Learn Your Client’s Needs

The designer’s job is to find out what the client needs in the home, and what they desire from hiring an interior designer. After the designer completes the profile, he or she has the information they need to develop a successful design concept and have a solution for any problem the homeowner might have with their house.

• Do you know your client, their background, or the design problem?
• Do you know what the client owns or wants in design?
• Have you asked questions that will help you make the right design decisions?

The four items that need completing before the designer can think of designing for a client are as follows.

Client Profiles 

The method of developing a client profile aids the designer in learning what they need when going to a job for a potential success of the design. The designer should accomplish this for every job. 

The first and most important part of a client profile is the contact section. The designer needs this information from the beginning to the end, so they can communicate with their clients when needed.

·         Name(s) or Contact(s) for the project

·         Physical address

·         Phone, email, and fax numbers

General Information

This information helps the designer understand how the space in the home is used, what they need to complete the task, operating schedule, project time frame, and personal accessorizing. The following list is part of the general information needed. The designer may create whatever question he or she feels is necessary for the project.

What area(s) involved in the remodel, and how long have you been in the space?

How long do you intend to stay in this space?

What is the budget for this project?

What is the time frame for the project?

What is your favorite aspect of the space?

What existing items are to be kept in the space?

Do you entertain; explain often, occasionally, or never?

When you entertain, is it more formal or casual?

Do you prefer a lot of accessories; some or very little?

Would you like to include paintings, awards, or accessories/artifacts?

Would you like to include plants? Yes, no, live, or silk

Please list any allergies, health conditions, or special requirements that need to be met. 

This last question pertains to animal hair, smells, natural products (Down or feathers), and fibers in fabric, latex, or asthma. Many design products could have one or these items that could cause issues.  

Lighting

Types of lighting helps the designer understand their uses and how natural or artificial light in the home, what is needed to make the general, ambient, or task lighting in a design, and personal accessorizing with structural or portable fixtures. The following list is part of general information needed to add lighting. The designer may create whatever question he or she feels is necessary for the project.

Does the space have too much, too little, just enough light?

Do you feel there is a need for additional natural or artificial lighting?

Do you prefer fluorescent, incandescent, LED, accent lighting or ceiling fans?

Do you prefer warm or cool lighting?

KEY: WARM light begins at a 2700K (Kelvin) measurement or orange on the CRI gauge, and then it rises to 3000K (yellow), 3500K (Pale-yellow), 4000K-5000K (Dark blue), 10,000K (light blue) or COOL.

The color scale above is used to explain warm or cool lighting by temperature or Kelvin rate. The Kelvin scale is a useful gauge to use when comparing warm white light or cool white light, whether incandescent, fluorescent or Light-Emitting Diode (LED) light bulbs/lamps.

Color

This information helps the designer determine what colors the client prefers. Color used in the home can make a room look larger or smaller by what color is chosen. Colors visually reduce or expand the space. The designer can achieve this by using a dark color to reduce the room’s appearance, or light paint colors to expand the space. The color accompanied by lighting can make a space look different as well, and the designer will explain this when he or she explains the 60-30-10 rules when choosing a color. 

The 60-30-10 rules are simple. A designer recommends that 60% of the home is painted in a light color so the house will not lose size or appearance. The 30% of a home should be an accent color that coordinates to the light color. Last, the 10% is a pop or dark color added to a space. This is the “wow” factor of the entire color scheme. By following this rule, it helps the designer offer the maximum design experience for the client. 

The following list is part of the general information needed while using color. The designer may create whatever questions he or she feels is necessary for the project. 

What colors we will use in the spaces?

What colors do you like?

What colors do you dislike?  

What do you prefer light, dark, bright or dull paint colors?

Would the designer visually expand or reduce the space? 

Windows

Information on windows helps the designer offer window fashions for the home. Window fashions used in the home can make windows filter more or less light into the various spaces of the home. The designer can achieve this by determining where the sun configuration is located, and how much light or heat enters a room. When the designer explains different treatments for the home, they can communicate the various choices available. The color, accompanied by light, and the window fashions can make a space more functional, and the designer will explain this when he or she discusses the various window fashions. 

The following list is part of general information needed while choosing window fashions. The designer may create whatever questions he or she feels is necessary for the project. 

How many windows are in the space?

What direction(s) North, South, East, or West do the window(s) face?

What type of treatments; blinds, shutters, curtains or draperies do you prefer?  

Do you have any specific ideas for the window treatments? 

Wall coverings,

This information helps the designer determine wall-covering applications the client prefers. Wall-coverings used in the home can give a room character from the various patterns available. The designer may use various sizes of pattern to make a wall have a different appearance.  The space in a home takes on a unique design dictated by the print on the paper. There are thin patterned textures, or thick patterned textures,shapes, stripes, colors, and residential or commercial grade wallpapers.  

Other wall coverings could be paint, plaster, wood paneling, and fabric. Depending on the texture, pattern, and colors can also make a space visually reduced or expanded.

What wall colors/coverings will remain in the space?

Do you have any specific wall treatment in mind?

Do you prefer paint, wallpaper, faux finishes, or other finishes on the wall?

Note: If the homeowner wants a faux finish effect, the designer will need to ask if the homeowner wants a negative or positive application.

Floor 

Flooring information helps the designer determine what the homeowner is looking for in creating a foundation to the home. The client may favor carpet, hardwood, tile, or natural stone. The flooring used in the home can give a room a base or foundation to the remaining design the designer creates. There are thousands of flooring variations to choose from, and if the designer is familiar with the home décor, he or she will know where to affect the room with the proper flooring.

The designer may use various styles, sizes, patterns, and loop count to make the home have a different appearance. The space in a home takes on a distinctive design stated by the motif of the floor. There are several sizes in tile or stone, and countless textures in carpet. The many colors of carpet and wood are endless depending on the manufacturer, and the residential or commercial class flooring can be low or very high in cost.  The product, and the labor to install the product in a home, drives the cost.

The following list is part of general information needed while choosing window fashions.

1. What floor coverings will remain in the space?
2. What floor coverings added in the space?
3. Do you have any specific type of floor in mind?
4. Do you want to select carpet, tile, wood, stone, and other floorings?
5. Would you like a sustainable, natural, engineered, or laminate product?

The designer may create whatever questions he or she feels is necessary for the project, but don’t make this too long of a process, or the homeowner may become frustrated and impatient. After the designer receives the client profile information provided by the homeowner, he or she can make a proper decision how to deliver the best design, styles and themes desired.