Through the Client's Eyes

After observations of several transactions between client and firm, I broke down the production of a space into three distinctly visible stages--all which I believe are equally and vitally important for the successful creation of a space:

1. the vision of the client for his/her project
2. the successful conveyance of the vision to the firm or project architect (proposals and meetings)
3. the execution of the actual project by the firm

 The optimal situation, in terms of these three stages, would be one where the client has a lucid and practical vision, the client is able to perfectly articulate the vision to the firm, and the firm can comprehend and accurately reproduce the client's vision. Everyone's happy and efficient.

In a more realistic situation, it is more likely that clients have very abstract or overly ambitious visions, they are unable to clearly convey the vision that they themselves cannot really ground, and the firm consequently  has to spend excessive time with follow ups with the client in order to clarify the hazy picture they originally received or sometimes just misinterprets their visions entirely from the start. On top of this, there are several professionals working on this project--designers, architects who majored in engineering, architects who majored in the arts, etc-- and that means several different backgrounds, areas of expertise, and perspectives all trying to collaborate and build one vision. The firm may end up having to struggle, squirm, and guess through the entire process in hopes of producing what the client possibly wanted.

Thus, from the very onset of the project, a profound detailing of the project from the client could serve to be very beneficial and efficient. The presence of someone trained in deciphering a client's intentions through psychological means or just empirical knowledge could profoundly aid in the process of excavating the client's true wishes. That's what psychologists are for, aren't they? Discovering the buried thoughts and wishes deep inside of us?

To be fair, in some scenarios, leaving the architects and designers with the reigns on the project could also have benefits...for people with little idea of what they want or those who possess an unlimited budget and want the most modern, trending design, allowing architects complete freedom with the project after designating a purpose could in fact be the best option. But usually, people are not so flexible and are not so wealthy...

To conclude, the purpose of a project ideally needs to be clearly established for a successful and harmonious project. And with that, until next time!