Design Information at the Speed of Light

When I opened the doors of The Wiese Company 25 years ago, the way people communicated about their needs was very different.  I would visit with potential clients and be greeted with a binder full of inspiration photos cut from the pages of Better Homes and Gardens or kitchen idea books. 

I think the fact that we had to spend more time together to communicate the need and look benefitted the prospective client.  It gave them the opportunity to understand more about the person they were talking with, and gave me more time to understand the full desires of the client. We would then spend even more time confirming we were making deliberate changes because it isn’t easy to erase 6 hours of work that was hand drawn to move something 6 inches. :)

Today when I show up, most people have done a lot more research.  With Pinterest and Houzz , everyone can collect a file of ideas and solutions to see if they will work in their design, making it easier to convey their desired look without having to spend as much time communicating with their prospective contractor. Another change in technology is that we don’t have to wait for a cocktail party to find out who’s renovating. Your friends are on Instagram and you know who is doing a project like the one you want, or you can ask for referrals on the local neighborhood sites like Nextdoor.

With all the great new ways to obtain information about what we want and where to find it, I still believe that the best projects begin when we have a chance to talk with our clients after looking through their inspiration pictures.  Post-conversation we can create a design that is cohesive to their lifestyle and taste.  And while CAD software expedites the speed of the drawing, we end up with better results when we take the time to think through the unique space that is your future home.

Happy online shopping! We hope to have a chance to talk, Ray