How to Communicate with Your Designer

What’s the secret to a successful relationship? This question has been asked countless times, and one of the top answers from people in all types of relationships, from romantic to friendship to business, is effective communication. Would you agree?

At Styleberry, we wholeheartedly do. After working with so many clients, we’ve streamlined our communication systems, gathering the precise information we need from you & keeping the lines of communication open throughout your project. It’s honestly a well-oiled machine at this point!

Today, we’ll look at what you should (and shouldn’t!) share with your designer, how to communicate your vision if you’re also a creative, & the systems we have in place to keep us in close contact.

What Your Designer Wants You to Communicate

When we say that we can’t wait to get to know you, we really mean it! Getting to know you (& not just the surface-level details) is essential to our design process as your needs, preferences, interests, routines, etc. will drive your design. Here’s what we’ll want to know from you…

Notes on our Questionnaire

Our questionnaire is extensive, and every question is important! The tiniest detail you share may impact the decisions we make for your home, & our hope is that you’ll answer each question with thought & care. The more thorough your responses, the better insight we’ll have about you & for you.

Favorite Places

It may seem irrelevant, since we’re designing your home’s interior, but we want to know about the places you love outside of your home. What cities speak to you? What are your favorite hotels or restaurants? Are there places in general that you feel at home? If you have pictures of particular locations you love, even better!

Loves & Dislikes

Feel free to create a list for each. Of course, we want to know your favorite (& least favorite) colors, but don’t stop there. Do you love a certain texture? Type of weather? Type of plant? Include it all, & be specific!

Visual Inspiration

You were expecting this one, right? Visuals are incredibly helpful to us, so go ahead and hop onto Pinterest & start pinning rooms that feel good. Not a Pinterest fan? No problem – screenshots that we can drop into a Google Doc are fine. And don’t worry if you have an excessive amount of inspo pics or can’t pinpoint exactly what you like about the images. We can usually pick up on patterns easily.

It’s also helpful for us to see specific details that you do not like, so feel free to make notations on your images. We want to know what hits you wrong, as it also helps us guide the style.

Note: If this feels overwhelming, please do not worry. Many of our clients are busy working women who are experts in their fields, & they do not have time to go looking for endless inspiration. Totally fine! We will help guide you when the time comes.

A Beloved Piece

Do you have something that you really want to incorporate? A favorite piece of art from your travels, an heirloom sideboard, etc.? Bring it to us. We love incorporating meaningful pieces into our clients’ designs, but keep in mind that sometimes the scale or function may not be a fit for your space. We’ll give you our honest opinion.

What to Avoid when Communicating with Your Designer

I can tell you that for the most part, our clients are pros at sharing their preferences, accepting our guidance, & trusting our expertise. But occasionally, miscommunication can throw a wrench into the success of your design. Here’s what to avoid to ensure the smoothest process…

Indecisiveness 

There is no magic window into your head or your heart – you have to know what you like & do not like. Changing your mind changes literally everything, so please be clear up front.

Well-Intentioned Dishonesty

Please, tell us if you don’t like something about your design! This is business, not personal, and I promise you will not hurt our feelings. We know we create beautiful work. Sometimes, that work isn’t to your taste. We try very hard to gather all the data to make sure we understand what you like, & we need to know when it doesn’t land so we can make adjustments.

Distrusting Our Ballpark Estimates

We’ve been in this business long enough to know what it takes to achieve the designs we create, and we’re clear up front with a ballpark on the overall investment needed before we take on projects. As we move through the process & share the Good, Better & Best options, we’ll also share if the Best you are requesting will likely be over your budget. If you want to see it anyway, know that your project will be on the higher end of the ballpark estimate or beyond.

What if You’re a Fellow Creative with a LOT to Share?

If you’re a creative, too, we’re most certainly kindred spirits. Working with creative clients is inspiring and so much fun, but occasional snags can occur when we don’t have clear lanes.

Often, creatives have a vision & bring specific materials to our conversations. We love seeing what you love, but it’s important to keep in mind that if you select even one material, it will drive the entire design. Everything will have to be balanced around that specific shape, texture, color & scale. 

It’s quite the domino effect! 

For that reason, we encourage our clients to bring us visions, but not specifics. We also recommend not getting too attached to one particular element in case it simply doesn’t translate into a perfect match for your space.

Please note (in a kind, gentle way), that even if a client is creative and amazing in their field of work, it’s just not the same as being an interior designer with over a decade of hands-on experience. 

We’re the experts at what we do, & when you offer us clear preferences and your full trust… Well, that’s when the magic happens. That’s when we can let the creative possibilities run wild. When we’re not forced to fit the design into a predetermined box, we may come up with something even better than you could have dreamed up!

How We Streamline the Communication Process

I know, it can feel like a lot of information to share when you get started with us. But do your homework, give us as many details as possible, offer clear & honest feedback when we present the ideas on the table, and trust us to do what we do best — & you’ll be amazed at the results. 

On our side, we love to communicate clearly during your design process, too. 

We use a variety of tech tools to organize & review your information, making a “library” of sorts for each individual project. We use both synchronous and asynchronous methods for us to connect throughout the design process, including ongoing Google Doc communication, Loom video check-in reviews, Zoom check-ins, & more.

If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry! When we begin working together, we’ll introduce you to the systems we have in place to share information. We aim to make communication simple and smooth for you — & we’re always here to answer your questions and support you.

A Strong Foundation of Effective Communication

Bottom line? The very best thing you can do is communicate well, trust us & keep an open mind. Our process is tried and true. And when we build a strong foundation with constructive communication, your design will speak for itself: deeply personal and full of details reflecting what you love.

That’s what it’s all about. & I firmly believe that getting to a finish line that’s incredible and meaningful and breathtaking begins with us learning everything we can about you. So, trust the process – it works!
Feeling ready to get started? Reach out to us here. We can’t wait to meet you!

Xoxo,
Shawna