Why Working Remotely With Clients May Become a Business Essential
Design pros share how they’ve adapted to connecting with clients virtually, and why they’ll keep it up
When the pandemic hit and sheltering-in-place orders went into effect across the country, many design pros quickly pivoted to virtual services to keep their existing projects moving forward while eliminating or reducing in-person contact. Now, as business begins to return to normal, these pros say they don’t plan to stop working virtually with their clients anytime soon. In fact, the Houzz architects, interior designers and other design pros we spoke with see virtual design as an integral part of their future business. Read on to hear their thoughts on working remotely with clients.
Clients Are On Board
All of the pros we spoke with said clients have been eager to make progress on their projects and have been understanding of the circumstances that require remote collaboration. “Everyone I have worked with is just open to ‘whatever is best.’ As always, I think communication is key,” Ice-Burris says. “Whether it is email, text, FaceTime or a virtual meeting, making sure our clients are informed makes everyone happy. Having systems in place to follow also ensures that our clients know the next step and we have a road map as well.”
Gianna Marzella, principal designer at Gia Mar Interiors in New York, echoes this sentiment. “I think they are pleased that our work can continue while social distancing remains in place in our region.”
Kate Roos, a kitchen and bath designer based in Minneapolis, says her clients have been more than understanding. “My clients have loved this option. Most of them do not want to meet in person, for obvious health concerns, and most of them are remotely meeting for work, so there has been very little coaching needed,” she says.
In some instances, virtual design has led to better collaboration between the designer and client. “Most decisions can be made remotely in the design process with the aid of computers and phones,” Ice-Burris says. “In some ways this has helped clients to lean in to the design process and trust their design team. We have found clients are eager to do that, and face-to-face meetings are rarely needed.”
Carl Mattison, a design-build pro in Atlanta, notes that he’s been able to better collaborate with some couples through remote meetings. “Often if there is a couple working on a home design or renovation, they stay in two separate rooms and each logs in to the virtual meeting separately. This gives me the chance to actually see each of their faces and expressions without the other being right next to them.… I feel this allows each party a super honest approach to their responses.”
Designers say they feel clients have come to appreciate the convenience of virtual design meetings and that they expect to see more requests for them in the future. “It is here to stay,” Florida-based interior designer Maite Granda says. “It was very functional before COVID-19, even for local clients, because they avoid traveling to our office to view a presentation that they can see from the comfort of their home, without having to deal with traffic or hectic schedules. The entire family gets to participate in the presentation, and interacting is very easy.”
All of the pros we spoke with said clients have been eager to make progress on their projects and have been understanding of the circumstances that require remote collaboration. “Everyone I have worked with is just open to ‘whatever is best.’ As always, I think communication is key,” Ice-Burris says. “Whether it is email, text, FaceTime or a virtual meeting, making sure our clients are informed makes everyone happy. Having systems in place to follow also ensures that our clients know the next step and we have a road map as well.”
Gianna Marzella, principal designer at Gia Mar Interiors in New York, echoes this sentiment. “I think they are pleased that our work can continue while social distancing remains in place in our region.”
Kate Roos, a kitchen and bath designer based in Minneapolis, says her clients have been more than understanding. “My clients have loved this option. Most of them do not want to meet in person, for obvious health concerns, and most of them are remotely meeting for work, so there has been very little coaching needed,” she says.
In some instances, virtual design has led to better collaboration between the designer and client. “Most decisions can be made remotely in the design process with the aid of computers and phones,” Ice-Burris says. “In some ways this has helped clients to lean in to the design process and trust their design team. We have found clients are eager to do that, and face-to-face meetings are rarely needed.”
Carl Mattison, a design-build pro in Atlanta, notes that he’s been able to better collaborate with some couples through remote meetings. “Often if there is a couple working on a home design or renovation, they stay in two separate rooms and each logs in to the virtual meeting separately. This gives me the chance to actually see each of their faces and expressions without the other being right next to them.… I feel this allows each party a super honest approach to their responses.”
Designers say they feel clients have come to appreciate the convenience of virtual design meetings and that they expect to see more requests for them in the future. “It is here to stay,” Florida-based interior designer Maite Granda says. “It was very functional before COVID-19, even for local clients, because they avoid traveling to our office to view a presentation that they can see from the comfort of their home, without having to deal with traffic or hectic schedules. The entire family gets to participate in the presentation, and interacting is very easy.”
It Integrates Well With Other Virtual Tools They’re Using
Pros already collaborate virtually with their clients using digital plans, models, mood boards and ideabooks. The ability to share screens, draw digitally and collaborate in real time during virtual meetings enables pros to effectively use these tools in tandem.
“My process when I work remotely is very similar to when I work directly with clients. I will have my clients screen-share their notes, sketches and inspiration images, usually Houzz ideabooks. I will screen-share my sketches as well,” Nelson says. “I had a virtual meeting with a new client yesterday, and we were able to screen-share her Houzz ideabooks for inspiration. The client screen-shared her sketches, and I was able to draw a conceptual floor plan with her through screen sharing.”
In some instances, virtual meetings have made it easier to focus in on detailed drawings and photos. “We are meeting regularly with clients on Zoom to review the progress of drawings, where I can share my screen and direct them to aspects of the design very precisely,” English says.
Pros already collaborate virtually with their clients using digital plans, models, mood boards and ideabooks. The ability to share screens, draw digitally and collaborate in real time during virtual meetings enables pros to effectively use these tools in tandem.
“My process when I work remotely is very similar to when I work directly with clients. I will have my clients screen-share their notes, sketches and inspiration images, usually Houzz ideabooks. I will screen-share my sketches as well,” Nelson says. “I had a virtual meeting with a new client yesterday, and we were able to screen-share her Houzz ideabooks for inspiration. The client screen-shared her sketches, and I was able to draw a conceptual floor plan with her through screen sharing.”
In some instances, virtual meetings have made it easier to focus in on detailed drawings and photos. “We are meeting regularly with clients on Zoom to review the progress of drawings, where I can share my screen and direct them to aspects of the design very precisely,” English says.
It Opens the Door to a New Client Base
Houzz pros see virtual design as an opportunity to market to and attract a wider clientele. “Virtual services have always played a role but will play a larger one going forward,” Ice-Burris says. “We will likely integrate virtual meetings into our marketing for future clients if they prefer this option.”
Barbara Schwarz, an interior designer in Los Angeles, sees virtual design packages as opportunities to supplement her larger design projects. “I am planning on having three different time consulting packages with blocks of time in a flat fee that can be prepaid and purchased from my website,” she says. “For larger virtual projects like kitchen, bathroom or remodels, I think I will use a flat design fee but base it on the size of the scope and not a package situation. I will do my shopping list and bill through Ivy software, which I have been using almost since it started.”
Larisa Barton of Soeur Interiors in New York is also working on virtual packages for clients. “Since COVID-19,” she says, “I made a note to create a virtual package that offers floor plans, mood concepts and realistic renderings for the client to be comfortable and confident with the design process.”
More for Pros on Houzz
See more from our Resilience series
Learn about Houzz Pro business software
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Houzz pros see virtual design as an opportunity to market to and attract a wider clientele. “Virtual services have always played a role but will play a larger one going forward,” Ice-Burris says. “We will likely integrate virtual meetings into our marketing for future clients if they prefer this option.”
Barbara Schwarz, an interior designer in Los Angeles, sees virtual design packages as opportunities to supplement her larger design projects. “I am planning on having three different time consulting packages with blocks of time in a flat fee that can be prepaid and purchased from my website,” she says. “For larger virtual projects like kitchen, bathroom or remodels, I think I will use a flat design fee but base it on the size of the scope and not a package situation. I will do my shopping list and bill through Ivy software, which I have been using almost since it started.”
Larisa Barton of Soeur Interiors in New York is also working on virtual packages for clients. “Since COVID-19,” she says, “I made a note to create a virtual package that offers floor plans, mood concepts and realistic renderings for the client to be comfortable and confident with the design process.”
More for Pros on Houzz
See more from our Resilience series
Learn about Houzz Pro business software
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Much of a remodeling or redecorating project, such as the construction work and installation, needs to be done in person, of course. But Houzz design pros have discovered that virtual meetings for reviewing drawings, discussing inspiration shots and going over the design processes are extremely efficient. Instead of finding a time for both parties to get together to review one computer screen together, the team can share their screens remotely and collaborate just as effectively. “I think everyone is enjoying less time in the car commuting,” says Karen Ice-Burris, owner and principal of Ice Interior Design in Austin, Texas, who has expanded her firm’s virtual offerings since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
”I am surprised [by] how useful they are,” says Mark English, principal architect of Mark English Architects in San Francisco, which began offering virtual services for the first time during the pandemic. “We will actually continue even after we are able to return to the possibility of face-to-face meetings. We have found [virtual conferences to be] very efficient, since our clients are less distracted by the drive, the search for parking, the traffic or other stimuli.”
For some clients, time saved by the designer also means money saved. “We bill hourly for our work. It is actually a cost savings to our clients because they are not paying for travel for us,” says Dana Webber, principal architect at Dana Webber Design Group on Bainbridge Island in Washington. The firm has long offered virtual services to clients who are out of town or don’t want to make the trip to the firm’s office.
Pros admit that it took some time to get used to virtual meetings, but patience, improved office setups and the expanded use of virtual tools in daily life have led to a smooth, easy process overall. At Designs Northwest Architects in Seattle, principal architect Dan Nelson has even optimized his firm’s configuration for virtual meetings. “It has also led us to set up our physical office with Zoom capabilities. We have a camera in our conference room and each staff member will have access to our Zoom account from their workstations.” he says. “Rather than drive to our office for meetings, I anticipate that a lot of our clients will want to meet remotely to save on time and energy.”