Well, it was sweet while it lasted … A gung-ho designer and enthusiastic client may work well together during the “honeymoon” stage of a project, but things can often turn rocky — fast. So, with a nod to New Year’s resolutions and fresh starts, I thought I’d provide some practical tips and suggestions to help keep your relationships with clients healthy and enjoyable all year long. Remember: Great design is the result of a great client-designer relationship.
Trust
A key ingredient to any successful relationship is trust. As a consultant, I have to trust that my client will provide me with all the information I need to do my job, and respect my professional advice and allow me the space to flex my creative muscle. In turn, it’s my responsibility as the designer to completely understand what my client is requesting before jumping to conclusions. And even if their desires and choices run counter to mine, I have to respect their decisions.
Clients will question you from time to time; it’s usually to ensure they’re really getting the best possible end result for their money.
Teamwork
Design is an interactive process. I’m sure you’ve heard of designers who sweep into a home, usher the homeowners out of the room, and plan a palette based on their own notions of what is needed. In contrast, most color designers I know and admire draw the client into the decisions, asking them a slew of questions about their aesthetics, personalities, likes and dislikes, use of a space, and much more. The best work I’ve done evolves from close collaboration with my client.
Talk
Collaboration is at its best when there is clear communication. Sounds simple and obvious, but it’s really the most important, and often most difficult, aspect of the relationship. The more the client is able to share their design goals, the easier it will be for you to turn those needs into a working palette. Encourage your client to come to every meeting prepared — with magazine clippings, photographs, a favorite sweater, a fabric swath — anything and everything that clearly and tangibly conveys their color and design aesthetic. In turn, you as a designer need to ask pertinent questions about the space: the architectural features your client wants emphasized or de-emphasized, the current and/or future function of the space, the desired mood, the optimal lighting, the state of the furniture and accessories (incorporate or replace), and so on.
Ask respectful, tasteful questions, but be relentless, if necessary. Do your best to really get the client thinking. The harder they think, the better they are at being able to express what they have in mind. For example, if the client plans to replace Berber carpet with oak flooring, it could make a huge difference in palette selection. Or if they plan to change out their incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents, it will completely alter the look of colors. It’s the designer’s job to know these facts from the start, and it’s the client’s job to disclose them.
Terminology
Our responsibility as designers is to ensure we educate our clients about using the correct terminology to articulate preferences and reactions. If a color is too “bright,” are they referring to its saturation level, value or hue as it relates to another color? Getting on the same page with a common language will make the process run much more smoothly.
Timeline
Contrary to the message perpetuated by TV shows of lickety-split results in under an hour, designing takes time. The earlier your client brings you onto a project, the more opportunity you’ll have to create a cohesive design that integrates smoothly into all other elements. Unfortunately, I’ve found that color is often considered an afterthought. I’ve had clients call me as the painter is taping off, waiting for paint selections so they can get started. This leaves me with no room for ordering sample sheets or examining brush-outs, an integral part of the process. Ensuring adequate time to make the best-educated decisions is key to great design.
Teach
Why does one color combination work better than another? As designers, we should be able to back up why a particular solution is preferable. Clients will question you from time to time; it’s usually to ensure they’re really getting the best possible end result for their money. As professionals, we must be ready and willing to provide evidence to support our decisions and recommendations.
Share with me some of your top tips for keeping your client relationships healthy and harmonious.
Post your reply below.
Rachel Perls is an architectural color consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to holding a fine arts degree, Rachel is professionally trained through the
International Association of Color Consultants, where she also serves as a committee chair. Through a multidisciplinary approach to supportive design, Rachel helps clients realize the full potential of color in both residential and commercial spaces. Be sure to check out her nationally recognized blog,
Hue, dedicated to color.
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I always insist that after receiving color sheets, my clients look at the samples at different times of the day and night. It may be the perfect color when I select it but 8 hours later that may change.
I would add to Rona’s comments that they view the large samples on cloudy and sunny days as well as different times of the day. I have had clients that needed up to 4 or 6 samples so they could see them on different walls or all together to get a fuller idea of what we’re suggesting.
turn out the lights, the color goes away: color is nothing without light. we recently changed out the bulbs in our living room, and my lovely golden yellow, which looked almost ochre in the evening, is now way too bright for me. Gotta use the dimmer switch.
I agree with Rona-I always leave large color sheet for the client of our selected palette. I recommend that they tape up the samples and look at them in different lights of the day. I explain to them that the morning light, afternoon light and evening light will cast the colors differently. The clients appreciate that technique, and the fact that it is easier, and less expensive to change the color prior to painting.
Whenever a client chooses a wallpaper or fabric, I get two cuttings of each. They both get labeled, one set goes to the client and one goes in the file. When I give the cuttings to the client, we go over the role of each, so if by some chance I have misunderstood which sample a client wanted to buy, we correct the error before fabric gets cut and goes to the workroom or upholster man.
Too, later on, if we need to add something to the room, we each have a handy palette to use as a reference while shopping for additional merchandise.
excellent tip- a color colleague of mine makes mini swatch books on d-rings for her clients, so when they go shopping, they can reference the colors. Its amazing how our memory of a particular color can be so varied.
I feel like I have to “prove myself” almost everytime I meet with a client. After all, everyone has eyes, so why shouldn’t they be able to pick color? It’s like everyone has hair, so why shouldn’t they be good at cutting it? At heart, I think it comes down to respect, frequently, I respect their desire and feel for their space and they respect my ability to help them acheive what they’re looking for.
The point about respect is an important one to delve into further. I think our profession is misunderstood at times. “It’s just color” some will say. Color consulting is such a niche specialized field, and many don’t know about it. As professionals, i would love to see our industry promoted and represented accurately, so that it’s given the same weight and respect as other professions.
You hit all the right notes here, Rachel.
I’ve put a white-paper together that also includes some of the issues you mentioned. It’s called “Enjoy the Process: Guidelines for working with a design professional.”
Deborah’s “duplicate sample” process is something I always try to do, even for paint colors. The “education” piece you talked about is also critical, and clients often express their appreciation for that, in particular.
Absolutely Barbara. I would love to have a look at your white paper on the subject.
Can it be found on your site?
Thanks you for the good tips.
ooh, is your white paper available on your website? for those who are not familiar with Barbara’s work, she is an amazing, well-respected architectural color consultant and rug designer (she has her own line) who has been at the forefront of our industry for many many years.
Subtle neutrals can better be determined by lining up several choices in the color category on the room wall during daylight. This enables the eye to discern undertones that cast a certain way.
I found that my clients enjoy seeing the subtle differences and therefore selecting just the right color is much easier the first time around.
Connie- educating your clients about how to see color more accurately is a wonderful gift to them, and really helps both parties with the process, i agree. my clients are always thrilled when they learn how to better judge what they are looking at- it’s empowering for them, and helpful to us
Excellent article on a tricky, and not-enough discussed subject.
We are not taught, for the most part to be business people, and how to handle the Client interactions. The more we share and brainstorm about this, the easier the whole process, hopefully, will become! Funneling an “creative/artistic” personality through the tunnel of business and commerce requires multiple skills on all fronts. Thank you for this much-needed article.
Thanks, Debra. i totally agree with you. we learn all about the creative process, and design, about being artistic or designerly. but very few art/design programs train you for the business aspect of work. i know personally, it’s been quite a learning process for me to wear all those different business hats. It’s so true- the more we can discuss amongst our peers, sharing tips and tricks, stories and insights, the better our profession will be as a whole. We’ll better serve our clients as a result!
Never be afraid to rethink a scheme if a client is having second thoughts! The process and results is always about them, not you the designer.
I don’t hesitate to ask a client how they want to feel once the space is complete. The answer to that question often helps me finalize the palette and, in turn, explain to the client why certain colors are selected. Our clients want to be heard and understood and respected. Both the selection and communication process becomes much easier once the client realizes the project is a true collaboration.
Connie’s suggestion to line up the samples and talk about the undertones is great. It’s a good way to have a color onversation with the client and build their confidence in the project. On a practical note, I provide the painter and the client with specification and swatch sheets identifying rooms, colors and finishes. Most questions are resolved before painting begins.
Collaboration- you hit the nail on the head, Anne. If a client really feels that they are part of the creative process, that what they want and feel is essential to our work, magic can be made.
Thank you for this timely and important post.
I also think it’s critical to reassure the client you have heard what they have said by recapping what was discussed after the initial meeting. That way they are confident that you are both on the same page. It’s true, what we think would definitely work may not be in their comfort level – by confirming their likes/dislikes and goals you can make more agreeable recommendations.
excellent point, Sue. Trust and communication go hand in hand
Great post! I’m revising my pricing for paint consultations this year and moving to a flat fee rate. This way, I can highlight all the things they get when purchasing a consultation from me (and therefore earn their respect!). One of the items I’ve been trying to incorporate is a second visit to view the colors selected in a different light. Not sure if I want to add this or not – do I limit it to a certain number of visits? Other items they are getting that I highlight are: paper samples, finish selection, color placement plan to give to contractor, up to 5 colors selected. I’d love to hear from others in terms of what type of services they highlight when using a flat rate system, if they provide more than one visit with that purchase, and what they charge (knowing it will vary by region).
After meeting with a client, I send them a written summary of what we discussed. I find that having the details written down gives them the opportunity to think about their choices at their own pace, as our meeting covers a lot of material. I also keep a copy of the summary in their file for my own future reference.
Rachel–Will you help some of us on the issue of how color is defined? Several of my latest clients are telling me they love jewel colors. To be sure we are on the same path of thought, I verify if they are thinking of such colors as Cobalt Blue, Ruby Red, Peridot Green, Sapphire Green, Purple Amethyst. Yet later I may discover that they also love Salmon or Coral. Is a jewel tone defined as clear, crisp color? What is your definition of a jewel color?
initially I made mistakes on my consultations, like the time my color bag fell over and the paint samples fell in the street. mortified!!! and a huge lesson. I also learned really quickly that my colors speak for themselves, it’s how you speak to the client that counts, and yes, it is a fine line between collaboration and straight out chosing the colors, it is best to let the client guide you, so they can feel responsible and proud they were a part of the process.
as far as going back a second time, if you want to take pics for your website, that’s one thing. otherwise, I will usually call or email to find out if they are satisfied. if not, I go back again at my hourly fee.
for the most part when I leave a consultation and the paint colors are chosen, etc. I will leave with my fee in hand.
I am about to join a painting contractor as a color consultant and I enjoyed all of the helpful posts. Is there a chat room to join if and when I have any questions and concerns along the way.
Thank you so much,
Lots of great ideas here, and I agree with all the collaboration talk. But, a few times I’ve had clients who had their heart set on a certain color they’d seen at somebody’s house, and when I explained why it wouldn’t work with their house, they got irritated. I wondered why they called me then.
Great article! Trust is so important. And you do need to give the reason why a colour works or why it doesn’t. When I pull out the colour I think will pull a room together too fast, clients look at me like “What? Why is that the colour? Why not the other 2000 colours you came with”, so then you go through the process of elimination so that they are left confident you’ve chosen the right colour.
Great Post!