Client and Designer Dynamics

Joseph Pubillones
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:31:06 -0700
Lifestyle

Like any relationship, problems sometimes arise between clients and designers. Clients expect designers to work magic, but conditions sometimes prevent a less than ideal situation. A nonexistent budget, subjective assessment of selections and unrealistic time constraints are just a few of the reasons. A client calls and schedules a consultation and decides to hire the designer that was interviewed. The designer's role is to educate the client in areas where the designer has expertise, but who is to enforce the designer's prescription and design?

An overall plan is what is needed in almost every renovation, redecoration or any interior design project. Sometimes a designer gets a call from a client, and in the desire to cut corners, the client tells the designer they only want to address a specific area of their home. The point is usually well taken, and a designer's task is to please their client. However, much like when a visit to the doctor's office reveals that there is more than you thought going on, your designer's job is to let you know problem-riddled areas of your home and suggest ways to improve it.

Many homeowners today think they are experts as a result of the many home DIY programs. Shelter television home shows are both a wonderful tool and a noxious source of misinformation. As many people say they are addicted to home shows, it is true that a lot of information is shared via television programs, but such information is not always complete or portrayed in a truthful manner. For example, those home shows that portray an unrealistic budget to redo a room are often subsidized by different companies in exchange for product placement or advertising. The same goes when an entire renovation is done in the course of a week or weekend. In such shows, months and months of planning are needed so an entire project can be completed in 30 minutes.
Updated: Sat Apr 04, 2026

Like any relationship, problems sometimes arise between clients and designers. Clients expect designers to work magic, but conditions sometimes prevent a less than ideal situation. A nonexistent budget, subjective assessment of selections and unrealistic time constraints are just a few of the reasons. A client calls and schedules a consultation and decides to hire the designer that was interviewed. The designer's role is to educate the client in areas where the designer has expertise, but who is to enforce the designer's prescription and design?

An overall plan is what is needed in almost every renovation, redecoration or any interior design project. Sometimes a designer gets a call from a client, and in the desire to cut corners, the client tells the designer they only want to address a specific area of their home. The point is usually well taken, and a designer's task is to please their client. However, much like when a visit to the doctor's office reveals that there is more than you thought going on, your designer's job is to let you know problem-riddled areas of your home and suggest ways to improve it.

Many homeowners today think they are experts as a result of the many home DIY programs. Shelter television home shows are both a wonderful tool and a noxious source of misinformation. As many people say they are addicted to home shows, it is true that a lot of information is shared via television programs, but such information is not always complete or portrayed in a truthful manner. For example, those home shows that portray an unrealistic budget to redo a room are often subsidized by different companies in exchange for product placement or advertising. The same goes when an entire renovation is done in the course of a week or weekend. In such shows, months and months of planning are needed so an entire project can be completed in 30 minutes.

Once your overall evaluation has been completed, the client can technically do as much or as little from the recommendations. However, keep in mind that your designer may have a global vision for the project that may exceed your expectations, and not allowing the design to be fully executed may result in less than satisfactory results. The role of the client involves understanding that the design's success is subject to the project's completion.

Like the research of cases and the advice of a lawyer, or the diagnosis of a doctor, designers have many years of education and experience that go into the makings of a design professional and their designs. Playing the role of backseat driver or armchair quarterback is never a win-win for a client. Clients should hire only designers they trust and then allow them to do their best work