INTERIOR DESIGN MANAGEMENT

Conference Room interior design.

There’s a longstanding misconception that artists and designers shouldn’t be involved in business affairs or management; for these trivial pursuits may adversely affect their creativity and ethos. Business savvy and art are incompatible entities in their minds, which unfortunately is far from the truth. One may be the greatest artist but without business insight will have few clients or commissions and will live a life of professional obscurity and financial problems. On the contrary, average professionals commanding management and marketing skills will very probably see their businesses thrive. 

Whether a one man (or woman) show, or a larger firm, the fundamentals of business include organizational and fiscal management, basic economics and accounting, time management, marketing and public relations. A firm needs to set targets, as well as short and long term goals, in order to monitor effectively performance and plan for the future. Otherwise, a haphazard course or chaos will probably follow. 

Professionals lacking these essential skills should at least team up with a partner commanding these. Characteristic is the case of the architectural practice of Adler and Sullivan. When Adler, the business mind of the firm left the practice (in 1894 because of the Panic of 1893) when they dissolved the partnership, the business dwindled as Louis Sullivan couldn’t obtain significant commissions, faced chronic financial problems and became an alcoholic. He barely managed to get minor commissions to design some small town Midwestern banks, which was not adequate to support the practice. Sullivan (1856-1924), the father of the contemporary American skyscraper, was definitely very talented, however, he apparently lacked the business and networking skills necessary to support his firm and draw clients. Incidentally, it’s not unheard of for Architects to show a reckless disregard for financial order, as was the case with Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886), who despite an enormous professional income, died in debt.

A postgraduate course in business is a route chosen by some designers and engineers, who usually follow a management career in firms they join. Continuing education courses are also a great opportunity to master essential business skills that most design schools do not teach; for their curricula are mainly focused on design and theory. 

Various marketing and management resources are available over the internet, some of them even at no cost. Which implies that in our digital era, all professionals should be I.T. or computer literate; it’s been said that in our century lack of computer literacy will determine the new social inequality.

Planning and business development, i.e, interior design management is the key to any professional practice. These skills are needed in order to not only survive but thrive in a competitive market. This fact should be emphasized.

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