Three Mistakes to Avoid As A Designer: Lessons Learned from Real Projects
Let’s be honest for a minute. Design projects are NEVER perfect. No matter how hard we try to cross all our t’s and dot all our i’s, there will inevitably be something that doesn’t go according to plan - a missed detail, GC delays, product being discontinued, etc. There will always be challenges, and how you navigate them in the moment and take advantage of the opportunities to learn from them is what will help you continue to grow as a designer.
As designers, we strive to manage as many moving pieces as we can, but the truth is, while we may be in charge of everything relating to a project, we are actually in control of very little. This underscores the importance of managing client expectations in all aspects of your projects, from initial consultation to completion, to ensure they are fully prepared for any of the issues that may arise.
At Lofty Designs, we have made some of these mistakes and had to learn these lessons the hard way, but we’re not ashamed of that! We’ve been able to use these lessons to pivot and adapt how we serve each of our clients, making each project smoother than the last. We value transparency, vulnerability, and honesty in our firm, and are open with our clients when things go wrong (even when the conversations are difficult).
We’d love to save you from the same fate, an our founder, Jolynn Hansen, is here to talk about a few of the lessons we’ve learned from real projects over the years, and how you can use our experience to avoid making these same design mistakes!
Thoughts from Lofty Designs Founder, Jolynn Hansen
Design Mistake #1: Promising a timeline you can’t control.
This one might seem obvious, but apparently it wasn’t to me when I first started Lofty Designs. I had experience working on construction projects, but it had been years since I was involved in one. On the first construction project I took on at Lofty, I knew what MY portion of the project would look like and built a timeline off of that, but I failed to account for the GC’s timeline, or add any buffer time to accommodate shipping delays, damaged product, contractor issues, etc. What I had promised to the client as a 6-7 month project turned into a 14-15 month project, and threatened to compromise both the quality of the final design AND our relationships with the client and the contractor! GC’s are subject to many of the same uncontrollable variables as designers, and constantly bombarding them with questions about when they’ll finish and what they’re doing and why are things taking so long, will only serve to discourage them and make them feel rushed. It’s just bad for everyone.
Under-promising and over-delivering will never upset your client (giving a timeline of 10 months and finishing in six? Happiest clients ever, will rave about you to everyone they know and are likely to work with you again in the future), but promising something you don’t deliver will always upset them (and rightfully so! Everyone wants to get what they were promised and paid for!).
This is the project that taught us the importance of mapping out the entire project from start to finish in our kick-off meeting, then having a “real talk” moment with the clients. We let them know some of the things that CAN happen on projects, the contingency plans we have in place to safeguard against them, and explain how we handle it when things go left. We have found this not only helps increase their faith in us, but also helps make the conversation easier if/when we DO have to deliver bad news. And, as a bonus? It helps us build ourselves a roadmap for the project. We know what has been discussed, we’re reminding ourselves what may come up, and it gives us the chance to try and get ahead of some of those hiccups before they ever happen.
How to avoid this design mistake: Add a buffer to your project timelines to account for ALL the aspects of the project - not just the aspects YOU control.
Design Mistake #2: Trying to match paint between brands rather than using the specified brand.
On a recent project, my client and I agreed on a paint color offered by Sherwin Williams. I provided the specifications to the GC crew and left it at that. Bad idea. The team took the Sherwin Williams specification to Home Depot and attempted to match it to a Behr paint. When it read the correct name, they assumed it was fine, and they moved forward with the paint job. Unfortunately, the color was VERY different - full black rather than a medium grey. And the only reason I found out was because I happened to stop by for a site visit two days after it was completed. Luckily for me, I was able to take a couple great lessons from this experience about how to avoid this design mistake.
ALWAYS communicate clearly exactly what it is that you need from your teammates and partners.
Do not assume they will double check things with you at every turn, or even know if something is a little bit off, like a paint color. A designer should think of the GGCs they work with just like their clients - treat them respectfully, make sure they have ALL the information they will need, anticipate their questions. This is something we work to embody in every project we do here at Lofty Designs, and I can tell you that treating your partners as equals in your projects will always have a positive ROI. They want to do a great job as well, and are counting on YOU as the designer to give them clear and specific instructions!
Always double check your paint and do a test area before painting entire walls.
Had we connected with the GC to confirm the paint color as soon as they painted a swatch on the wall, we would have caught the issue immediately, saved money from getting extra paint, and avoided the delay of having to start over with painting.
Design Mistake #3: Trying to “save money” by going for the cheapest option - there is a pretty solid chance it will come back to haunt you.
This might seem like a silly one - after all, you CAN get a lot of really great pieces that work almost as well as brand name items for a reasonable price - but it’s too often overlooked. There have been numerous times when we are sourcing final decor for a project, or need to replace a lighting fixture without going over budget, or there’s a last minute decision to add a piece of furniture. It can be tempting to run to places like Home Goods, Wayfair, or Amazon to find an option that’s quick and inexpensive, but I think we all know that nine times out of ten… that inexpensive item is going to break down quickly and need to be replaced before too long, forcing clients to potentially spend even more money than they would have originally, and definitely adding to some frustration around the project.
We know it is frustrating to have a project *almost* completed and just be waiting for those last couple items to push it across the finish line, but to avoid making design mistakes that will cost your clients in the future, consider discussing with them the pros and cons involved in purchasing high-cost or slow transit items. It may be worth the extra time and money to have value that comes with the perfect piece!
In 2024 and now into 2025, we are being very intentional with how and where we source items, how we create thoughtful and unique environments, and how we discuss the associated costs with our clients. We have found some amazing options for unique pieces and are excited to continue elevating the experience and service our clients receive from us in the coming years!
Have you made any of these design mistakes, or even some other ones that were great learning opportunities for you! We’d love to chat with you about them! Feel free to send us an email and introduce yourself!