Providing answers to questions like these will give your designer a good starting point and a clearer picture of your needs and wants. While browsing The Designer Network, make notes of the designers that appeal to you and your specific design project. After you’ve found your prospective designers it is time to make a connection. Step 3: Interview the Designers Overall, look for educated and accredited interior designers who can demonstrate their creativity and talent. The more input you provide, the easier it becomes for an interior designer to respond with additional ideas and to create spaces that will meet your aesthetic, functional and budgetary goals.
Step 1: Define Your Design Project
When deciding to work with an interior designer the most important element is communication. Before contacting an interior designer, spend some time to define what you want and what you need. Consider the following questions that an interior designer might ask you regarding your future design project:
• What type of activities will take place there?
• How long do you plan to occupy the space?
• What is your budget?
• Is this a remodel, redesign, or new construction?
• What mood do you want to set?
• What is the most important element of this new design?
You may want to also use pictures and images of other environments that reflect your vision and functional criteria.
Step 2: Browse The Designer Network
Now that you have defined your needs and wants, it’s time to find the interior designer that’s right for you. The Directory has been created to provide you with everything you need to discover and pre-screen designers based on the following information:
• Years of experience
• Services offered
• Specialties and areas of focus
• Educational background
• Credentials and affiliations
• Merits and Awards
• Publications
• Sample photos of their completed work
• And access to their personal website
Once you have found a few designers who meet your requirements, it’s important to become familiar with their different personalities, styles and business methods. When contacting the designers, take this opportunity to acquaint the designer with your project ideas.
Keep in mind you will be working closely with the designer and you will want someone that you feel will make good choices and suggestions according to your specifications. You want a designer who will listen to your ideas and concerns.
During an interview, you may want to further discuss the following:
• Ask about other services the designer can provide and what can be done to help you optimize your understanding of the cost of the project.
• Discuss project duration or deadlines and what the designer’s availability is for taking on the project within the desired timetable.
• Establish parameters for updates and on-going communication between you and the interior designer.
• Discuss the designer’s fee structure.
Step 4: Hire a Designer
Once you’ve interviewed several designers, take some time to compare their estimates, personalities, and experience. But don’t base your decision on price alone. Understand that differences in each proposal reflect variables such as the level of service and quality of merchandise the designer is planning to use. After the designer is hired, you need to address specific project needs and goals. You will share ideas and the designer will lend insights and observations to your ideas to identify the overall scope of the project. During this process, your design professional will:
• articulate your ideas, and
• help you to visualize the finished product.
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