Kitchen & Bath Magazine

Designers often receive the bulk of the credit for the projects they work on, but behind the scenes there’s a team of people working to make them look good. A successful design firm needs a network of professionals they respect and rely on. These include architects, engineers, developers, contractors and respective trades who set the highest standard of excellence in their profession. This strong and cohesive team helps to ensure clients receive excellence in design and craftsmanship.

It’s critical to work with professionals who will support and execute your design intent, as well as fit the personalities of you and your client. So it benefits designers and trades to develop their working relationship, keep open communication and be willing to learn from each other professionally. 

Research the potential trades you are considering. Reputation and word of mouth referrals are instrumental during the process of awarding contracts. Ask to see a portfolio: does the trade have the appropriate skill set to support your vision and execute the job successfully? View all pertinent city licenses and/or permits, general liability insurance, workers compensation, both professional and personal references and finally, verify the company with the Better Business Bureau.

Establish a project management schedule and clearly outline critical dates. Schedule regular meetings to ensure plans, elevations, schedules and construction details are all adhered to. Ensure team members understand the design intent and execution. Submit the project information in a timely manner, and keep your projects well documented and organized. If you’re not organized, you can’t expect your trades to work effectively and efficiently. Offer your trades the recognition they deserve. An acknowledgement of a job well done goes a long way in maintaining excellent business relationships.

Maintain clear lines of communication. If a trade is proving incompetent, address the situation immediately. Before breaking a contractual agreement, try to remedy the problem by expressing your concerns in a professional manner, without insulting job knowledge or understanding.

Understand the design process and construction scheduling. Are you setting realistic expectations and deadlines? Respect and listen to the professionals you are working with. An ongoing aggravation for the trades are designers who create fabulous concepts with no consideration for the actual execution of the design. When you propose a design concept have a clear understanding of how to execute it. This includes awareness of onsite conditions as well as properties and availability of materials specified. Every revision to a design concept during the construction phase has a ripple effect on all other trades involved, which ultimately affects job scheduling.
The respect and professionalism you maintain with your trades is the foundation for a successful project and a satisfied client. If your trades enjoy working with you they’ll continue to develop and evolve with each new project. The end result: a team striving to ensure an elevated level excellence!

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Tania Richardson and Melandro Quilatan are designers with Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting Inc. and ARIDO intern members. For more information about ARIDO and its programs, visit www.arido.ca.

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