The job began with a call asking for a bid. When I asked the client if he had a design, he said “No. The site has so many limitations there is not much I can do with it. I don’t want to waste money on a design when the solution is obvious.” This is a sentiment that leads many people to feel that design is a waste of money. Why indeed should anyone pay money to be told to do the obvious?

The reason for this perception is that the ideas we can’t imagine appear nonexistent, creating a state of blissful ignorance of better ideas we can’t see. A key value a good designer brings is the ability to show you possibilities you cannot currently see.

I suggested that it would be highly beneficial to have me review his ideas before spending tens of thousands installing them when there might well be ideas he would like much better than his current plan.

About 50% of clients in this situation say, "No." They don’t want to pay me to review their ideas or create a design. This is the end of the relationship for me. I want to work with clients that understand how much they don’t know because only then will I be able to easily share my expertise and help them by putting it to good use. I’ve spent twenty years developing the ability to spot areas of unnecessary waste, problems with maintenance and comfortable living, as well as ways to improve a home’s resale value and aesthetic appeal. I consider it to be my most valuable asset along with my willingness to take a design all the way through the installation process on time and on budget.

This client was one of the 50% in a call like this that said, "Yes." We met at his house the next day after work and he showed me what he had in mind.

I saw immediately that he had not considered any of the ideas that would really change the site for the better. He loved the ideas I suggested so much that he asked me to come back again for another meeting to refine them and go over costs.

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