194: Are we managing the construction or the design intent?

Shaun and Rebecca are getting real about the messy overlap between interior design, construction project management, and everything clients assume is included in “project management.” After catching up on home renovations, home office frustrations, and the never-ending search for furniture that actually functions, they dig into how Rebecca is refining her discovery calls to better qualify potential interior design clients and uncover what they really want from their homes.

Then, they tackle a bigger question for interior designers working on construction projects: Are we actually managing the construction, or are we managing the design intent? They talk through contractor responsibilities, client expectations, liability, job site walkthroughs, and why designers need much clearer language around what project management does—and does not—include. They also explore whether construction milestone meetings could become a defined, systematized, and profitable part of an interior designer’s scope of work.

In this episode they discuss:

• Why today’s home office furniture still isn’t meeting the way people actually work from home
• How thoughtful discovery call questions can uncover a client’s priorities, design style, budget expectations, and readiness to hire an interior designer
• Why asking potential clients what they want their new home to give them can reveal the real problem they’re trying to solve
• The difference between construction project management and managing the designer’s design intent
• Why interior designers need to clearly define what “project management” means in their proposals and contracts
• How contractor communication, scheduling, and client expectations can create gaps that designers often end up filling
• Why defining milestone walkthroughs for framing, plumbing, electrical, tile, and other construction phases could protect the design and clarify the designer’s role
• How systematizing and pricing construction site visits could turn an often-unpaid responsibility into a more intentional revenue stream

Mentioned:

• EP160: Renée Biery, “The Only Girl on the Job Site”
• EP90: A Conversation with Rachel Moriarty

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• Hot Young Designers Club is brought to you by Programa. Learn more at programahq.link/hydc

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