A Client Profile for Interior Designers

Interior designers have one tool valuable to their design, and that tool is the client profile. Each designer creates a profile of his or her client who offers pertinent information that assists the designer in delivering a successful home design. Profiles are different because of the individual client, but the process or steps are the same for each profile. The information of the client is important to be accurate and complete. The best way to start a client profile is to build a template with the names, ages, and occupations of the clients. On the document, the location of the address and city, the phone numbers, and e-mail addresses should show for the ease of contacting the client.

After the designer has established a client profile, he or she should understand five key subjects that allow the design to fit within the homeowner’s needs and wants. These five key subjects are the homeowner’s lifestyle needs, decorative needs, bedroom configuration, living room setup, and dining room accommodations. Learning these key subjects is the designer’s job to find a design plan that meets the requirements of the client. For the success of this plan, the following requirements must be understood and met:

Lifestyle Preference:

The designer will discover if the homeowner would prefer a casual or formal lifestyle. For an interest, the designer will learn what the client enjoys in his or her spare time like a hobby or interest. If entertaining friends is one of their interests, the designer would need to know how many guests the space will need to accommodate. A lifestyle can be expensive, so the designer will establish a budget and how much of the home will the homeowner want to focus on in this project. Starting a project of large proportions, another home member needs to come into mind; the home’s pets. Learning the number of pets and the kind of animal is important at this venture.

Decorative needs:

In this a designer will establish color preferences and what the client like or dislikes for color choices. After learning color choices, deciding on furniture style or design is important. With so many styles like traditional, rustic, modern, or eclectic the designer will need to show photos of each to gain a bearing on the client’s wants. Showing photos is a perfect way to see what the client wants because some homeowners are unaware of style definitions. Another way to learn if there is a preference in themes is to determine if there is a selection of collectibles like nostalgic Logos, sports teams, specific artwork, preferred sculpture, or porcelain dolls. The last decorative item is to determine a fabric preference whether it is linen, cotton, chenille, leather, suede, or a naugahyde.

Bedroom Configurations:

Determining a bedroom layout makes up diverse interests for the homeowner. Here they sleep, watch television, read books, or work. When the designer learns the homeowner likes to read in bed, he or she will recommend lighting options for the homeowner. The designer introduces seating selections to accommodate whether the reading is in bed or in the comfort of a chair. Another reason for a seat is for the purpose of entertainment like television, or listening to music, or working at a writing desk. A piece of furniture can fit in the bedroom if the designer follows the rules of scale. A writing desk, a drafting station, sewing machines, or tables are specialty items that suggest mood or ambiance. The last item is storage needs and how or where this will be in effect.

Living area setup:

This point shows where family and friends would meet or how the homeowner can use the space daily. If the home entertains musically, the designer will determine space for portable instruments or the dimensions of a piano. A television is also a piece of entertainment with the option of connecting video components and electronic video games. There is a good transition from games to the function of conversations. After a time, communication takes over, and the guests will need a place to sit and talk. The designer will determine if this space is ideal for displaying art. The artwork and entertainment creates an atmosphere, and the designer will determine what types of ambiance the homeowner wants to express.

Dining room Accommodations:

The designer should determine if the homeowner likes to host or entertain guests. If the homeowner does wish to entertain regularly, the designer will ask and clarify how many dinner guests will the homeowner invite on average. The designer will ascertain if the homeowner prefers formal or informal engagements or whether they are intimate or in a group setting. Another factor would be the type of meals the homeowner serves for dinner. Types of dinner could involve sit down affairs, buffets, or casual gatherings. Last, the designer will offer options for family or business get-togethers.

The design plan will stem from the answers obtained by this client profile. The designer will offer a professional summary prepared and presented to the homeowner, This summary is an explanation of how the designer will meet the client’s needs. The summary will have essential knowledge in space planning, circulation or traffic patterns, organization or storage tactics, and future growth in the family.

A client profile allows the designer to present a sample board of the plan and the schedule on how the work will proceed. Designer’s offering a client profile summary of work completed, the presentation board should show a border around the perimeter of the presentation board, and the writing should be clear and precise. If the designer is working with an assistant or design partner, the names, and contact information should be on display attached to the reverse side of the board.