On the new Ask Us Anything podcast, editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen taps former Trade Tales guests to answer real, confidential designer questions, offering a safe space to discuss business frustrations, conundrums and fears. (Have a question of your own to ask? Send an email to start the conversation.)
Samples, swatches and mood boards are the basic ingredients in any design presentation. But how can a designer use that early moment in the design process to offer clients a one-of-a-kind experience that makes them feel truly seen? This week, Dane Austin joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who already knows the fundamentals of presenting design ideas but is looking for advice on how to take her strategy a step further, painting a picture that sells her vision to her clients with style and sophistication.
The Boston-based designer jumps in with advice on bringing a theatrical edge to big-picture design planning; physically packaging ideas in a way that invokes the world of luxury shopping; and refining the decision-making process through three levels of presentations.
Crucial insight: At a certain point in each of Austin’s design presentations, clients are faced with a choice between three preselected options for any given furnishing or fabric. He likens these options to ice cream flavors: one “vanilla” choice that is safe and neutral; a “chocolate” one, which offers a more luxurious and elevated approach; and a playful and whimsical “strawberry” option. “I think that’s really important, so [clients] feel like they’ve made a choice along the way,” he says. “At the end of a project, I never want someone to say, ‘My designer made me pick this.’ I find clients really appreciate that we always bring them along the journey of making the selections.”
Key quote: “We’re really trying to get the clients excited for what’s to come, and we talk about the journey that we’re going to go on together, and we explain that we don’t know where we’re going to end up, but we’re going to figure it out together with us as your trusted advisors and design guides to lead you through the process every step of the way.”
This episode was sponsored by Four Hands and Crypton. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
