{"id":768093,"date":"2025-01-02T09:33:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T09:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=768093"},"modified":"2025-01-02T09:33:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T09:33:52","slug":"three-ways-to-demonstrate-your-value-to-clients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/three-ways-to-demonstrate-your-value-to-clients","title":{"rendered":"Three ways to demonstrate your value to clients"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maybe their assumption was based on a clich\u00e9 or a half-heard anecdote, and you probably didn\u2019t completely correct them.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>It\u2019s not their fault. Architects have a commun\u00adication problem; we struggle to explain what we really do and how we do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a recent piece, I argued that architects should challenge the relentless pursuit of convenience and suggested that one antidote might be to better showcase our processes, warts and all. But how does one do that exactly?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The trouble is, the architectural process is inherently iterative, messy and increasingly complex. Architects aren\u2019t mystics or magicians. Instead, we produce well-designed buildings and places by being skilled interrogators. We know which questions to ask and when; we know when to draw a line in the sand when it\u2019s necessary and concede when it isn\u2019t. It\u2019s this dynamic (and ever-evolving) process that sets us apart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, every architect has their own way of working. What works for me may not work for you but, earlier this year, I set out to improve the visibility of my own process. So here are three things I\u2019m trying:\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Have more (good) meetings<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

This is a tricky one, and perhaps a bit controversial. No one wants pandemic-level calendar invites but there is a lot to be said for face-to-face conversations. I\u2019ve made a conscious effort to increase the frequency of client meetings, shifting away from presentation-style unveiling and almost exclusively towards collaborative workshops.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wherever possible, we design in tandem during the meeting. This has reduced the time spent on early-stage feasibility and revisions and clients seem far more engaged and enthusiastic. There is a balancing act with the additional meeting time, but they\u2019ve gone from transactional to participatory, and clients have become active contributors, rather than passive reviewers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Show work in progress (warts and all)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

We all want to put the best version of ourselves out there, but letting people see the messier middle stages could be much more effective. Good designs aren\u2019t pulled out of thin air. From tracing paper sketches to screen-sharing the raw workings in Vectorworks, I\u2019ve decided that nothing should be hidden behind a curtain. I\u2019m aiming for an open-book approach, in which clients can see the ideas taking shape and witness first-hand what I spend all my time (and their money) doing.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s much easier to show incremental works in progress and, so far, the responses have validated this, with clients showing a greater understanding and appreciation of our time and efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Highlight failures<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m no stranger to failure and, as I\u2019ve said before, it\u2019s not something to shy away from. Acknowledging what didn\u2019t work can be surprisingly powerful. This could be a previous iteration of the design, but equally it could be something that didn\u2019t work on a previous project (within the bounds of PI insurance, of course).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These represent lessons learned and experiences gained. When reviewing our previous projects with current clients I\u2019ve been more honest than before on details I felt didn\u2019t work and shown how those lessons could help their current project. The aim is to demonstrate a clear commitment to learning and doing better.<\/span><\/p>\n

If all someone wants is an architectural \u2018drawing\u2019, they can find faster, cheaper ways to get it.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s not where we as architects should be staking our value \u2013 a start-to-finish value that isn\u2019t currently reflected in fees nor, in turn, in our salaries.<\/span><\/p>\n

The real reason to work with an architect isn\u2019t about the finished product alone \u2013 it\u2019s about the journey we take to get there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toko Andrews is an associate at Tunbridge Wells-based Kaner Olette Architects and associate lecturer at the University for the Creative Arts<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maybe their assumption was based on a clich\u00e9 or a half-heard anecdote, and you probably didn\u2019t completely correct them.\u00a0It\u2019s not their fault. Architects have a commun\u00adication problem; we struggle to explain what we really do and how we do it. In a recent piece, I argued that architects should challenge the relentless pursuit of convenience …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9844,"featured_media":768096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[745],"tags":[1370,100989],"yoast_head":"\nThree ways to demonstrate your value to clients<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I\u2019m willing to bet that the last time you told someone you were an architect, they misunderstood what you actually do\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/three-ways-to-demonstrate-your-value-to-clients\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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