own road map’ of the exhibition.

The ‘bar code’ floor pattern, derived from the bar code of the Biennale, makes a visual connection between the Biennale and the exhibition as it leads visitors in from the street.

The yellow of the scheme is the same as that used in road markings outside the venue.

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Building and site research

No design for a space should ignore the existing building into which it is being integrated. An understanding of what exists is fundamental to deciding what needs to be done if the space is to fit the functions that will take place there.

When you are creating interiors within newly built structures, there will be a lot of scope to define the look and feel of the interior, but where the interior is placed within an existing building the designer is obliged to understand how the previous life of the building has given the space its character. This feeling of character or history, the spirit of a place, is strengthened by the proportions of the volume and the position of existing building elements such as windows and doorways, all of which will impose a certain sense of order upon the space. The new design can respond to these factors, allowing them to inform the new design. The appreciation of a building ’s history may extend beyond the boundaries of the property to include the local area, the street, the village, the city, where it stands.

None of this means that your design should be a pastiche of the existing style references of the building. The best designs respect the existing building and will reference it in some way in their execution, through materials, methods of construction, craftsmanship, pattern, form and so on.

Concept development

All of the preceding research should bring you to a point where you understand the essential points that will have an impact on the design:

• What structure exists.
• What functions and activities will take place, and how these will be addressed practically (for example, what furniture is required).
• What is possible in the space (and just as importantly, what is not possible, due to time, technical or budget limitations).
• How the space functions and interacts with others around it.
• What emotional response the client wants the space to generate in the user and what aesthetic style is desired.

This is necessary, but for the design to feel considered and complete, rather than being a random collection of elements, there is a need to find a unifying idea that will hold the disparate parts of the design together. This single idea will be one that sets the stylistic tone of the design. It is this single idea that is the concept.

Case study
Researching the existing site

Jonathan Tuckey Design was commissioned to transform this old steel fabrication workshop in London, England, into a family home. The site was chosen because it provided a ‘challenging setting’ for an alternative to typical London housing.

External and internal additions rel ect the sensibilities and aesthetic of the original use, as can be seen in this view to the exterior from the dining area of the i nished project.

The isometric drawing of the project shows how much of the structure remains unchanged.

Very careful consideration was given to the site and former use of this disused metalworker ’s workshop (outlined in white here).

Understanding the project

The first stages of a project are the foundation on which the whole design process will either stand or fall; investing adequate time at this stage is crucial if the project is to have every chance of success. Spending time to make sure that each aspect of the project is properly identified will deepen your understanding of the task ahead, and will open up new avenues for exploration as the design evolves.

Teasing out information from a brief can be a long process and isn’t always fulfilling in itself, but it allows you to research and formulate a concept, and strong concepts (key ideas) are what the most successful projects have at their heart. There are several steps to achieving your goal of understanding the project, from meeting the client and taking a brief from them, to developing a concept. Each step is looked at in more detail in this chapter.

The client

Clients can be anyone from anywhere. A client might just as easily be a company or organisation as an individual. However, as clients, they all have a common need for the services of an interior designer, though the level of understanding of these needs is likely to vary greatly between them.

For some, the decision to engage a professional designer will have been arrived at after a careful appraisal of their circumstances. For others it will be a vague idea that there is likely to be someone (the designer) who can provide better answers to their problem than they would be able to do themselves. Some clients may believe that aesthetics are the main issue and the practical side of their needs may not have featured in their decision to call in the designer at all. For others, practicalities may be the prime consideration, with decorative concerns a secondary issue.

It is for these reasons, and many others, that the designer needs to be able to communicate on many levels with lots of different personality types. From the forthright to the timid, clients need to be understood, treated with respect and made to understand that they are a key element of the design process.

Because you will often be trying to connect with a client on an emotional level, establishing a good rapport is a must. In fact, it is sometimes a more important part of building a good client / designer relationship than being able to provide an extensive curriculum vitae.

Client profile

The client profile is an attempt to understand better who the client is and how they live or work. It is a general overview and while in itself it may not relate directly to the brief that the client has given, it will provide insights that will help you as you develop your design.

In a residential project, the client profile can help you to understand how the space might be used on a daily basis from first thing in the morning until last thing at night, and it may also give some clues as to style preferences of the client. An understanding of the daily routine can be one of the most vital parts of producing a design that works for the client.

For commercial projects, understanding the work practices of the organisation that will ultimately occupy the space is essential. This is another opportunity to look closely at the status quo and determine if the existing work patterns make best use of the space. You may find that they do, or you may be able to challenge these and propose new and better ways of working. Commercial clients often employ designers not just to create comfortable working environments, but as ‘agents of change’ when they know that a new direction will benefit their organisation.

The briefing

The briefing is the first real chance that you will have to get a feel for a project. Some briefs are presented to you by the client as carefully constructed documents that fully convey the scope and detail of the project; other briefs may be little more than a casual chat over a cup of coffee.

Although a written brief is likely to contain a good deal of useful information, quantity by itself does not necessarily mean quality. In 1657, French mathematician, physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, ‘I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter.’ Information that is succinct and relevant is the essence of a successful briefing document. In fact, brevity is often a good thing. If the brief is focussed and clear, it will be easier for the designer to make incisive decisions and to formulate an effective design solution.

Understanding the brief

It is quite reasonable to ask the client to produce a written brief after their initial contact with you, and prior to the briefing meeting. This is a good tactic because it will force the client to carefully consider their request, and it will also make sure that they are serious about the idea of engaging an interior designer. The chance to talk about the writ en brief at a later date will allow both parties to sort out any problems or uncertainties that arise from it. The opportunity for mutual agreement is one that should be made the most of; time spent talking over the brief will give both sides a better understanding of each other’s position and can only have a positive effect on the business relationship.

The more complete the brief, the easier your job should be, but you should remember that you may be dealing with amorphous feelings and ideas about the desired end point of a project, rather than a definitive list of needs. It ’s entirely possible that the ‘brief ’ may consist of the client saying no more than, ‘I just want somewhere that ’s a great place to come back to after a hard day’s work’.

Even if the brief is vague, and whatever the practical requirements of it may be, there will be some constraints that you should try to establish: time and budget available, aesthetic style, the scope of project. Constraints, particularly heavy ones, can actually be good. Try to see them not as limiting the project, but helping to define it. Once you know some of these constraints, you can plan more effectively, discarding options that fall outside the boundaries and concentrating on those options that will fit the brief.

Many projects, whether domestic or commercial, will have more than one individual as the client. You should try to make sure that, whoever has writ en the brief or whoever you have spoken to in your meetings, the final brief has been agreed by everyone who has a stake in the finished project. You also need to take the opportunity at face-to-face meetings to be certain that you and the client understand each other explicitly; what does the client think of when they say ‘contemporary’? Is their understanding of the word the same as yours? This is the time to find out.

Careful consideration has been given to the functions required of this room in the Homewood in Esher, England. The tubular steel leg of the bar folds under the bar top to allow it to pivot back into a wall that also contains storage for other items and a pass-through hatch to the kitchen.

Design analysis

Having met the client and taken a brief, the detailed analysis can begin. You need to be sure that you understand all that the client needs. Sometimes this will have been explicitly stated, at other times you will have to make inferences from the information that you have.

Collecting information

You also have to perform a careful balancing act with the raw information. Your judgement will be crucial in deciding whether the client has actually understood their own needs. Remember that clients have engaged you because they believe that they need a professional, which implies that they are not experts, so some of the assumptions they have made may not be correct and it will be down to you to put them right. If you were to produce a finished design solution where you had managed to ‘tick all the boxes’ they ought to be content with the solution provided. But ‘content’ is not what you should be aiming for. Something extraordinary, even revolutionary, can often only be realised when you don’t simply provide the client with the answer that they think they need. Special things happen when insight leads to turning an idea on its head, or doing something contrary to what the client is expecting, or doing it in a way that hasn’t been done before, will answer the brief in a better, more efficient or more beautiful way. Unusual ideas will need to be thoroughly tested and resolved during the later development stages of the design process to ensure that they really do work, but it ’s these ideas that will yield a delighted client, not just one who is ‘content’.

With the brief, some clients include practical issues that need to be addressed. Others may talk in general, abstract terms about the emotional response that they want their space to trigger. Even if the brief is vague, there will be some constraints that you can establish: time, budget, style and so on. The word ‘constraint’ sounds negative, but you should actively be trying to seek out the constraints present in the brief. Constraints are actually good. You should look at them as a positive force within the design analysis that will help you help you define the scope of the project. When a brief seems complex or daunting, the natural constraints can be some of the first elements that help you see the shape of the project.

This composite image has been produced as part of the research into the site. It consists of several prints that have been roughly collaged together, and in itself provides an evocative sense of the location of the project. It serves as a reference for colour and style.

Question the brief

What is arguably one of the most iconic buildings in the world owes its form and success to an architect who didn’t hesitate to question the brief. The building is Fallingwater, by Frank Lloyd Wright at Bear Run, Pennsylvania, USA.

The client, Edgar J Kaufmann, took Wright to his site at Bear Run where he wanted to build a summer house. With broadleaf trees and rhododendron bushes all around, the site overlooked the river at a point where it cascades over a waterfall. At the same time, Kaufmann also gave Wright a survey of the site which he had commissioned some time earlier. This site survey drawing showed the river towards the northern part of the site, the waterfall, and the hillside to the south of the waterfall. It was clear from the way that the site plan had been laid out that Kaufmann expected to build his house on the hillside south of the river. From this situation, there would be a view of the waterfall

to the north.

However, Wright wasn’t content with this interpretation of the landscape. Instead, without any consultation with the client and using the new technology of reinforced concrete, The proposed a design for the house that integrated it completely into the site by using a cantilever construction to launch the house out over the river, above the waterfall, from the northern hillside. Wright said to Kaufmann ‘I want you to live with the waterfall, not just look at it, but for it to become an integral part of your lives.’ In so doing he created the building for which he is probably best known, and he gave his client an experience of and an involvement with the site far beyond what was originally anticipated.

For one of his most iconic buildings – Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, USA – Frank Lloyd Wright proposed a design that boldly questioned his client’s brief. Rather than situate the house away from the waterfall, he decided to integrate it completely into the site.

Analysing information

It ’s easy to imagine that ‘analysis’ means an intellectual and academic dissection of the data from the brief. This is a factor of most analyses, but it can be a visual exercise as well as a literary one. You are, after all, going to be exploring the aesthetic side of the brief in addition to the practical, and working visually with media such as collage, sketching and photography will help you form links and develop aesthetic ideas in a free and potentially unrestricted way. This style of working is a fast and efficient way for a creative mind to access new ideas as they emerge from the brief, and it connects well with the building and site research that will be looked at later. Ultimately, if you are to produce an effective analysis, you should feel able to work in any way or medium that makes you feel comfortable. This is a skill that may need practice, but it is also a rewarding one that pays dividends

Two well recognised techniques that can help in the process of analysis and evaluation are brainstorming and mind-mapping. Brainstorming is an activity designed to generate a large number of ideas, and is usually undertaken as a group activity, but there is no reason why the principles should not be applied to solo sessions. Four basic rules underpin the process:

- Quantity of ideas is important; more ideas equate toa greater chance of finding an effective solution.

- Ideas are not criticised, at least not in the early stages of the exercise – that can come later when all the ideas have been generated. Ideas that might have some drawbacks could be built on to produce stronger ideas.

- Unusual, of -beat ideas are encouraged. They may suggest radical new ways of solving a problem.

- Ideas can be combined to produce better solutions.

Mind maps are diagrams that are used to visually represent ideas and associations surrounding a central thought or problem. There is no formal method for organising the map, instead it grows organically and allows the designer to arrange and link the information in any way that feels right, though the different points are naturally organised into groups or areas. Pictures, doodles and colour are as much a part of a mind map as are words; imagery helps to reinforce ideas and the visual pattern created is easier for the brain to process and contemplate than a simple list, encouraging subconscious processing of the information at some later point.

Once you are satisfied that you have extracted as much information from the brief as you can, you will have a secure foundation upon which to build your project research, which is detailed in the following sections.

This mind map was created for a refurb project. The visual and non-linear format of mind maps helps the generation of new ideas and enables connections to be seen easily.

The design process

The design process’ is a term that covers a set of operations which, when carefully undertaken by the designer, result in a thoroughly considered and well-crated design solution that meets the needs of the client. The process is not exclusive to interior design and, in one form or another, applies to all i elds of design. Design might be seen as a largely linear activity, with a start point (at which the client makes first contact with the designer), and an end point, when the project has been implemented (that is, constructed or built). However, the reality is that within the process many of the individual tasks are interrelated and highly dependent upon one another, so changes to one element of a design solution will ot en require that earlier parts of the process are revisited and revised as appropriate.

You should try to see the design process as a malleable one where the different tasks are adaptable to the unique nature of each project. The design process is not a standard ‘one size i ts all’ solution, and you will need to develop your understanding of it so that you can see how it might be used to meet the needs of individual projects that you work on.

The design process in action

In the following description of the major parts of the design process, the comments made earlier about its l exibility should be borne in mind; any or all of the actions described here could be adapted to suit individual projects. It will also become clear that the job of a designer actually involves a great deal of general administration work in addition to the design element of a project. When working as part of a large practice, this may not be especially apparent, as job roles will probably be tightly defined. In smaller companies, however, the designer may find themselves deeply involved in all aspects of the process.

Analysis

Analysis is relevant at two related but distinct parts of the project cycle: In the very earliest stages, before in-depth design work takes place, the designer will need to assess the scale and complexity of the project work to be undertaken. This will allow preliminary estimates to be made of the time and resources needed to complete the project, and these will in turn provide a foundation upon which the designer can base a fee proposal. Part of the work at this stage will involve determining the scope of the project and the likely format and content of the presentation, as this will control, to a large degree, the amount of drawings and visuals that are prepared, all of which take time that will need to be charged to the client.

Following this and once the client has agreed to the proposed design work being undertaken to reach the i rst presentation stage, the designer can take an in-depth brief from the client. Initial examination of the brief, allied to a general understanding of the project, will give the designer a starting point for further research. All of this work will lead to the second tranche of analysis, in which the designer is aiming to edit, distil and ultimately make sense of all the information that has been gathered. Some of the information will relate to the practical aspects of the brief, some to the aesthetic, some of which could be contradictory in nature. Over time, the designer will become used to setting priorities and reaching a comfortable compromise with regard to conl icting information. It is very rare to i nd a project that does not need some element of compromise to succeed, but there is never one single way to deal with it. Each project must be looked at on its own merits, and decisions reached that rel ect the unique nature of that project.

Once analysis is complete, conclusions regarding style and content of the project can be summarised by creating a concept. This will then be used to generate ideas and drive the project. Difterent methods of analysis and concept styles are looked at in greater detail in the next chapter.

By following a structure design process and by carefully considering the needs of their client, Project Orange have created a calm and rel ective interior for this house in Suffolk, England

This diagram represents the stages of the design process, though each element can change or be adapted as required by the project. The diagram does not illustrate the relative amounts of work required for each task; again these will be dependent on individual circumstances.

Development

The development stage of the project is one of the most interesting for the designer. It is where the natural talents of most designers i nd their expressive outlet, and where the individual can really make their mark on a project. This is the stage where the needs of the client are taken and transformed into a workable, practical and aesthetic design solution. It is where ideas are generated and given life, where ‘l ights of fancy’ are captured and turned into feasible and stunning reality. The discovery of an idea and the realisation that it can be used and made into something special is exciting, it is an experience that designers live for. It motivates and helps spur the designer on to discover more of what the project holds. Interior design is problem solving on a large and complex scale, but we are also adding the aesthetic touches, the humanising elements, that make interiors appealing and functional on an emotional level.

Development work can sometimes be hard, requiring a great deal of thought and re-working until the result is as perfect as is practicable, but the pleasure and pride that the designer experiences when it goes well are worth the effort.How much development work needs to be undertaken depends very much upon exactly what the client requires from the designer. If the client expects to see ‘concept sketches’ for a project, then only minimal design work may need to be undertaken; just enough basic space planning and the development of a few decorative ideas or motifs, for example, to allow the designer to produce sketch visuals of the proposals. If, however, the client wants to see a fully resolved design solution, then a great deal of development work will be undertaken; space planning, decorative details, and bespoke items will all need to be worked on, and this will generate a much larger number of drawings and supporting work.

During this stage, many different strands of the i nished design will be coming together. Space planning will be a major priority. Taking account of ergonomic needs, the designer will seek to create a balanced and effective furniture layout that meets the functional needs of the user. The designer will be sourcing furniture, i nishes and fabrics which will be chosen for their aesthetic and practical fit with the concept, with space-planning constraints also informing furniture choices. As the decorative scheme begins to take shape, the collection of i nishes will be rei ned and edited.

The design is likely to be quite l uid; changing and evolving while heading towards a fully resolved i nale. Being open to change is one of the best qualities a designer can have. It is by being open and seeing where the development process leads that unique breakthroughs in the design can be made.

Whatever form ideas may take, get ing them out of your head and on to paper is crucial to being able to see the issues clearly. It is not enough to try to ‘think things through’ and then create a drawing to record a i nished idea, as almost no one is gifted enough to be able to foresee a fully resolved and articulated design. Instead, it is through the act of drawing itself that issues are identified and resolved. This is such an important point for the novice designer to grasp: drawings are not made simply to record an idea or detail that has already been formulated in the designer’ s mind. Instead, making drawings is a process of ‘thinking on paper’. Drawing is crucial to the development of a design, an extremely powerful tool in the designer’ s arsenal. Sketching and hand drawing play a part in the lives of almost all designers, even those who use computers on a daily basis to turn their ideas into the drawings used for construction purposes.

Quick sketches and formal technical drawings are used in conjunction to conceive new ideas and examine their impact on the scheme. Plans are usually the i rst technical drawings to be made, but as soon as the i rst planning options are being explored, the designer should be thinking in three dimensions, so elevations, sections or perspective sketches will follow to show other aspects of the space. Drawing is an excellent way of comparing alternatives, of seeing different options side by side.

After the project has been presented to the client, and the client has approved the work to date, further drawing will be needed to progress the project. These drawings, done in more detail than those for the presentation, will be sent out to tender to allow accurate quotes to be given by potential contractors. They will highlight what work needs to be done to the space and, where necessary, will show constructional details, thus ensuring that the designer’ s vision for the project is realised by the contractors as intended.

It should be said that, while the designer is always aiming to provide the best solution possible, that solution is almost certainly going to include compromises. At the very least, there will be competing, if not conl icting, needs and wants in almost every design brief. It is the job of the designer to make judgements and to prioritise. In some situations, it will be the practical that is the most appropriate, in others the aesthetic will win. You will be able to make these judgements having referred to your design analysis and concept.

Two quick but considered perspective sketches by Mark Humphrey that have been drawn to help visualise different aspects of an interior.

Another sketch by Mark Humphrey that attempts to rationalise his ideas for a DJ booth at a London club. h is simple sketch embodies the essence of the concept, and will be developed further through accurate working drawings that will provide a fabricator with all the information needed to create the piece for real.

Development

The development stage of the project is one of the most interesting for the designer. It is where the natural talents of most designers i nd their expressive outlet, and where the individual can really make their mark on a project. This is the stage where the needs of the client are taken and transformed into a workable, practical and aesthetic design solution. It is where ideas are generated and given life, where ‘l ights of fancy’ are captured and turned into feasible and stunning reality. The discovery of an idea and the realisation that it can be used and made into something special is exciting, it is an experience that designers live for. It motivates and helps spur the designer on to discover more of what the project holds. Interior design is problem solving on a large and complex scale, but we are also adding the aesthetic touches, the humanising elements, that make interiors appealing and functional on an emotional level.

Development work can sometimes be hard, requiring a great deal of thought and re-working until the result is as perfect as is practicable, but the pleasure and pride that the designer experiences when it goes well are worth the effort.How much development work needs to be undertaken depends very much upon exactly what the client requires from the designer. If the client expects to see ‘concept sketches’ for a project, then only minimal design work may need to be undertaken; just enough basic space planning and the development of a few decorative ideas or motifs, for example, to allow the designer to produce sketch visuals of the proposals. If, however, the client wants to see a fully resolved design solution, then a great deal of development work will be undertaken; space planning, decorative details, and bespoke items will all need to be worked on, and this will generate a much larger number of drawings and supporting work.

During this stage, many different strands of the i nished design will be coming together. Space planning will be a major priority. Taking account of ergonomic needs, the designer will seek to create a balanced and effective furniture layout that meets the functional needs of the user. The designer will be sourcing furniture, i nishes and fabrics which will be chosen for their aesthetic and practical fit with the concept, with space-planning constraints also informing furniture choices. As the decorative scheme begins to take shape, the collection of i nishes will be rei ned and edited.

The design is likely to be quite l uid; changing and evolving while heading towards a fully resolved i nale. Being open to change is one of the best qualities a designer can have. It is by being open and seeing where the development process leads that unique breakthroughs in the design can be made.

Whatever form ideas may take, get ing them out of your head and on to paper is crucial to being able to see the issues clearly. It is not enough to try to ‘think things through’ and then create a drawing to record a i nished idea, as almost no one is gifted enough to be able to foresee a fully resolved and articulated design. Instead, it is through the act of drawing itself that issues are identified and resolved. This is such an important point for the novice designer to grasp: drawings are not made simply to record an idea or detail that has already been formulated in the designer’ s mind. Instead, making drawings is a process of ‘thinking on paper’. Drawing is crucial to the development of a design, an extremely powerful tool in the designer’ s arsenal. Sketching and hand drawing play a part in the lives of almost all designers, even those who use computers on a daily basis to turn their ideas into the drawings used for construction purposes.

Quick sketches and formal technical drawings are used in conjunction to conceive new ideas and examine their impact on the scheme. Plans are usually the i rst technical drawings to be made, but as soon as the i rst planning options are being explored, the designer should be thinking in three dimensions, so elevations, sections or perspective sketches will follow to show other aspects of the space. Drawing is an excellent way of comparing alternatives, of seeing different options side by side.

After the project has been presented to the client, and the client has approved the work to date, further drawing will be needed to progress the project. These drawings, done in more detail than those for the presentation, will be sent out to tender to allow accurate quotes to be given by potential contractors. They will highlight what work needs to be done to the space and, where necessary, will show constructional details, thus ensuring that the designer’ s vision for the project is realised by the contractors as intended.

It should be said that, while the designer is always aiming to provide the best solution possible, that solution is almost certainly going to include compromises. At the very least, there will be competing, if not conl icting, needs and wants in almost every design brief. It is the job of the designer to make judgements and to prioritise. In some situations, it will be the practical that is the most appropriate, in others the aesthetic will win. You will be able to make these judgements having referred to your design analysis and concept.

Implementation

After all the design work has been agreed and signed off by the client, implementation can begin. Once contractors have been engaged to carry out the work, the involvement of the designer could be minimal, with a number of site visits to check that work is being accomplished as intended. The designer could, on the other hand, be involved in a very hands-on supervisory role. In some countries, depending on the depth of training that the designer has undertaken, legislation may limit their involvement with the implementation process. The term ‘project management’ is sometimes restricted to those who have undertaken specii c training in that subject, so the designer may i nd legal limitations on what they are able to contribute to this part of the process.

Even if this is the case, it is likely that the designer ’s input will be required to resolve some of the issues that are bound to arise as the implementation progresses. A good relationship with contractors and others involved in the project will be a great help, and this can in part be achieved by proving that you understand some of the problems that may arise during the implementation phase. Knowledge of building practice, materials and their limitations, and local building regulations, will all give the designer credibility with those in the building trade. Neat, legible and complete drawings are vital in communicating with the construction team. As part of the development stage, you will have tried to anticipate all the drawings that will be required for the various trades involved with the project to accurately interpret your instructions. This may well be a much greater number of drawings than was needed to communicate your design proposals to the client. Even at the implementation stage it may be necessary to create new drawings to deal with some of the unexpected and unforeseen situations that arise.

Long-term professional relationships with tradespeople are otfen forged by designers, with the same contractors being used time and time again for their projects. The trust that is built up in this way can be very helpful to the easy running of the project, allowing for a more eficient workl ow because of the familiarity that exists with the designer ’s ways of working. Good workmen will trust and respect the designer ’s judgement, even if this means working outside of their experience, but this trust can take time to mature. If contractors are not known to the designer, then it is especially important that the designer maintains a professional attitude at all times. All drawings must be thorough and complete. Decisions made and changes agreed need to be fully documented and recorded, as disagreements could be costly and cause friction between the parties involved.

During the construction phase, the implications of some of the decisions made by the designer will become apparent. A new extension to this property to house the kitchen requires the demolition of existing walls and the introduction of extra support in the form of steel joists; a relatively easy idea to propose, but quite daunting to see put into practice.

Evaluation

It is healthy for a designer to constantly question the chain of decisions that have been taken to that point, and to maintain a self-critical attitude towards everything throughout the life of a project. Before reaching the implementation stage, revising work that has already been done can be a healthy way to work.From the client ’s point of view, the design process is usually considered complete after the implementation stage, but the designer should also evaluate the project in an ef ort to learn from it. A time of rel ection will be valuable immediately after the design has been delivered, as lessons learned during the process will still be fresh in the mind, and it is good practice to revisit the project after an appropriate period has elapsed (say six months or a year), as lessons which become apparent only after a space has been occupied and is functional can be learned. While it may or may not be possible to rectify any shortcomings that are identii ed on an individual project at this stage, the knowledge acquired can be fed into subsequent projects.

Whatever the extent of the work undertaken to try to visualise the i nished outcome of the project during the design development, there will be some instances where you can only properly judge some of your aesthetic decisions as the project is implemented. Although it may be possible to make changes at this stage, there will almost certainly be cost implications. It may be more appropriate to simply learn the lesson for next time, but take no action on site.

The importance of drawing

Drawing is an activity that you may well not have taken part in for some time before coming to design training. It can, therefore, by very intimidating, but you need to understand that you don’t need to be an accomplished artist in order to be a good designer. What you do need is a willingness to commit ideas to paper and to not be afraid of what others might think of your drawing abilities. Experienced designers do not judge the quality of the sketch, they judge the idea that the sketch is expressing. Formal, accurate, technical drawings (plans, elevations, sections, for example) are created on the drawing board or on the computer, and the techniques for producing them are skills that most people can learn. Sketches, on the other hand, are freehand drawings that can be rough, immediate and expressive, or more carefully executed. However they are arrived at, sketches exist to quickly capture and communicate ideas; they are not necessarily meant to be beautiful representational drawings.

This sketchbook shows rough ideas that have been captured very quickly. The sketchbook has been used as a notebook, and the ideas shown will be looked at and further developed later on. Most designers will keep at least one sketchbook close at hand almost all the time so that they can easily record ideas that occur to them.

This spontaneous but considered freehand perspective drawing was created in the presence of the client in order to expand upon ideas shown in formal presentation drawings. These types of sketches are invaluable for answering questions that clients pose during presentation.

A rendered plan showing a bedroom and bathroom coni guration at an hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia. Drawings such as this will help the designer to develop the concept into a workable design solution and will form the basis of the presentation to the client, but further drawings will have to be made to aid the implementation.

Professional practice

‘Professional practice’ is a term that covers the personal qualities and business procedures of the individual designer, and also the framework of regulation that the designer is subject to while working. The latter falls outside the scope of this book, as the laws that govern design work vary considerably from country to country, and are frequently subject to change. Some basic and universal business practices are, however, worth looking at.

What makes a good designer?

Designers are creative people, and being organised does not always come naturally to a creative personality. It is, however, a trait that all designers would do well to cultivate, as there is so much more to the business of design than just designing. Being organised is probably the most important facet of a professional attitude, though not the only one. For those who get involved in the full range of tasks associated with the day-to-day operation of a design practice, it could be that they will spend no more than 20 per cent of their time actively pursuing the development of a design. The other 80 per cent can easily be taken up by the mundane side of running a business: administration, i ling, letter writing, travelling and so on.

Allied to good organisation skills is good time management. Because interior design is a subject that it is easy to be passionate about, it is also one where it is easy to spend a disproportionate amount of time on the design work, to the detriment of other tasks that need to be undertaken if a project is to be completed successfully. To help with this, one of the i rst things to be done on a project is to create a project plan that shows the tasks that need to be addressed in order to successfully complete the project. Probably the most useful way of visualising the project plan is in the form of a Gantt chart; a horizontal bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Strictly speaking, a true Gantt chart shows the outcomes of a project, and not the actions that will be undertaken to reach those outcomes, but for most designers this distinction is academic, and can be ignored. Software, including free open-source programs, are available to help produce project plans.

How designers should charge for their services is one of the questions that new designers are usually anxious about. Over time, three main models for charging (with many variations on them) have appeared and can be summarised as:

- Charging a percentage of the overall project value.
- Charging only for items supplied by the designer (such as furniture) with a mark-up fee.
- Charging a design fee based on an assessment or projection of hours worked on the project.

Arguably the most appropriate method of charging is that which sees the designer charging a design fee. This means that the client can see what is being paid for directly, without fees being ‘hidden’ in other charges, as is the case when a mark-up is added to goods supplied. It also means that payment is made within a reasonable amount of time of the work being done, and that i nancial commitments on the client are kept to a minimum as charges for each stage of the project are agreed before work is undertaken. However the designer decides to charge, an open and transparent system will be to the benefit of all.

While it is helpful if the relationship between designer and client is a friendly one, it is important that there is a written contract or form of appointment between both parties for the legal protection of both sides. This will dei ne the type of services provided and their scope, the fee structure, dispute resolution, copyright issues, and what is expected of both designer and client. Trade associations in many countries will have standard documents that can be used in these cases, but even if this is not so, contracts can be drawn up with the assistance of a professional that will protect the interests of all concerned.

Designers should realise that they are not alone when undertaking a project. Other professionals can be brought in as required to add their expertise to the project. Structural engineers, surveyors, quantity surveyors and project managers are examples of such professionals, and they can all help make a project feasible and deliverable to the client. The interior designer may still be the prime contact between client and project if they were approached i rst by the client, with each of the others reporting to the designer.

This project timetable is presented in the form of a Gantt chart and shows the key stages of the life of a project. Gantt charts are a very good way of showing the various tasks or stages, and how long each will last, though they cannot show the relative amount of work required to complete each stage

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