What your clients' bad behaviour means (hint: nothing)

By Arnaud Marthouret, ~5 min read.

What we make things mean.

We’re all guilty of passing quick judgement on others. We do it everyday, most often without giving it a second thought. That idiot who cut in front of you in traffic or the uncouth teen who didn’t hold the door of the café as you were trying to get in with your stroller and a myriad of kids in tow. It’s hardwired in our brains as a remnant of a time when we had to make split-second decisions that would make the difference between life and death. It worked well as a survival heuristic, but nowadays, where the most dangerous activity most of us voluntarily engage in daily is driving, very rarely any of us have to face real and unexpected danger.

What this means is that we routinely conflate behaviours with characters traits and judge people as if one of their actions was representative of their whole character. This idiot driver may demonstrably be a terrible driver, yet mean well, in which case that behaviour is only a manifestation of their lack of technical skills and not of their moral disposition. That uncouth teen might have been going through his first break-up and be heartbroken, thus completely oblivious to your struggles as a parent with children running around you in circles.

The same goes for your clients. It is common to hear people being classified as either “good” or “bad” clients, because they engage in one type of behaviour or another. Some client is slow to pay their bills, while another is very curt when we speak to them on the phone. We’ve all had to deal with those. But what we often fail to recognize is that what we construe as a qualitative behaviour, is just a behaviour without a moral value attached to it. It’s how we react to these behaviours that makes us perceive them as being somewhere on the spectrum of bad to good, when they’re inherently neither.

If there is no bad or good client, then why do I have to deal with all these annoying behaviours?

Finding suitable clients is a bit like the courting process, you have to go through this little dance to understand if you’re a good fit for one another. There are people out there who get married on a whim and similarly there are businesses who are willing to take on any and every client without qualifying them, but it doesn’t mean that this is a good idea.

The things that are widely accepted to make a marriage work, also work with the other types of relationships. Things like honesty, respect, communication and the ability to tackle problems head-on help make these professional relationships work. That means you have to become good at knowing what you want, communicating it and vet your clients to ensure that they represent a high-probability of turning into a fruitful relationship.

It starts with working out your positioning in the marketplace. What do you do? Who do you do it for? And what do you offer that nobody else does? If you do not know the answer to one or more of these questions, there is work to be done and that’s probably a good idea for you to explore this aspect of your business. With clarity of expertise and positioning, comes the confidence and framework to identify which clients are suitable for you. The more precise you can be, the more refined will be your vetting process, because you’ll learn to ask unexpected and tough questions while expecting certain answers that are indicators of a good fit.

I would even go one step further and say that working out your vision, will further help you refine your positioning and how you communicate about your business, which in turn will help attract the right clients (learn more here). A good vision is a future-oriented desired state that expresses and summarizes your values, which when clearly expressed will either turn prospects on or shoo them away, as a form of automated vetting as the people who will contact you will eventually pre-qualify themselves (a topic for a future article).

From there, you will only perceive others’ behaviours as indicators of whether a prospect / client is a good fit or not, without judgement of value, thus removing any emotional attachment to your vetting process. You client and prospect will also thank you for being so intent on delivering maximum value to them via a narrow and deep expertise. Over time, your confidence in the process will increase as you’ll realize that it works wonders at helping finding and retaining the right clients.

Arnaud Marthouret is the founder of rvltr and leads their strategy, visual communications and media efforts. He has helped numerous architects and interior designers promote themselves in their best light - pun intended - in order to help them run more effective practices and grow in a meaningful way.

If you have questions about this article or rvltr, or want to chat about your strategy and communications, you can leave a comment, share with a friend, or reach him at arnaud{at}rvltr.studio.

How Great Architecture Firms Ruin Everything

By Dave Sharp, ~4.5 min read.

Everett Rogers, a communications expert, wrote the bible on product adoption in his 1962 book Diffusion of Innovations. In it, he explained the five stages an innovation goes through on its journey to becoming a household name:

1. Innovators

2. Early Adopters

3. Early Majority

4. Late majority

5. Laggards

An idea begins with a small, forward-thinking group, then it slowly goes mainstream via four main elements: the objective value of the innovation, communication channels, time and a social system.

In short: Do good work. Talk about your work. Wait. Meet new people.

That is super simple right? However, I understand what it's like to be an ambitious, controlling person who refuses to think long-term or leave things to chance; who makes simple things complicated just to feel challenged and productive rather than redundant and bored. In the first two years of my business, I threw out my business model on a weekly basis. My positioning was whatever I thought people wanted to pay for. I was different for every client. I got to the stage where if I was in a meeting and noticed a client perk up at the idea of a certain service, I'd rush home and rebuild my website. One week I was a Facebook ad agency. Then a copywriting agency. Then an Instagram specialist. I was like a van driving around town with a pile of magnetic signs in the back, slapping up something new every time. When that became a confusing mess, I tried putting up all of the signs at once - "I do everything for everyone."

Eventually, I decided the paint the damn van.

I learnt that you really just need to choose a thing and focus.

Stick to it.

The leap from early adopters to the early majority, from non-architects to the general public, is the part where we all get stuck. It's known as "crossing the chasm". In hindsight, I can see that my crappy positioning was just an attempt to avoid the truth: I was scared of the leap from my own personal network to the rest of the industry.

I was scared of the chasm.

It's an intimidating name because it's where most firms lose momentum and fail. It's the dangerous stage plenty of my clients are at when they seek out my consulting services. They've survived through the first few years of their firm's life just by tapping their personal network. Their small, forward-thinking, highly innovative projects have started a wildfire in the industry–but their work is still misunderstood or ignored by the mainstream, the non-architect.

The level of hype around their firm and their monthly invoices are worlds apart. When they approach me to work on their marketing, there's a dead giveaway that they're panicking at the edge of the chasm. "We've been doing great, as you know, with residential clients - but we want to start breaking into larger public and commercial..." I respond: "Okay, so who are you interested in targeting in the public and commercial space?"

They reply: "... forward-thinking, innovative decision-makers."

Notice what happened there? Facing the chasm, the moment where their work is just about to reach the non-architect, the early-majority–they turn back and look for safe harbour amongst the innovators. Moreover, terrified of repetition, they want to do something totally different to the thing that got them where they are today.

They approach the chasm by jettisoning their positioning, audience, and portfolio that they have been building consistently since the day they decided to start their own firm. They're busy scraping the paint off the side of their van just when they need to be painting on a fresh coat. Don't throw out the game-plan when you're winning at half time. Crossing the chasm is about refining your positioning, saying no to certain opportunities, and ramping up your communications to spread the word.

Why don't creative people stick to the plan?

In any other domain of professional service, an expert will seek out repetition and specialisation. By doing the same sort of thing over and over again, you begin to recognise the patterns, and this intelligence helps you to do a better job for your clients. You develop competency and efficiency. Word begins to spread. Position that intelligence around an appropriately sized niche and your business becomes un-interchangeable and thrive.

So why do creative professionals, and architects in particular, only get excited when they're faced with a brief to do something they've never done before? And more importantly, why do we see that as the bridge that will give us safe passage over the chasm from early adopters to early majority? Survivorship bias reminds us of famous architects who did lots of different things and somehow rose to the top. Frank Gehry renovated his house, then did the Guggenheim, right?

Ignore Frank, and starchitects like him. They're the exception that proves the rule. You don't hear about the thousands of firms who slowly went out of business because they couldn't focus. Effective professionals, the ones who make the most money and have the biggest impact, carve out a groove and perfect what they do. Effective professionals do good work, talk about it, wait, meet new people and repeat.

It's really that simple.

View fullsize

Dave Sharp is our first regular contributor and the founder of Vanity Projects, a social media marketing agency for entrepreneurial architecture firms. Dave’s Master's degree in architecture and work in small practices in Australia and Japan have helped him to gain a broad perspective on the architecture industry that allows him to see trends and opportunities that most people don’t and help his clients benefit from it.

If you have questions about this article, or rvltr, or want to chat about your strategy and communications, you can leave a comment, share with a fiend, or reach us at hello@rvltr.studio.

A deliberate and purposeful way to document architecture

~ 8 minute read

Note: In the context of this article, visual communications refer to photography and video and the terms are used somewhat interchangeably, as the principles enunciated here, generally apply to both fields.

It is oh-so common for us at rvltr to witness architects and designers get into panic mode, once they realize that they’re on a deadline to document their latest project because winter is coming, fast. In many cases, it denotes that this is just and overlooked aspect of running and promoting a design business and is treated like an afterthought.

This is a tremendous missed opportunity as it leads to rushed projects that cannot be properly planned and often end up costing more as a result, not to mention the risk of getting imagery that does not represent the project in its best light, tired pun intended. Good visual communications take time, thought and ignoring that fact leads to and undifferentiated identity that in turn, leads to being perceived as a commodity.

Let’s look at some of the things you can do to make the most of the documentation of your projects:

What is the purpose of documenting my projects?

The first thing you should ponder when considering documenting your latest project, is the use you’re going to make of those pictures and how they are going to help you further your short and long-term goals as a business. By defining clear business objectives, you will define a path for the photographer to take and help you further those objectives by taking pictures that serve them. Before you even consider hiring a photographer, it is a good idea to have a written, or even verbal brief that outlines what your objectives are.

This will do two things for you. First, It will allow you to seek a photographer who will be aligned with those objectives, as you will be able to use these objectives as a yardstick for compatibility. The same way it is in your best interest to position yourself clearly to attract the best clients, you’ll want to look for a photographer whose expertise is aligned with your vision. You should be prepared to ask tough questions and expect well articulated answers. Second, it can also be used by your photographer of choice as guidelines for the execution of the project.

While finding a suitable photographer aligned with your vision is a critical first step, we are going to look at the things you can do to even make that process more streamlined for the long term documentation of your work.

Transcribing values and company culture into visual communications.

You may ask yourself, “ But, what does that have to do with taking pictures of my projects?”

I’m glad you asked. By viewing the documentation of your project through the lens of your company values and culture, you will be able to articulate how those values may translate visually. For example, if creativity is your thing, showcasing your projects in a way that is unique to you may be the way to go. If your company is adept at choosing and implementing building materials in a unique way, images that are going to be more abstract and focused on details, textures and colours and how those interact with each other, will likely to be a good way to express those values. If you’re very good at designing spaces that foster social interaction, overall shots a space showing people interacting in a natural way, will make more sense.

Understanding that some of those values may be more challenging to express visually, they should nonetheless always underpin your photography efforts, even if only in an abstract way. If If you are so inclined, you can always go Full-Kubrick and play with the symbolism of your images, spaces and the objects within them.

Even if only at a subconscious level, these images will speak to your company’s uniqueness and manifest it visually in ever so subtle ways. Just like your company values may not be evident to an outsider, having them allows you to be consistent in your interactions with your stakeholders. In the same manner, being able to photographically express those values will contribute to establish a consistent visual language.  

For example, a client of mine makes sure that when they need to shoot a project, they are able to both convey the values of their business and how these translate into imagery, as well as hire a photographer who has the ability to produce such imagery. They have painstakingly developed visual style guides that are very prescriptive, yet do not expound on the technicalities of the photographic process. Instead, they use past images as great examples of what they’re looking for, accompanied with descriptive texts that describe emotions, feelings, light and spatial qualities. As a result, it makes photographing their projects a lot easier as the parameters of the documentation process and the goals are clear, yet it leaves a lot of room for interpretation and creativity. Since they hire many photographers across the world, this process has become a necessity to them, in order to ensure that they can use images from photographers working across the globe side by side, while maintaining a coherent visual identity.

The exponential value of collaboration.

You may think to yourself, but I just want beautiful pictures of my projects. Can’t I just hire a good photographer and be done with it?

Of course you can. However, missing this opportunity to get involved in the production of your photoshoot, is likely to leave you with nice images, but also images that look like every other architect’s images. A good photographer should bring a lot of these ideas to the table, but without your involvement and ideas, they will only be able to fill in the blanks with their own ideas where they’re missing information from you on the creative direction.

A great photographer will act as an art director and try to get that information from you in order to produce images that showcase your work in a unique fashion. But if you come prepared with you own photographic guidelines and a clear sense of what you’re looking to express, the photographer will be able to use his experience and technical expertise to transform this raw material made of ideas into imagery that fits your identity like a velvet glove.

Experiencing collaboration.

Allow me to speak from experience for a minute. We’ve shot hundreds of projects over the years and had all kinds of clients, from the control-freak type who wants to micro-manage every aspect of the process, to the 100% hands-off clients who let us do our thing. Pondering what made our best projects stand out from the rest, we noticed a pattern emerging over time. We invariably produce our best photography, from a creative perspective, when we work with engaged clients who are not shy to get their hands dirty and work with us closely on the documentation of their spaces.

When working with these clients who understand the value of collaboration and its power to exponentially improve the quality of the work, a dialogue emerges and the boundaries blur as we are able to get into a state of flow, where we challenge each other to think of new ways to showcase a space and we get to experiment with new techniques or non-codified ways of photographing that would not have happened without this creative conversation emerging.

This is also applies to working with other professionals like stylists, photo assistants, models and post-production experts. When working with the right people, the production process becomes a back-and-forth conversation where each team member has something of value to bring to the table and the result is greater than the sum of its parts.

Conclusion:

In the age of digital photography, social media and ubiquitous online presence, it has never been easier to take pictures of architecture. As a result, everyone is able to easily blast their projects online with some imagery. If that’s going to be the standard in the industry, you owe it to yourself to ask: “How do I stand out above the crowd”?

The process described above is only a piece of the marketing pie, albeit a critical one, because imagery is what catches people’s attention first. We see a lot of projects on a daily basis. So much so that it has become a bit of a running gag in the office to not be able to distinguish one project from the next, especially in this age of ubiquitous pastel hues, nordic wood tones on white backgrounds and rounded edges. Occasionally, one of them stands out and they usually have been very well photographed. Not only that, but there is usually something very unique about the imagery that reveals the architecture in a whole new way.

When visual communications are thought of and planned as an integral and critical part of your business efforts, starting with a clear positioning and solid values, all the pieces of the puzzle come together nicely and all of a sudden your mission becomes crystal clear. It is a lot of work to develop and implement these systems, but nothing worth accomplishing is easy, or is it?

Arnaud Marthouret is the founder of rvltr and leads their strategy, visual communications and media efforts. He has helped numerous architects and interior designers promote themselves in their best light - pun intended - in order to help them run more effective practices and grow in a meaningful way.

If you have questions about this article or rvltr, or want to chat about your strategy and communications, you can leave a comment, share with a fiend, or reach him at arnaud@rvltr.studio.

Why caring for your stakeholders is the foundation of your business

~ 6 min read.

Defining stakeholders

A stakeholder is “a person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry”, according to dictionary.com.

Your stakeholders, as the name implies, are the people who have a stake in your business, be it financial - shareholders, investors & owners; commercial - your customers and suppliers or human capital - your employees. They are the lifeblood of your company. It is commonplace to think that a business focusing only on its customers and ensuring they have a great experience will make that business successful and the rest will take care of itself. However, this is a myth as it only paints a portion of the whole picture of how your company operates and its cultural foundation.

Some companies deliberately restrict themselves to focusing solely on customers and see some success, but they usually have to spend a lot of time and energy capturing and retaining customers. Conversely, a company that delivers poor customer experience will either disappear, as customers will seek a better option, or survive solely because they operate in a captive market and there are no alternatives for the customers to turn to. Telcos are a notorious example of operating in a legally-protected market. One only needs to look at their customer service, or lack thereof if we’re honest, they typically provide.

And here lies the problem: without a clear vision, everything else gets muddied, hidden and some stakeholders are essentially given permission to cut corners at the other’s expense for expediency’s sake. We’ve all bitched and moaned about telcos’ inability to relate to their customers on a human level, but these complaints do not come from nowhere. It’s the manifestation of that lack of foresight, which puts them firmly in the commodity box and drives that industry in a never-ending race to the bottom.

The difference between a good and a great company

Great companies, however, take a completely different approach and instead of being only customer-centric, they focus on being stakeholder-centric. They understand that customer-centrism is not a full view of how their business operates because it ignores the other stakeholders. A company without customers cannot exist, as much as it cannot exist either without employees or suppliers. In simpler terms, disgruntled employees or suppliers can inflict as much damage to your business as dissatisfied customers, if not more.

These great companies understand this and practice it everyday. The likes of Whole Foods, Zappos and Vitsoe, to name only a few, have mastered it. They all practice it in different ways, but when looking into what makes them so enduringly successful, you will find that beyond great products or service, their culture is deeply rooted in building and maintaining long-term relationships with their stakeholders.

Let’s take a look at how they do it.

Culture stems from vision

Almost universally, great companies did not start with a great product or service, although they very often have them, but with a great sense of purpose. Their founder’s aspirations to change the world and contribute to the greater good, were turned into a purpose that is easy to understand and get behind. After all, who would not want to change the world for the better? Great leaders have the ability to rally people behind their purpose through various means, but they all have one thing in common, they believe in their purpose so much that they have the ability to effortlessly enrol people in their cause, often with nothing more than sheer enthusiasm and energy.

Apple’s early David vs. Goliath anti-IBM ethos, Tesla’s desire to turn the sustainable energy industry on its head or Zappos’ mission to make online shopping an outstanding experience all evolved from their founder’s profound desire to change the world. They don’t always start the company with a great sense of purpose, but it evolves quickly by necessity, as a way to position themselves uniquely in their respective markets and survive in the marketplace.

A vision, although the extension of a founder’s own moral values, has the ability to unite stakeholders behind clear and honourable values. In other words, it articulates the founder’s own desires and aspirations into a palatable idea that people can easily understand and support. In having an altruistic purpose to follow, it gives stakeholders a moral compass to follow and if aligned with their own values, makes it very easy.

Your Culture

A company’s culture isn’t something that can be described easily, as it pervades every aspect of a business. The ways a company communicates, operates, treats its stakeholders and makes decisions all contribute to its culture. Every company has a culture, some operate by default and others are very deliberate in how they shape their culture. Needless to say that companies operating on a weak or “by default” culture, often face challenges and struggle to make the right decisions because they is no clear framework for decision that has been established.

Although the culture is intangible and shows up in every action of every stakeholders, there are tools out there that will help you shape your culture. Taking the time to define a vision (future-oriented purpose), a mission (what the company does, whom it does it for and how it does it) and core values (the rules of engagement) is a great exercise that will be the foundation of any business.

Making decisions, choosing which customers to pursue, deciding on areas of business development and choosing who to hire all of a sudden become a lot easier, because you now have a framework in place that can be used as a yardstick to make those countless decisions without thinking about it. Surrendering to a great purpose also makes your life a lot easier as we all suffer from decision fatigue. Think of it as a kind of automated decision-making process that takes care of your business.

Some parting thoughts

You may wonder why I spent so much time talking about culture in a writing about stakeholders and may even feel cheated by my cheap ploy. Culture and stakeholders are intimately intertwined as your stakeholders are your agents of culture and your culture guides your stakeholders’ actions.

Even though some people manage to get by without ever making the connection between the two, great companies understand that a culture cannot live on without stakeholders, and vice versa, if what makes the company great is to outlive its founders. I will discuss in an upcoming article the practical aspects of building a solid cultural foundation for your company and some ways you could go about it.

Note: This is the subject of a recent presentation I gave on the topic that delves into this deeper (access it here).

Arnaud Marthouret is the founder of rvltr and leads their strategy, visual communications and media efforts. He has helped numerous architects and interior designers promote themselves in their best light - pun intended - in order to help them run more effective practices and grow in a meaningful way.

If you have questions about this article or rvltr, or want to chat about your strategy and communications, you can leave a comment, share with a fiend, or reach him at arnaud@rvltr.studio.

Truth Is Golden ep. 206 - Loosen Up A Little, with Paul Petrunia

In episode 206, the third instalment in our series on LA creatives, Paul Petrunia talked about his upbringing in the Canadian prairies, how Arthur Erickson influenced him to be an architect, his ill-fated career as a teen ballet dancer and his cultural confusion as an expat torn between American and Canadian cultures. Going back to the early Internet days when he started a dot-com business in the middle of the lake late 90's boom to today and his life as the man behind the popular Architecture website archinect.com.

About the podcast: The intent behind our podcast series "Truth Is Golden" is to look at renowned creatives and their work with a critical eye. We aim to ask deep questions in order to peel back the layers of marketing, clever one-liners and sexy branding. We want to show the world what it truly takes for genuinely creative forces to find their own voice build a career on what is very often nothing more than a drive to do things differently. We want to hear about the successes, the failures, the inspirational stories and the lessons gleaned from all of it. We want the truth, so that we can inspire other people to fulfill their own creative aspirations and in the process contribute to making the world a better place.

Credits:
Post-Production: Ryan Aktari
Music credit: Bounce Trio, Star Animal, 2014.
Organ & Keys : Matthieu Marthouret
Ténor Sax : Toine Thys
Drums : Gautier Garrigue
Composed by Toine Thys (copyrights SABAM).

Buy it on BandCamp :
weseemusicstore.bandcamp.com/album/smal…big-rivers

More info and music here :
www.youtube.com/user/weseemusic
www.matthieumarthouret.com
www.facebook.com/MatthieuMarthouret.Music/

A guide to getting published for architects, part II - Corollary.

~4 minute read.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how to get published as an architect. Here’s a follow-up article.

What is the purpose of getting my projects published?

As a designer, you constantly need to generate new work, it’s the reality of running a design business. If you have more work than you can handle, congratulations! You may want to skip the rest of this article, unless you think there is an opportunity to increase the caliber of the work you’re doing, also known as going beyond doing bread and butter work and moving into the aspirational work territory. If that is your case, don’t leave just yet!

For everyone still reading, getting your work published is likely to be one of the few instrumental ways for you to feed that new client pipeline and keep your office busy, depending on the type work you currently do, the type of work you want to do and the type of clients you have.

But it is for me?

I’m glad you asked. The following questions will help you answer that question:

• Do you have enough work?

• Do you work with the type of clients that you enjoy and want to be working with?

• Do you mostly do the type of work that you enjoy and want to be doing?

• Are your employees happy, engaged and interested in the work you do?

• Are you personally happy, engaged and interested in the work you do?

• Is your business healthy and profitable?

• Do you have a good work/life balance?

• Have you built a brand that you are proud of?

• Is your work of a publishing-worthy caliber?

If you’ve answered yes to all this you can skip the rest. If you’ve answered no to any of these questions, read on, publishing may help you reaching your business goals.

I really want to get published! How do I go about this?

I an ideal world, this is where you would seek help from a professional (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) to assess your current situation and put together a plan of action tailored to your needs. However, I’m going to lay out a brief DYI checklist of what you should consider when publishing your projects:

1. Review and assess the company culture and what makes you unique in the marketplace.

2. Think long and hard about the audience you’re trying to reach (aka your ideal clients) and what they are likely to read.

3. Based on your findings in 1 and 2, think about the story angles you can take to talk about, aspects of your project that would appeal to your clientele and speak truthfully to what your company stands for.

4. Taking into consideration all of the above, think of magazines that would be a good fit for each project. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

5. Submit to publications (how to do so is a topic for future article).

6. Relentlessly follow-up.

On general interest magazines and trade publications.

There are two type of publications out there: general interest publications, like newspapers, design magazines and shelter magazines on one side and trade-specific magazines on the other.

While they both are beneficial to architects and designers, they don’t serve the same purpose. You want to consider each of them based the goals that you should have set out in your media relations strategy. General-interest publications are very useful to get in front of potential clients (if, for example, residential design is one of your areas of expertise) and to build a public reputation. Trade magazines are useful to get in front of corporate clients as well as building a reputation within your industry and creating opportunities to collaborate with other professionals within your field.

On how to reach out to publications

There are a few DYI platforms out there that can help you achieve these goals simply and cost effectively, which may be a good option for you. If you’re too busy and have the budget to hire a communications professional, it is a great idea, if only for the fact that they can look at your body of work critically and use their expertise to make the best recommendations for you. Look for someone who will take the time to diagnose before they prescribe. Having a list of contacts in the publishing industry certainly helps too, but the strategic part is the critical piece of that puzzle. A well crafted media relations strategy, along with a few solid story angles that publications can latch on to, is more likely to pique an editor’s curiosity and get you published.

Arnaud Marthouret is the founder of rvltr and leads their strategy, visual communications and media efforts. He has helped numerous architects and interior designers promote themselves in their best light - pun intended - in order to help them run more effective practices and grow in a meaningful way.

If you have questions about this article or rvltr, or want to chat about your strategy and communications, you can leave a comment, share with a fiend, or reach him at arnaud@rvltr.studio.

Anatomy Of A Diagnostic Workshop

~9 minute read.

Last week, we introduced the idea of using empathy as a method to help our clients become more effective communicators. This week, we walk you through the process of doing so.

Empathetic communications IS the process.

In the first step of working with a client, we take them through a diagnostic workshop, where we spend a few hours with them, asking questions and challenging them to think outside the box. This initial engagement allows us to get to know them well quickly and uncover a lot of vital information, such as aspirations, fears and challenges.

The purpose of this short but intense seminar, is not to lead them towards a particular direction but simply to give them the space to express themselves freely. The questions simply help them focus on specific topics and not get sidetracked into irrelevant sidebars. During that process, we ask them about how they perceive themselves to be, their clients, as well as what their goals, successes and challenges are.

We then move on to visioning exercises, where we ask them to take stock of their current situation and then ask them to speak to where they see themselves going in the future, what they think their clients desires, fears and aspirations are as well as well as a subjective audit of their current communications and how effectively they serve the business’ growth.

Syllable Design, a young and dynamic architecture and interior design firm recently did one such workshop with us. The results coming out of this engagement defied everyone’s expectations, including our own. In the course of one afternoon, we sat down with them and walked them through the following exercises:

1. Check-in: introduce yourself to the group

This is a short exercise where participants are asked to introduce themselves on a more personal level. Despite the fact that within a small business, people will know each other well, it’s a great exercise to put everyone on an equal footing. A “no pecking order” rule helps with giving people, especially the ones lower on the totem pole, the permission to speak and voice their opinions, setting the stage for a more egalitarian voicing of opinions later on.

2. Agreement on outcome and expectations

This is where we re-affirm the non-hierarchical structure of the workshop and get everybody to agree to our rules of engagement. As we want to create a space where each opinion can be voiced freely, we ask everyone to agree to leave hierarchy, prejudice and assumptions behind. This is a critical step in creating an atmosphere of trust and openness to get the most out of the participants and maximise the potential of this workshop.

3. Creative ice-breaker

The idea behind this short, yet very fun part of the workshop is to play. Play as a way to get the creative juices flowing and allow people to create quick ideas without letting their own internal censorship device stop them. A favorite our ours is to do a few rounds of passing a randomly picked object around and ask people to mime (no words allowed!) a situation, object or idea for others to guess. Watch what happens after a few rounds of this.

4. Get to know your own business

As the tongue in cheek title of this exercise suggests, it is meant to allow our clients to look at themselves with a fresh set of eyes, the idea being that most business owners - and their teams - are so focused on the day to day running of their business that they tend to forget the big picture. We ask the big questions that bring this mission back to the fore. By doing so we are able to get everybody’s input on where the business has been and where it’s going. We also get a chance to uncover potential disagreements on the methods, the goals or both and make note of them to address later.

5. Clients relationship review + discussion

This is where the real fun begins. We get to talk about the relationships between the business and its clients. We explore the extent of these relationships and how they’re nurtured in service of the business. This allows for the uncovering of long and short-term goals as well as further explore alignment of the team on those issues.

6. Client relationship visioning + breakout

Given what was uncovered in the previous section, it sets the stage for a breakout session where we ask the participants to think like their clients would; and put themselves in their shoes. We ask about desires, fears and aspirations. This is where lively debates occur as to what client might be feeling like when dealing with the business. We wrap up by asking what can be done differently based on those findings arising from the conversations.

7. Communications review

This section is a subjective sweep of all external + internal communications in order to determine the current direction and possibly uncover new ideas. This is a primer for the following section.

8. Communications visioning + breakout

In this exercise, we ask the workshop attendees to envision what they think their stakeholders want to see from them. How to best utilize their business’ “voice” to communicate effectively, with originality and provide their audience with great value.

9. Summary / Wrap-up

At the end of the workshop, we check in with the participants and ask what was learned, what worked well and what could have been better. We believe that since we’re asking of our clients to reveal so much about themselves, it is only fair that we lead by example and have an open conversation about our work. Direct, honest-to-goodness feedback is what fuels us to continuously improve ourselves.

What they got out of it.

In working with Syllable, we helped them uncover a number of unmet needs and blind spots, because they had spent so much time working in their business that they had neglected to take a step back and dedicated the time to work on it.

We were also able to ascertain how aligned all 4 employees (2 founding partners and 2 full-time employees) truly were when it came to the important things regarding the future of the business. It turns out that the alignment in vision and goals for the future was fairly high, but the workshop also enabled us to uncover a few disagreements, not so much on the end goals but rather on means to achieve these goals. Overall, what that meant is that their culture, although still in its infancy, is already showing signs of maturation in the right direction and if nurtured has the potential to become a great company in a few short years.

Knowing about these disagreements is also great, because it brings them front and center for the clients and they have no choice but to acknowledge and deal with them. As for us, it gives us a direction as to where we need to take them next in order to help them iron out the kinks and ensure that their goal of long-term success becomes a reality. They have great ambitions for the near-future after all, so our jobs is to help them get there.

In light of these findings, we came up with a plan to take them to the next level:

1. Developing and refining their culture by formalizing it in the form of a vision, a mission (or positioning statement) and a set of values, alongside with cultural guidelines aimed at keeping it alive going forward.

2. Developing a communications strategy and guidelines to unify the culture into coherent and consistent communications, internally and externally. Defining the “voice” of the business along with operational standards to facilitate the delegation of such tasks as the company grows.

3. We also identified areas of further work such as lead generation, sales process and media relations to be tackled further down the road.

The entire team at Syllable was so inspired by this workshop that they have started taking on some of those issues without our help, which is extremely rewarding for us as we see this as a sign that they felt empowered enough by our revelations that they couldn’t wait to tackle some of those things, such as:

• Codifying roles and responsibilities, and building accountability structures to support those roles.

• Formalizing processes and writing SOPs for common and repetitive tasks.

• Refining and narrowing their area of focus to generate more interesting and profitable work.

• Developing strategies to strengthen the team collaboration and reinforce their nascent culture.

But I will let Danny Tseng, one of the two partners say it in his own words:

Danny Tseng of Syllable Design talks about what his studio got from doing a workshop with us.

Conclusion:

Syllable was a pleasure to work with, they readily accepted our unusual workshop format and played along with an open mind. The result, beyond what’s been described above, is a sense of clarity and purpose as far as their direction as a business and what it will take for them to get there. The ha-ha moments that we were able to extract out of them during the workshop were unexpected and very promising, lighting a fire in their belly that has kept burning in the few months since our intervention, as we have been keeping tabs on their progress. In practical terms, they have made a myriad little operational changes that have already started making them more effective team members. A more unified and happy workforce makes the business more productive and freed up some time for them continue developing new areas of the company. They are currently putting a lot of thinking into the type of work and clients they want to work with.

Arnaud Marthouret is the founder of rvltr and leads their strategy, visual communications and media efforts. He has helped numerous architects and interior designers promote themselves in their best light - pun intended - in order to help them run more effective practices and grow in a meaningful way.

If you have questions about this article or rvltr, or want to chat about your strategy and communications, you can reach him at arnaud@rvltr.studio.

Truth Is Golden Ep. 205 - Less Is More Or Less w/ Dan Brunn

Dan Brunn’s early life in Tel Aviv, subsequent move with his family to Southern California at age 7 and his later nomadic lifestyle as a adult certainly did not make his life easy, yet set the stage for a highly creative and driven character to develop. Someone as uncompromising as he is a kind soul who wants to do good in the world. Dan is a young architect based out of LA creating buildings inspired by the Bauhaus aesthetic he grew up around in Tel Aviv, but also influenced by Southern California modernism. We chatted about what moves him, his very early love for architecture, his influences as well as his love of cars, music, food and travel. Listen in to hear Dan speak about his work and life.

A vision for the future of architecture?

~ 4 minutes read

In the countless business-oriented books that one can find, there is a trend in recent years of books discussing the core of a successful enterprise. Heavily rooted in empathy, sometimes explicitly, sometimes not, it makes empathetic interpersonal relationships the center of attention. Heck, Entire businesses are created around developing empathy-based company cultures and leadership.

There are many stories of business leaders and creatives who created businesses (and failed many, many times while doing it) that were centered on providing satisfaction to their stakeholders in one form of another. There are books focused on teaching us to be better listeners, claiming that in this culture of telling, listening is a rare skill that can lead to great outcomes when wielded properly.

Over the last few years, while continuously educating myself on the matter, in order to understand empathy better and more importantly, why it has become such an integral part of the business thinking zeitgeist, I integrated some of these lessons in my own work. This led to developing services helping architects to develop better cultures and communication strategies.

What is empathy anyway? The dictionary definition is as follows:

“The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.”

It’s when someone tells you the details of a creepy story and you get the heebie-jeebies because you can picture yourself in that predicament. It’s when you become sad because your friend lost a loved one and you remember your own similar experience from a few years ago. It’s when someone tells you about skydiving out a flying plane and you get a rush of adrenaline just imagining what it would feel like.

You may say “OK empathy is great, but what’s your point?” Empathy is important because by gaining a deeper understanding of another’s circumstances helps us understand any given situation better. Combined with the outsider’s perspective, we are now equipped to help others overcome seemingly intractable problems, by having the ability to look past the blinders, yet understand their position at the same time, in other words effectively putting ourselves in their proverbial shoes.

The epiphany

On this journey to learn more about empathy and relationships, I slowly came to the conclusion that the architecture and design industry was in dire need of such help. In the course of my work, I get to interact with many architects and designers and invariably end up looking at their communications and marketing at one point or another. What became painfully evident to me is that there is a trend in the industry for incredibly uniform communications. In other words, architects, by and large, all convey the same message. You can go to any of their websites and you’ll find very similar descriptions of their companies, culture and work.

This lack of distinction in the way firms communicate leads to a general perception that architects are a commodity and therefore interchangeable. While this is also true in many other industries and conversely, one can find designers out there who stand out and buck the trend, the architecture industry is incredibly uniform in that sense. I believe that this is due to a couple of reasons:

1. Architecture schools don’t teach critical business skills: Marketing, communications, business management, sales and HR among others are painfully absent from architecture curriculums, or an afterthought at best. The heavy emphasis on design and technical knowledge creates amazing designers but largely ill-equipped business leaders.

2. Architects are generalists: Architects are trained to be generalists and often try to do everything. I think the future of the business lies in hyper-specialization. Instead of competing with a virtually infinite numbers of generalist firms, there is value in picking a niche and becoming the best at that very thing, competing with few or better yet, no firms at all. It may seem scary and limiting, but is in reality liberating because it cuts out a bunch of distracting activities and focuses a firm on one, narrow area of expertise.

Equipped with that knowledge and seeing the opportunity to change the way architects communicate in order to change the public’s perception of the value of architecture (#architecturematters) we are helping clients develop their culture, visual communications and marketing strategy.

Stay tuned for next week’s follow-up article on how we went about doing this.

What do you think stands to be improved in the architectural field?

Timing your visual communications to run a better business

~ 4.5 minutes read

In the typical cycles of business, we are now fully in the 100-day sprint, the roughly 100-day period between now and the holidays where businesses are the most productive. People are coming back refreshed from vacation, kids are back in school and summer is gone, so there is no more excuses to play hooky and go hide at the cottage. Lake water is too cold anyway. That is, until the end of the year, before people take off again for the holidays to go skiing in Gstaad.

In the realm of visual communications and specifically architectural photography, not only we are subject to business cycles as described above, but even more so to seasonal conditions. That translates into a shooting season - without guns -  that extends from roughly May to November, coinciding with vegetation being in a suitable state and the weather being cooperative to allow for good photographs of your buildings and spaces. In that timespan we get all kinds of colours and textures, from the vivid bright greens and flower blooms of spring to the colourful fall season, without forgetting the deep greens of the mature, midsummer vegetation.

When you superimpose the seasons with the traditional business cycles, it looks something like this: post-christmas coma and hibernation from January to May, spring awakening in May-June, Summer slump (a.k.a. Spending summer at the cottage) in July-August and 100-day sprint from September to Christmas time a.k.a. “Shit! I need to wrap up my projects” period.

Photography seasons

Why should I care?

We are in the last 50 or so days of good, predictable weather and decent vegetation before we are stuck with cold, shitty weather for the following 6 months which makes architectural photography quasi-impossible. Some projects are suitable to be photographed in winter, but these are the exception to the rule. Timing a project with a snowfall is also extremely challenging as winter snow tends to turn into slush in the city after a day or two and believe me when I say you don’t want to shoot in those conditions. If you’re an interior designer you might think “Haha, nice try, but this doesn’t apply to me!” as you’re not subject to weather.

While you’d be correct in thinking so from a technical and logistical perspective, let’s not forget the dreaded award season, from post-christmas to the early summer, where most award submissions are due. Marketing professionals spend most of that time working on submissions, on top of the million other things they usually have to do like managing social media, RFPs, etc. Based on my experience, most of them do not want to deal with managing photoshoots on top of that.

Ok, so all of this is self-serving, but how does it apply to me?

I’m glad you asked. Well, taking into consideration all of the above, what that means to you, is that by and large, you are left with 60 days (90 for interior design projects) to plan, execute and complete your photography projects before everyone in your office switches to holiday mode and slows down to a crawl for about a month, spending more time thinking about that vacation in Gstaad or the dreaded presents they need to get for their incredibly hard to please in-laws.

Considering that it takes easily 3-6 weeks to plan, prepare for and execute a shoot, there isn’t a lot of time left to get that accomplished. With professional pictures in hand before the the season’s end, you will be able to do the following:

• Promote your latest 2018 projects to prospects with the goal to sign new clients, and keep feeding new prospects in your pipeline.

• Have your images ready for your winter slump, when your marketing people will want to have them handy for the 10 million + 2019 award submissions they’re going to prepare. Believe you me, they will thank you.

• Wrap up the current year with completed projects, which should bring a sense of accomplishment to your practice and boost morale before the seasonal affective disorder sets in. Happy employees = productive employees.

• Take advantage of the winter slump to plan and prepare your 2019 press submissions and scour the newest editorial calendars, in order to time your media relations accordingly and increase your chances of being published, not to mention that beautiful photographs will help you in the matter.

All of the above, accomplishes one thing: it makes your practice more efficient and more effective on many fronts. Which results in less time spent scrambling to get something done at the last minute, more time to do other important business things (or more time for yourself) as well as a long-term increase in your profitability because you now run a lean, mean business development machine.

After all, who wouldn’t like more time and increased profits?

If you have questions about this article or rvltr, or want to book your fall 2018 shoot, you can reach us at hello@rvltr.studio.

Vetting Clients = Power

~ 6 minute read

It’s just like dating.

Unlike many other professional service providers, architects sell services that routinely tie them to a client for multi-year projects, often taking one, two or even more years from kick-off to occupancy. Such long term relationships eventually move past the honeymoon phase to settle into a routine, a more casual association where each party gets to know the other more intimately. Much like a romantic relationship, the qualities, quirks and annoying behaviour traits of the other naturally rise to the surface, as people get more comfortable with one another.

There is nothing inherently good or bad about this, but it does beg the question: How do we ensure that one chooses the right kind of clients? Much like one should probably not get married on a whim, designers ought to spend time ensuring that the clients they take on are a good fit, both from a service provider perspective, as well as on a personal level, as the two eventually become intertwined as the relationship evolves.

A quick sidebar on residential architecture.

I’ve personally heard many an architect say that their relationships with residential clients are way closer to a friendship than strictly a business exchange, because in order to design a suitably customized space, the architect has to know their client intimately on, or even beyond the level that a close friend or a family member would. Boundaries become blurred and the relationship becomes a hybrid that can at times lead to awkward situations, because the architect is both a friend and a service professional, a confidant as well as accountable for the work they do.

While the architect has the moral obligation to behave professionally and be on the ball when it comes to dealing with issues, working with carefully selected clients through a vetting process ensures that, when the shit hits the proverbial fan, there is enough trust and confidence at on personal level to maintain a good relationship. A poorly-suited client would be more likely to use problems as an excuse to drag the relationship into adversarial territory, due to lack of rapport and trust. Something to be avoided at any cost.

How does vetting work?

A few weeks ago, we looked at what to do when dealing with unreasonable clients, and briefly touched on the idea of vetting clients. Many professionals are all too willing to subject themselves to client interviews, but few do take advantage of the opportunity to flip the interview on its head and interview their prospective clients in return, the prospect of more business being too tempting to risk letting go.

In the sales process, once a fitting prospect has been identified, the first step in establishing the relationship is to demonstrate value of your expertise and quickly win the polite battle for the control and get some face time with your prospect (a topic for another article). The following step is to move on to the the qualifying conversation where prospective clients are interviewed to determine if they’re a good fit. A number of questions need to be answered in order to do so.

From objective questions, like:

• “Do the client’s objectives align with ours?”

• “Can we confidently deliver on what they’re asking for?”

• “Do they have a budget and timeline?”

• “Have the decision makers been identified?”

To the more subjective ones, such as:

• “Would I happily go have a drink and shoot the shit with them?”

• “Am I able to uncover their deepest fears in order to address them?”

• “Do I understand their aspirations and can I help them achieve these goals?”

• “Do we share the same values?”

It can be accomplished by spending a bit of time with the prospect, asking a lot of very specific questions aimed at uncovering the needs, fears and aspirations of the prospective client and listening intently to the answers. Letting them answer each question as they see fit. Mastering interviewing clients is a rare skill, but the good news is that it’s something that can be learned through practice. Since this is a qualifying interview, it should be clear to both parties that the intent of the meeting is to determine fit. The next steps being discussed and mutually agreed upon at the conclusion of this discussion.

The art of shutting up and listening.

In a previous article, we covered the art of humble inquiry. I personally like to start with very general questions so the prospect can tell me in their own words what they think they are about. Since I am looking to work with people who share similar cultural traits, I usually ask them to tell me what their company culture is like. From there, we move on to goals, aspirations, challenges, successes and failures. Getting these questions answered should paint a pretty accurate picture of what that firm is about.

From there, more aspirational questions can be asked in the form of spontaneous visioning exercises, for example, asking about where they would like to see themselves three years from now. Which will reveal as much about what they aspire to as it will also reveal the gap they have to bridge to get there. This is gold for the rest of the conversation, as now there should be a pretty clear picture of what the clients goals are and from there it can be determined if our services are suited for them.

Your gut is right (most of the time).

If there is a good fit, your gut should tell you by now. Conversely, if there is no fit, now is the time to politely say so and make a graceful exit, as it’s a very bad idea to force a relationship where there shouldn’t be one. Like other areas of life, it’s better to accept that we’re not meant to get along with absolutely everyone. With that being said, with a good lead generation process, most of the prospects knocking on the door should be somewhat pre-qualified at the very least interested in what is on offer. If that’s not the case, then it’s time to review your lead generation strategy to find out where the breakdown in communications is.

Where to go from there?

Now is the time to co-define the next steps. A fit has been established and the last thing that should happen is to leave the prospect without pre-determined and mutually agreed upon next steps. Depending on where that conversation ended, you should be somewhere between a verbal agreement to proceed and an interest in pursuing the conversation further, but whichever case you find yourself in, the next steps should be crystal clear to both you and the prospect.

I want to conclude with this thought: throughout this vetting process, it is by gently taking control of the conversation that you can lay the foundation for good communications and give prospects a glimpse of what it is like to work with you, simply by acting and being a certain way, which should be congruent with who you are. As an expert in your field you want to create and maintain said expertise and it shows in huge part in the way we interact with one another.

Talk is cheap, actions matter.

If you liked this, please share with a friend and let us know your thoughts in the comments!



 

Community Leadership Lessons From An Entrepreneurial Artist

~ 7 Minute read.

In the ongoing raging debate about Toronto’s laneways and what to make of them, no one seems to be able to generate a consensus as to what should be allowed, prohibited and the amount of density that’s reasonable. I have my own opinions on the matter but that’s for another writing.

Working quietly in the background is Womxn Paint, an organization empowering women artists to express themselves through their art. Womxn Paint organizes a yearly jam, now in its second year, to transform a carefully selected downtown alleway into an outdoor art gallery, while making a big celebration out of it.

Beyond the celebratory aspect, it also creates a platform for the artists stories to be heard and raises the awareness of the potential for laneways to be become animated public spaces (more on that later). Headed by our friend, the indefatigable Bareket, Womxn Paint is a celebration of art and a demonstration of how community leadership can bring positive change with nothing more than cans of paint and an unwavering drive. Bareket is known around Toronto for her murals and you will have no doubt seen her “Smile” traffic signal control boxes around the city.
 

@bkez and Chloe the mural dog.

Entrepreneurial Skills.

This community enterprise requires serious relationship and entrepreneurial skills, showing us that being an artist, is not just about producing art that gets people excited, and although that’s important, one has to get that art in front of the right eyeballs for it to have an impact. In other words, talent alone does not make a successful artist.

You may have guessed where I’m going with this? Yes, you’re right, this applies to architects too! The most visible ones are not always the most talented ones, but those who have one way or another developed solid business savvy. More often than not, their awesome tactical and operational skills were not learned in school, but elsewhere. It goes to show that soft skills are just as important as acquired technical knowledge to make any enterprise successful, particularly design businesses.

Say what you want about Bareket’s ability to produce beautiful art with a positive message, it’s her communications, relationships and permanent positive attitude, as well as her ability to mobilize an army of other artists that makes her laneway painting events possible.
 

Let’s not forget about the purpose behind it all.

What makes her successful in bringing all of this together? I’m going to go out on a limb and identify the following key aspects of her success:

1. The organization has a clear purpose, that makes it easy for like-minded people to get behind it.

2. The whole project is a collaboration with different entities, both institutional and private working towards a common goal and that goal isn’t “let’s paint pretty murals”. It forces organizations like StART, Womxn Paint (and even rvltr!) and many others, to collaborate with each other in support of that purpose. Without it, it would just be a bunch of people painting murals in an alleyway.

3. Her event is inspiring and community driven.

4. She’s a strategic communicator thanks to her past experiences in marketing and PR and knows how to garner attention quickly and effectively.

5. Did we mention that this whole endeavour culminates in a big party, where the public is invited to take over a laneway for a day and enjoy the art as it’s being painted on walls and garage doors? The warm embrace of the community, both the local residents and owners of the alleyway who have welcomed Womxn Paint in their literal backyard as well as the general public, makes it very difficult to dislike as it is inclusive of just about anyone who wants to participate.

To me, #1 is the key to everything else, without it, it would be a lot harder to get support from all the various stakeholders and would end up having competing interests fighting for limited resources and each trying to pull the project in a different direction.

Womxn Paint’s clear purpose short-circuits all of that and serves as a reminder for everybody involved that the end result is meant to be greater than the sum of it parts (also the topic of an upcoming webinar of ours). Which leads me to my next point.
 

Collaboration vs. Competition

All these talented artists could be vying for the same rare and valuable mural real estate, each competing for a piece of the same pie. Womxn Paint takes the opposite approach, where they grow the pie itself, allowing a bigger piece for each artist. They do so by creating events and culturally relevant art that people actually want to see, instead of single painted pieces by individual artists. Fittingly, this year’s theme is “Uplifting each other”, underlining the importance of the event in creating a space where the artists can support one another as they’re building their respective careers.

And that’s the basis of creating value, as the total value of the project is much greater than the sum of its parts. It does so by building and fostering a sense of community around a topic that these people are passionate about.

I will sound like a broken record, but designers have a lot to learn from this. Instead of competing for the same pie, there are things that can be done to raise the way we value design as a society. Toon Dreesen, Principal at Architects DCA is a tireless advocate for #architecturematters and design as a way to bring about positive change in society. A lot of what he bring to the public discourse touches on how the higher upfront cost of good design can be offset by massive savings down the road in the way buildings are operated and maintained. Value engineering has a tendency to save costs upfront and defer them to future generations.

If a vocal and intransigent minority of architects, following Taleb’s example of the dictatorship of vocal minorities banded together with the likes of Toon, it wouldn’t be long until the changes we are seeking would come into effect. Alas, the industry is very siloed with people who are friendly-ish with each other, but still compete for all the same jobs at the micro level and then complain that their pricing structure is a race to the bottom, without looking at the state of the industry at the macro level.

Dreesen argues that if design and architecture were more valued as a society, then there would be more money spent on good design, because there would be an underlying tacit understanding of its intrinsic value. There are countless examples out there of markets that were created virtually overnight simply by finding new and innovative ways to demonstrate the value of a product or service (check out Terry O’Reilly’s podcast for that, he tells these stories better than I ever will).

The million dollar question is: What can architects do today, to raise the cultural awareness of the value of good design the same way Womxn Paint is doing for mural artists?

One final thought.

Art is a powerful tool for transformation. It has the amazing ability to draw us out of our day-to-day routine and send powerful messages, whether it’s mesmerizing visuals that get you to zone out and create your own universe in your head; or in the case of Womxn Paint, the activation of an underutilised and drab laneway, turning it into an open-air art gallery, bringing people together. Until the condos start sprouting up that is. Art is often relegated to the “nice-to-have” category, but I believe that what’s happening with Womxn Paint shows us that perhaps we have our priority backwards. Creativity and play should be encouraged, fostered and celebrated every day.
 

If you liked this or think you have an answer to the question above, please share with a friend and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Truth Is Golden ep. 204 - Multicultural Modernism

In episode 204, we interviewed veteran architect and globe-trotter Steven Ehrlich, founder and principal at EYRC, a Los Angeles based architecture studio working under the tenet of "Multicultural Modernism". Steven talked about his formative years on the east coast, his early career in Africa as a member of the peace corps, Creativity and the challenges and inspiration that come with running a small, but mighty and well respected practice.

The intent behind our podcast series "Truth Is Golden" is to look at renowned creatives and their work with a critical eye. We aim to ask deep questions in order to peel back the layers of marketing, clever one-liners and sexy branding. We want to show the world what it truly takes for genuinely creative forces to find their own voice build a career on what is very often nothing more than a drive to do things differently. We want to hear about the successes, the failures, the inspirational stories and the lessons gleaned from all of it. We want the truth, so that we can inspire other people to fulfill their own creative aspirations and in the process contribute to making the world a better place.

Credits:
Post-Production: Ryan Aktari
Music: Bounce Trio, Star Animal, 2014.
Organ & Keys : Matthieu Marthouret
Ténor Sax : Toine Thys
Drums : Gautier Garrigue
Composed by Toine Thys (copyrights SABAM).

Buy it on BandCamp :
weseemusicstore.bandcamp.com/album/smal…big-rivers

More info and music here :
www.youtube.com/user/weseemusic
www.matthieumarthouret.com
www.facebook.com/MatthieuMarthouret.Music/

Asking Better Questions Leads To Better Outcomes

The HGTV effect.

Architecture is a slow craft that takes years to master. Creating something as complex as a building involves a tremendous amount of expertise. It is common for even the simplest of today’s buildings to be touched by hundreds of hands in the process of designing and building it. It is also a concept that’s very difficult to grasp for neophytes. Somehow, it is very common to find people who think they have a good understanding of building science and the art of designing buildings even if their experience stops at being a mere building user.

Let’s call it the HGTV effect, which makes designing building, house flipping and home renos look easy because it is scripted for TV and this mass-consumption content is designed to make complex issues appear effortless. We all know that the reality is vastly different. So, what to do when a client shows up and they think they know everything and can “do it themselves”?

 

Empathy and listening skills.

This is where empathy and listening skills come in. The same way you wouldn’t trust a doctor who would prescribe a treatment before a proper diagnosis, your duty as a designer is to diagnose your clients from the start to ensure that your work with the right people and that your relationships are being managed properly.

A proper diagnosis starts with asking the right kind of questions and then listening. Intently. This is where the magic happens, because all of a sudden, your clients are given the space to open up and say what’s truly on their mind. You can really get gold from doing this and it’s a skill that just about anyone can acquire with enough deliberate practice. Asking great questions early and often will also contribute to positioning you as the expert in the relationship as you are purposely taking the reigns of the relationship. Remember, this is what clients are paying you big money for, to lead the engagement and guide them gently but firmly in the right direction.

Don’t tell them what to do.

We live in a culture of telling, which makes this kind of more reflective practice at times difficult because our instincts push us to talk more than we listen. Telling people assumes that the other person does not know what you’re talking about and can be condescending, which in turns impedes the building of trust-based relationships.

A ready-made method for better relationships.

Ed Schein, in his book Humble Inquiry teaches us how to practice such a deliberate and structured form of listening. In it, he explains in great detail and with very telling examples how humble inquiry works. It requires being in a state of mind of non-judgmental curiosity, where the questions we ask are genuinely and openly giving the interlocutor permission to speak freely, without trying to lead them in a particular direction.

It also requires the willingness and ability to put oneself in a temporary vulnerable position of humility, described by schein as “here and now humility” which demonstrates that we are willing to put ourselves in a position of dependence with regards to the other person, which builds trust and enables them to open up more. As we are all more or less dependent on other people, there are many situations in life where this skill can come in handy.

For people at the top of any kind of hierarchy, it is even more critical to learn how to master those skills, as people in position of power tend to be by default deferred to, making it more difficult for subordinates to bring up difficult topics. In a designer-client relationship, this is particularly helpful because it gives the client permission to be more open about their fears, desires and aspirational goals. It also breaks down the natural defences that we all tend to put up when we find ourselves in a situation where saving face is more important than achieving our goals.

 

How does that apply to a design practice?

In the running of a design practice, we are reliant on our clients to get critical information to make any given project successful. Mastering humble inquiry, puts the client temporarily in the driver seat, giving permission to share information in a safe, non-judgmental way. After all, we all strive to look good, but that comes with a price, when putting up a always-positive front, we tend to engage our ego, that’s just human nature. It results in a skin-deep image of our self that we project to the world. Breaking down that barrier and getting deeper in a relationship is where the magic happens.

Every step of the design process ideally requires our clients to freely express themselves and talk about their aforementioned fears, desires and aspirations. When we get to the point where open and trusting relationships are created and maintained with our clients the information flows freely and our work becomes easier.

This in turns makes you more effective, which ultimately means more profitable because you don’t spend a lot of time -if any at all- dealing with “emergencies” that are often the result of poor communications. It is also important to note that this does not mean that we have to turn ourselves in order-takers, simply executing our clients’ every whim. Becoming a master of our craft is about finding a balance between being a spineless order-taker and an egomaniacal diva pushing people around. It’s about pushing and pulling, but always doing so in a way that both gives out clients permission to fully express themselves while maintaining the position of the expert leader, paid to lead the client to the desired result.

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{Insert flight pun here} Let your projects soar with aerial photography.

When I hear the words aerial photography, it evokes a different perspective, looking at the world through a bird’s eyes. Since we humans, are so accustomed to looking at things from the ground level, which means looking up at the city; having access to this view from above, gives us the ability to appreciate the urban environment from an unusual perspective. A different point of view which makes us appreciate the amazing setting we’re a part of. I personally marvel at the level of human achievement every time I get a chance to look down at the city, as it suddenly comes into focus.

With the advent of consumer-level drones, aerial visualization & photography has become a bit of an ubiquitous commodity, but it has not completely superseded traditional aerial shots from aircrafts, if only for regulatory reasons that make flying a drone in the city both complex and a huge liability (drones also have the bad habit of being very prone to randomly crashing, speaking from experience). That means that to shoot anything from the air in the city, there is not yet a good substitute for planes and choppers.

This is why rvltr partnering with our dear friend and veteran aerial photographer Brett Price(linkedin) to offer you his expertise and knowledge of shooting from the air, combined with our knowledge of the city and its surroundings. Over the course of the first 2 weeks of September, Brett and rvltr will be available to shoot all over the GTA and beyond.

If you had projects under consideration for some yummy aerial photography, now is the time to act and book Brett + rvltr here. Spots are limited and going fast!

Instagram @brettprice / @revelateur_to

The fine print: Each location is shot to your specifications (Close ups, or to show property in relation to amenities etc). If you are interested, book us here, or have any questions please contact us, with the address of the property you wish to have photographed along with roof colour, and size of property. We will get back to you promptly to discuss the details of your project and come up with an appropriate scope of work and budget, based on your needs.

Truth Is Golden Ep. 203 - There Is Something Funny About This

In episode 3 of our second season, I talked to David K. Levine a distinguished academic, political economist and popular author. We talked about his midwestern childhood, how economics can explain a lot of modern society challenges, his transplant life in Europe and how one of the biggest risks he took was a late-career change, taking on subjects he was not an expert in. Listen in to hear more about David and his accomplishments.

A guide to getting published for architects, part I - The traditional way.

How is it going to help me achieve my goals?

We will assume for the sake of this article, that you’ve already established, as a part of a larger business development strategy, that getting your work published is something you actively want to do. You already understand the value and simply want to go ahead with it.

While you could be a Generic Gerald - more on that later - and start pitching your projects to publications right away, it’s a good idea to sit down and think about your business objectives and how getting published with help you achieve those.

Strategy, strategy, strategy.

This is where strategic planning comes in. You will want to identify your business objectives and where you would like to grow. For example, if you have a residential practice and get plenty of good residential work, but you would like to grow your institutional portfolio, it may make sense to emphasize the institutional work and try to get published in that area, even though you’ll still want to get your best residential work out there to maintain that side of your practice.

This is where the projects to be promoted are discussed and you can start to form an idea of how you’re going to go about this. We are looking at long term goals, so really try to think about your practice in 5 or 10 years. Whether that vision may change or not, does not matter at this point.

Based on these business objectives, you can put together a list of completed projects in order of priority. This will form the basis of your publishing endeavour.

Did I say anything about strategy?

This is where you need to be bold and brave with your goals. The more off-beat and unexpected, the more likely you are to attract attention. It can be a scary proposition, but it’s a necessary one. This is where you have an opportunity to shine and express an opinion, something unique to yourself, that represents you and your company.

Being bold is a valid strategy. Heck, in my opinion, it’s the only way to consistently attract attention. The most successful architectural practices are the ones that find a way to stand out. That doesn’t mean that they mindlessly jump around like an over-excited child high on sugar. It’s more about speaking to the audience’s interests and desires and that may look very different for each practice.

Choosing the right hook.

Now that you have a strategy and know which projects you want to promote, it’s time to find the right hook, a.k.a. the angle of your story. You will want to tap into what makes your company unique. If you already know this and have an established company culture and set of values, this should be pretty straightforward. If this is not clear, you may want to spend some time figuring that out.

Then, onto the project. What is unique about it? It is a great space? Does it reflect the personality of the users? Is it particularly well suited for a specific use? Does it have a unique story? You want to reflect on the project and really nail down what its unique attributes are. Many publications, though not all, are interested in the way the space is lived in and will want to have access to users on the record as part of the story they will write. Not only it’s a good idea to include that in your pitch, but you may want to go a step further and prep your clients by letting them know that you want to get published and get their consent to be contacted by the media should they bite, as getting the users on record is a very common condition for publications, and a deal breaker if they can’t.

Picking the publications that fit with your strategy and angle.

Most editors like to be fed with stories that not only fit their editorial stance (that’s where you need to do your research and find out more about them) but also are compelling enough and well put together so that they can determine right away if that’s a possible fit before they spend any more time on your submission. I’ve heard first hand from editors that they get hundreds if not thousands of submissions and helping them sift through them quicker is very valuable to them and will give you brownie points with regards to increasing your chances of getting published.

If you’ve managed to get past the first line of defense, a succinct, yet thoughtful and most importantly, well put together submission will also play in your favour. Magazines get many submissions following the traditional press release format, which tends to focus on the project itself and the designer, generally following this formula: “Our project is awesome + we’re awesome, so please publish us”. Don’t be a Generic Gerald and do what everybody else is doing. The biggest missed opportunities when submitting projects for publication is when firms fail to speak more in-depth to their projects and how they function, enabling their users to live better lives and instead focus on the aesthetics.

How to be a winner

Being published is never guaranteed, as we will always be subjects to the unfathomable whims of editors and journalists. However, if you thoughtfully spend the time to strategize, come up with a catchy hook and be deliberate about the publications you choose to target, you will likely start seeing publications pick-up your stories more and more.

Keep in mind that this is a long game, and the more you can establish trusting relationships with media outlets, the less resistance you will find on your path to greatness and lack of success early on should not deter you from continuing as you will get better at it over time. Publications will start recognizing your name and give your submissions more attention. Like real life relationships, this takes effort to create and maintain.

Once you’ve submitted your project, the work doesn’t stop here. As everybody else is, editors and journalists are busy people. While it’s a common excuse around these parts to not give someone the time of day, we have to put ourselves in their shoes for a minute and imagine how many hundreds of submissions they have to go through for each and every issue. Sometimes, an otherwise perfectly suited submission will slip through the cracks just because.

Instead of giving up by assuming that since no one responded to your submission, they’re not interested, it is critical to pick up the phone and call that editor (easier to do if a pre-existing relationship exists) or even just send a follow-up email asking for an answer and/or feedback. It is not rare for a follow-up to lead to a yes, so this is low-cost, near effortless opportunity to increase your chances of being published. And don’t forget to ask for feedback on why they didn’t see a fit anytime you get a chance, it will help you improve both the quality of your submissions and strategically target them to the right media.

When it comes to doing this type of work, my personal mantra is “I’m not giving up until they either say, yes, no or tell me they never want to talk to me again”. If you behave like a polite, civilized human, the latter will be very rare. Most people value persistence so don’t be afraid to follow-up multiple times.

This traditional way of getting published, is still effective, albeit very time-consuming. I believe it is worth investing into if you can afford it, as paper-based publications are still very much alive and carry a lot more weight in terms of brand image. Telling someone you’ve been published in Architectural Record is way more prestigious than telling them you’ve been published on ArchDaily and for a good reason. Online publications have a place in your marketing efforts and for different reasons, but that’s for another article.

How I was inspired by a writer to look at architecture differently.

The State of Architectural Journalism.

I love talking to people in the architecture industry to find out what makes their jobs exciting, learn about their challenges and use that information to try new things. I often do this with journalists and editors and find it fascinating to learn how to think like they do, and it helps me help them to find good stories for their publications.  

When I met with Dave LeBlanc, columnist for the Globe and Mail and well-known for his weekly column, “The Architourist”, I learned a lot about architecture from a non-architect’s perspective. Dave is not a trained journalist, he spent his whole career in radio production and serendipitously fell into writing about architecture a couple of decades ago when asked to produce short radio stories on Toronto architecture. Having been a fan of design and specifically mid-century modern architecture since childhood he jumped at the opportunity, which eventually led him to become a weekly columnist at the Globe.

Dave is as much interested in stories as I am and, similarly, thinks architectural narratives in their current state are a bit dry and factual, too often forgetting to speak about the human stories unfolding within the built environment, in favor of the building as an object, replete with facts, statistics and bombastic declarations, which are no-more than transparent, ego-inflating statements that makes the designers feel good, but leave the people who are looking to connect with architecture on a deeper level a bit hungry for a relatable story.

How Kahn and Mies brought this home.

When I think about some the best and most memorable buildings I've ever had the chance to visit and get to know intimately, like Crown Hall by Mies van der Rohe and the Kimbell Art Museum by Louis Kahn, the spiritual experiences that I've had in those space had very little to do with the architecture itself, but rather with my experience of the space, specifically through the way natural light was managed and let into the building in very specific and deliberate ways.

I didn't care that much that the building was made of metal, concrete or wood but rather that these materials provided me with an phenomenal sensory experience and therefore deeply influenced me. The Kimbell with its silvery natural light flooding from the slits at the top of each vaulted ceiling, grazing the galleries’ surfaces and revealing the textures and warmth of the wood and concrete combination. Crown Hall through the enormous amount of natural light flooding the space from all sides, and reflecting the seasons and time of day, while blocking a direct views on the outside, the black steel curtain walls, terrazzo floors and wooden partition walls taking a back seat to that experience.

I believe this is what Leblanc is trying to convey in his weekly column: how architecture is a machine for sensory experience, to paraphrase Le Corbusier. Perhaps that's what his "Machine for living " idea meant? After all, what is life if nothing but a succession of sensory experiences?
 

More experiential narratives, less verbosity.

The lesson to retain from this, is that aside from other designers and self-proclaimed design nerds, very few people care about who designed a given building, how much of a celebrity the designers or how expensive the finishes are, because these facts are completely irrelevant to the physical experience of a space. There is a reason the best writers and magazines in the design world are more interested in how the architecture is lived in and like to include the users in their stories. That reason is that it makes for quality content that will capture a reader’s attention. It is an absolute necessity that the story you tell speaks to your audience, or you run the risk of losing their interest.

There is no shortcut for getting to know your audience. You have to spend time engaging with them. It helps greatly to be able to show a vulnerable side of yourself that they may not know about. Digital and social media allows for unprecedented levels of access to your audience at a very low cost, making it easy to be in dialogue with the people who are interested in your work.

Spending the time to craft compelling narratives that speak to the way your building is lived in is the way to go. I know it’s tempting to wax lyrical about the technical achievements of your project, but if they do not directly contribute to the human, dare I say emotional, experience of your space, they can be ignored. Instead the focus should be put on what it feels like to experience your space from a user perspective.

In these days of instant gratification and casual consumption, most people will probably not pay attention to what you are putting out. However the level of care that you put into it will be noticed by the people who relate to what you have to offer. This minority of ardent supporters will go to bat for you. Once you have a few of those, you’ll know you’re on the right track.

A community of followers, the kind of people who will fervently support you and promote you because they believe in your vision, cannot be bought. It is primarily based on trust and that trust has to be earned. There are no shortcuts.

What can you do today to build such a following?

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Kicking Fear In The Nuts

Writing these articles for you my dear readers, is always a challenge.

“Will they like what I have to say?”

”Does it even make sense?”

“Will I look stupid?”

“Is it a bad idea?”

“Will it fail?”

“Is there value in it?”

Those are some of the questions that I constantly have to grapple with, in an effort to fight off my second-guessing self, that little voice that always finds very rational, if not “beneficial”, reasons to not do something. I’ve learned from experience that this gut feeling, this fear, is my brain pulling convincing tricks on me to keep me inside the proverbial comfort zone.

I also know that coming out of that comfort zone is where the most learning and growth happens. I’ve seen it time and time again, in me and others. I know people who purposely push themselves past every one of their fear as an exercise in testing their boundaries. In return, they get so much more than they bargained for.

Historically Influential figures like the Eames and Bukowski, among many others, overcame their fear of failure on a daily basis which in turn shaped them as the masters of their respective fields we know today.

The Eames invited and welcomed failure. They saw it as a way to quickly learn and come to an optimal solution, the result of many brains, not just their own, tackling a problem, failure being the mechanism enabling them to shed the bad ideas and only keep the good ones, slowly arriving at a solution that while maynot have been perfect, it had been optimized through an iterative process. It’s been said that new hires in their office would be tasked with work they had no expertise in, like a graphic designer being asked to think up a building concept. It was a clever way to send a powerful message to their employees: don’t let fear of failure stop you.

Bukowski wrote for over 25 years before he got his first novel published, at age 50. An epic failure by any conventional standards, but he didn’t write to fulfill someone else’s definition of a successful writer. He wrote because he had an insatiable urge to create and overcame his fear of not making it by not worrying about the outcome, he just wanted to write. He was eventually able to make a living as a writer. Ironically, the first two thirds of his life before his late career as a full-time writer are in large part what made him such a compelling writer. Indeed his semi-autobiographical novels were heavily inspired by his own life and we wouldn’t have his amazing body of work to enjoy if it weren’t for him grinding for 25+ years relentlessly sending out manuscripts to publishers.

Fear keeps us from doing what the Eames, Bukowski and countless others have done before. Fear of failure, fear of not being able to pay the bills, fear of not looking good, fear of disapproving opinions and the countless other excuses that our cunning little brains cook up to keep us safe. The problem is that this safe zone is antithetical to growth, learning and accomplishing something greater than ourselves.

The key to overcoming fear and become comfortable with being uncomfortable is to find what moves you. Call it a purpose or a mission. With a clear mission, it becomes a lot easier to push past fear and be uncomfortable, in service of something greater than ourselves. With strong values and a clear goal, the path lays itself down and all it takes is actually doing the hard work to make it happen. Hard work being the operative word. In the course of this work, failure is inevitable, embrace it and make it a central part of your learning.

The most successfully durable companies in the world, are those with an undeniable sense of purpose and a clear mission (Zappos and Whole Foods are great examples of this) and if you look into their history, their wake is littered with personal and professional failures. But it is their seeking and embracing failure as well as their ability to learn from it in order to better themselves that makes them great today.

Don’t wait for permission to do something, nobody will ever give it to you. Get out there and try new things. If it fails, you’ll learn more from failure than you will from success. It’s time to boldly get out there and kick fear in the nuts!

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