An interior designer is a professional who plans, researches, coordinates, and manages projects concerned with the construction, decoration, and design of residential or commercial spaces. They work closely with architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, and builders to ensure that the finished product meets their client’s specific needs and wants. Interior designers must have a strong knowledge of building codes and regulations in order to create functional and safe spaces. Interior design is one of the post-construction activities carried out mainly for a beautiful interior outlook for a building. Their skillset comes in handy for someone looking to add beauty to their interior.
Before hiring an interior designer it is essential to interact with them and communicate clearly. This is important because an interior designer is tasked with materializing what you as a client visualize. When establishing a clear line of communication, It is essential to begin by asking the following questions.
How much experience do you have? This is important when it comes to gauging the designer’s capabilities. The amount of experience a designer holds is often directly proportional to their level of competence and expertise. If you aim at getting good quality work from an interior designer, you should aim at hiring one with the most amount of experience. There are many metrics for measuring the level of experience; one of the most common metrics is the amount of time that a designer has been in active employment. Another metric for measuring level experience is the number of projects completed or clients served. The metric sets the units with which a designer can answer your questions.
What is your design process? Different designers have different design processes. Some will sit down with a client and establish what the client wants from beginning to end. Others will start and consult the client about the details as they go on. Learning about a designer’s processes helps give you an idea of the client’s thought process and whether he/she is right for the job.
What are your thoughts on [specific style]? This kind of question helps establish the designer’s tastes and preferences and see whether they aline with yours. In this case, you can either pick a design you like or one that you hate and ask for the designer’s unbiased opinion. If their opinion concurs with yours, it means they share your design tastes and philosophies. This makes them better fits for the job since they can easily pull off what you desire since your interests are somewhat related. However, you should be cautious about denying a designer the job based on their own tastes and preferences. Interior designers tend to act professionally and deliver the kind of design you want whether they like it or not.
Can you share a project you did that is similar to what I’m looking for? This particular question is similar to the previous one but rather than ask for a designer’s opinion, you ask him/her for a previous project the designer has done. This is for reassurance that the designer can indeed execute the kind of design that you want. Committing to the services of an interior designer is itself an investment, it’s best you make sure that the designer can actually pull it off before you can actually give them the job.
How do you charge for your services? Money is key to any contractual relationship. This must be discussed thoroughly before giving the designer the contract. Money is the single biggest cause of disagreement and conflict in a contractual relationship. You should establish early enough how the designer charges for their services to ensure that you’re comfortable with their terms. You should ask for both the amount and payment terms of the designer. Some prefer to be paid half the amount before they can even start the job, while others can settle for a daily wage. These are details you have to find out to establish your financial commitments. You should also make sure that the amount they charge fits within your budget.
Do you have any references? References are previous clients of a designer. Social proof is everything. Getting a designer’s references is also reassurance that they can do the job, after all, if someone else—most especially someone you know personally—has worked with and appreciated the designer’s worker, chances are that you will too. Make sure you ask for references and contact them to make sure they are legitimate and credible.
What are your project deadlines? It’s important to know how long a designer can take to finish a project. Time is everything when it comes to design. Before hiring a designer, you should make sure they can complete a project within your deadlines to avoid conflict in the future due to delays.
What are your design objectives? It’s important to establish a designer’s objectives. It’s even more important to make sure they are aligned with yours. Sometimes the objective of design is to make the interior space as functional as possible, other times it’s to beautify the interior. Objectives determine the future outcomes of a design project and it’s important to establish them even before the project begins.
How would you describe your design style? More than just getting a gist of the designer’s style, this question also helps figure out who the designer is as a person. It’s important to establish a designer’s character because it tells you what to expect from their work. If the designer is a traditional one, you should expect conventional and commonly used designs. If the designer is more of an artistic person, you should expect more unorthodox designs that are unique.
In conclusion, these are a few very important questions to ask an interior designer before you hire them for a design assignment. These questions help give a client an idea of how an interior design project will go and what results to expect. These questions align the client’s expectations with a designer’s abilities to ensure a smooth client-designer relationship. Make sure to ask a potential designer these questions.