Making Sense

Getting Published: What the Nationals Want

By Sarah Gallop
 
Let start by expelling the myth: you don't need to design a young royal's yacht to get featured in a national publication. Nor do you need a celebrity's mansion, a private jet, or a financier's Balinese summer villa. Of course, these things may help your chances! But more notably, and we are seeing this more and more, you need something—anything—that captures beauty and efficacy in its own inimitable way. In the words of Paige Rense, nothing is too small, or too simple, to be overlooked. Brand-new or classic, whimsical or unforgettable, magazines want something unique.
 
Take the current cover of The New York Times Home & Garden section. What could possibly be unique about a renovated 1913 tutor home with no landscaping and no designer in Akron, Ohio? And yet, further probing reveals that the eccentric owner David Giffels once “tried to evict squirrels from the house by playing guitar really loudly,” and that he personally re-caulked the house's 733 windowpanes. Most notably, he is debt-free.  
 
Now that, Rense would agree, is distinctive. Just as distinctive as the leather matchbook cover and the Japanese tea whisk recently featured in the pages of Architectural Digest , or the simple art deco of Dominique, covered in the May issue of Elle Décor , but wowing the design world for the past 85 years.
 
How does this affect your designs? In the words of former House and Garden editor Mayer Rus, a national publication needs a project with flair, and not just a bit. Mansion or condo, the designer needs to push the impulses he or she has to give the space IMPACT. So should you spice things up with interesting trends or tap into Bas paintings or Nakashima-esque benches? Not necessarily, as the trends you use could be stale by the time the project is completed—or worse, cliché (ahem, Hermès orange and brown). First and foremost, you must be yourself. Push your own boundaries, personalize your point of view, and heed this advice: make it beautiful, make it utilitarian, but most of all make it different.

Many Alternative-Energy Solutions Lack Aesthetic Appeal

By Rachel Ward

With the mainstream public's perception and what were once touted as radical environmental views reconciling on the importance of energy and natural resource conservation, why aren't more homeowners electing to renovate in environmentally-friendly ways? Could it possibly be due to do with the fact many of the newest in environmentally friendly furnishings and accents are still a little rough around the edges, like how dingy the den looks with compact florescent lighting, or how rough the loveseat feels when upholstered in coarse, organic wool.

International government-approved initiatives and incentives for homeowners, who redesign their homes to meet energy-efficient standards, include:

• Awarding grants to homeowners who surpass energy-efficient standards

• Loaning and providing tax breaks for homes built before a certain year to tackle energy-efficient problems at the root, rather than cherry-pick quick-fix solutions

• Requiring major gas and electricity suppliers to meet a certain energy-saving target by a projected date—thus prompting the suppliers to persuade their customers to adopt energy-saving measures

• Launching competitions to design low-cost, environmentally friendly lighting products tailored to local markets needs

• Requiring that utilities increase their use of renewable sources of energy such as solar power, solar-thermal technology and biomass/organic materials

The Wall Street Journal recently reported the initiatives of nine cities world wide that are helping lead the way in how to easily implement energy-saving and money-saving methods. In the meantime, consumer will still struggle between saving a dollar by living green and enjoying in-home luxury that appeals to all six senses.

Determining and Marketing the Value of Your Interior Design Services

By Rachel Ward

As the economy continues to hang precipitously in the balance, many interior designers find themselves struggling to find ways to communicate the relevance of the service they provide.   

The first recommended step is for an interior designer to clearly define the value that they bring to a particular market segment, whether for a commercial or residential application.   Some examples of improvements that quality interior design can provide are:

 
• Boost office productivity
 
• Increase sales
 
• Attract a more affluent clientele
 
• Provide a more relaxing hospital stay
 
• Increase a building or home's market value

Once an interior designer has established the value and worth of their service, they need to translate that message to consumers and potential clients, in a cost effective way.   Some economical ways to advertise and increase visibility are to:

 
• Write articles, columns or books
 
• Market online (i.e., web-based portfolio, online press room, etc.)
 
• Speak publicly at events such as design markets and shows
 
• Align with professionals in related fields, such as architects, construction contractors, and real estate agents
 
• Network by volunteering or through referrals, host or sponsor meetings or launch a mentoring program
 
• Obtain referrals and testimonials and incorporate them into your marketing
 
• Develop a direct mail campaign with an incentivized call to action

Presenting one's expertise in an educational and widely-accessible manner is crucial when attempting to convey value to consumers. As a general rule, clients who are exposed to design are more open to the idea of employing interior design services. Likewise, clients who are educated in design, even if only through their own internet and magazine research, are more likely to realize the value of interior design.

Public Speaking

By Sarah Gallop

As 2007 comes to an end, most of us are spending time with family, taking time off and getting excited about Starbucks’ newest holiday fare (have you tried the peppermint lattes?!). This season, however, I encourage you to think about development initiatives to jump start business in 2008. From newsletters to word-of-mouth, interior designers are usually good about marketing themselves—except when it comes to the public speaking circuit.

The benefits of speaking in front of crowds are many—whether it is to prospective clients, fellow design professionals or associations and organizations. Not only do presentations lead to networking opportunities and possible media attention, but they can also affect the growth of your business by increasing your credibility in the industry. Good places to start as your 2008 calendar unfolds are market events, trade shows, design schools, international design shows and even webinars. Check out ASID’s Event Calendar for inspiration.

As you are exploring opportunities, I encourage you to consider the following pointers from career coach and author Michael Melcher:

1. Good public speaking is not about giving speeches. You audience wants to learn something, network, enjoy themselves, and have their time used effectively.

2. Learning comes from participating, not from being lectured. People learn by working with material. The more you create interactive learning, the more your audience will learn and the happier they will be.

3. A great speech is about energy as much as words. Mediocre speakers focus solely on words. Think about what energy is needed in the room (humor? simplicity? concern?) and then model it.

4. Don’t talk too much. Whatever the length of your speech, it should probably be shorter. Make every word count!

To see a DMC staff member in action, request a calendar of events or visit our events page.

Living in China

By Cameron Cook

If you think China is dirty, smelly, and polluted then you are right! However, for me, moving to China for 15 months to receive a crash course in product development has been the best thing for my career thus far. Having grown up in the furniture industry and worked for a public relations firm specializing in furniture manufacturers, I decided that an adventure in China that would reveal the raw stages of our industry’s product to me.

The saying, “seeing is believing”, is very fitting for first impressions when it comes to China. Interestingly enough, one thing not seen in Southeastern China is sunny, blue skies. Because many factories do not have emissions control, the sky is grey and your face is always in need of washing.

Upon arrival in China, I was thrown into a slew of back-to-back factory visits and the task of developing over 400 new products for our clients. For over a year, I managed the process of ideas being sketched, molded and edited repeatedly, mostly due to communication barriers, and finally sold to the consumer; we called this the ‘birth to graduation lifespan’.  

 

I learned that the best way to understand a process is by direct experience and the best way to explore a new market is by visiting it. I encourage trade professionals to reach out to explore their ideas of new product lines and projects in the global marketplace. Please call me at 646.651.1158 or cameron@dmcnyc.com to discuss this further.

Defining Luxury Down

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal “De Gustibus” column, Bret Stephens talked about Defining Luxury Down, the fact that what once used to be luxurious is not longer in many respects. This article was written in reference to the real estate market in Manhattan where indeed, with the prices being charged, one would reasonably expect luxurious accommodations including high-end materials, services, locations, views, etc. Alas, this is not always proving the case. Developers frequently say something is luxurious when it is in fact basic. You see, there really is no policing system for the application of the word “luxurious” and as it becomes used more liberally and commonly, it will be diluted.

For the interior design professional who seeks to do business with the “high-end” market, it is best to remember what luxury once stood for—superb craftsmanship, not available to the masses, special order, and above all, attentive service. If that is the audience you seek, then make sure that is the level of product and service you are providing.

It's not what you know, it's what you DO!

“Taking action on what you know puts you ahead of the majority of your peers.  Many know how to attract publicity, for instance, but just let that knowledge sit. 

When you not only take action, but do it well, you'll find yourself way, way ahead of colleagues.

Ignoring all the usual excuses may be the most powerful step you take!”

This excerpt from a recent newsletter by Marcia Yudkin, a Marketing Consultant, really resonates with me. I am convinced that much of what people know goes to waste because they do not use their knowledge wisely.

When I teach groups of design professionals, I make sure that I provide easily implementable tools so that the likelihood of them doing something good for themselves increases. I also believe that we need to present ideas and plans to people in a manner that does not appear overwhelming, but that progresses in a logical manner, however detailed and lengthy, that ends with a specific goal in mind. This is true in the interior design industry and every other.

While “God is in the details”, the “road to hell is paved with good intention”. You know where you want to go, so start using

luxury services, not product

There is a new book on the market called “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster” by Dana Thomas. The main premise is that in order to maintain high profit margins, luxury brand conglomerates are cutting corners on production, curtailing the quality that requires higher prices and thus creating a “luxury” product—something only a few can afford. Bernard Arnault of LVMH succinctly put it, “luxury goods are the only area in which it is possible to make luxury margins.”

With this in mind, I think it behooves design professionals to focus on the most valuable service (not product) oriented aspects of what they do, think of it in terms of “white glove” service, and then insist on a premium in order to deliver the highest and best quality of service. There is a vast market of individuals around the world that have the money and will pay the premium. Market yourself to them!

ideas

I recently read the book “They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine” by Harold Evans, Gail Buckland, and David Lefer.  I am truly amazed at how much of our society has been created by so few people. Everything that we use today from electricity, communication equipment, oil, farm equipment, brassiere’s for women, guns, medication, you name, was imagined and made profitable by one or a handful of people.

What’s significant about this is not the initial ideas themselves (because frequently, many people have conceptualized a breakthrough), but the creation of the idea into a workable and profitable concept. In many cases, a market had to be created for the invention to even exist. Take electricity for example: the idea of electricity was terrific, many experiments happening with it around the world. However, there were no stations to convert electricity in a form that would transmit over long distances, no boxes to receive and convert them into usable energy at a home/office, no switches to flip to turn-on the light bulbs that required the electricity to glow. EVERYTHING had to be created and the market and distribution systems needed to be created as well.

The amount of sheer will, determination, investment, persistence, and hard work, often in the face of relentless, negative public perception, personal loss and deprivation, and utter despair, makes the accomplishments of the men and women in the book simply staggering! I stand humbled and in awe of the many that have come before us in this amazing world we live in.

With respect to our own design industry, I am constantly amazed by clever creations that designers and architects imagine and attempt to bring to market. It takes courage to design and sell an idea, especially to people who lack the ability to see something in the conceptualization stage, but who require the physical object. So, hats off to the creators, marketers and sellers of ideas!

blogging for SEO priority

I recently attended the Chapter Leadership Conference (CLC) for the American Society of Interior Designers (A.S.I.D.). I will be the Communications Director on the Board of the Los Angeles Chapter for two years starting in October, and went to learn what’s new in the area of communications for non-profits. Interestingly enough, it’s not terribly different than marketing/communications for for-profit businesses. There are different constituencies which need to have messages tailored to them and applied over different mediums including advertising, public relations, direct response marketing, the internet, and during events. Knowing your audience and determining how to appeal to them at a specific time with a specific medium is key to success of a campaign.

Perhaps, one of the more interesting insights that was shared was about blogging. It was suggested that one must contribute at least 200 words, three times a week, in order for search engines to consider the blog (and your website, if attached), active enough to increase your prominence in search listings. In checking with a colleague, it was countered that this would be overly aggressive, but once every week to two weeks should do the trick.

So, get your blogs going and make sure they are linked to your websites!