How to get designers in the right position

An architect’s approach to helping designers do their best work.

Photo by Di_An_h on Unsplash

Whenever I visited Audrey’s office, I felt like I’d entered some exotic resort in the Maldives. Everything was so casual, relaxed, and breezy. But the atmosphere seemed fitting since Audrey’s interior design practice was one of the hot new firms in the luxury resort design world.

However, when Audrey came to the lobby to greet me, her demeanor didn’t quite match her relaxed environment. She seemed frazzled, which surprised me because not much ever rattled her. And when we sat down in her office, she got right to the point and said,

“I need your help!”

She’d almost let her Design Director, Adam, go earlier in the month. Making a tough call like this would’ve not only been emotional for her, but it would’ve caused significant disruption to her business operation and culture.

Adam had been with the firm for a long time. He’d come to Audrey’s rescue when the first design director she hired went on assignment to Fiji to inspect the imported tiles but fell in love with the exotic waitress at the bar.

And he never came back.

The timing of his departure couldn’t have been worse because the firm had an ambitious design deadline to complete for a new resort in Costa Rica. But Audrey recounted a heroic story about how Adam took a bunch of disjointed sketches that were left by the previous designer and turned them into a wonderfully refined design concept that won the client’s praise.

“He was a miracle worker back then,” she admitted.

“I don’t think we’d be where we’re at today, had it not been for his efforts. I owe him that much.”

“Does he still do good work today?” I asked

“Yes! He’s a very solid designer. And he’s good with clients and meets his deadlines. He’s also pleasant and fun to work with,” as Audrey paused for a second and added, “…most of the time.”

“But then he has these stretches where he can be so difficult to work with that I don’t know how to deal with him,” she said to me, puzzled. “And these…