Jack Gold is the owner and Senior Designer at Presidential Interiors, a New York based Interior Design House that specialises in designing and manufacturing custom furniture and lighting. Not too long ago, Jack published an article that we found fascinating, a subject close to the heart in many ways and a topic that sometimes the design fraternity forget or choose to ignore 
Design is an issue that affects your brand and you. Solving design issues are the bread and butter for many in our industry, and coupled with client interaction and acceptance, are the cornerstone of the work you either win or lose. Here are some of the comments Jack wrote in this post highlighting the issues that many of us face on a daily basis:-
“Every industry has its’ buzzwords. Sometimes these words inspire confidence, other times these words are simply confusing to those outside the industry. In the medical field, when a doctor speaks of Confidentiality, Procedures and the Diagnostic Process she can inspire confidence in her patients. In the corporate world, the jargon may include terms like Indemnification, Paradigm, Strategic, and other words that we don’t typically use in every-day conversation, and so we may not find any personal meaning in those words.
The design field is a personal field, and the design process, is often a personal and emotional process where speaking to the client and communicating your message to the contractors is not simply a matter of having your words heard – but of having your intention understood and your emotional direction clearly stated.
We have all walked into a space that elicited a visceral, emotional response. I have sat in hotel rooms, restaurants, lounges, bars, apartments, offices, etc where the space was so perfectly conceived, where the lighting and the colors and the energy of the room literally forced me to relax, to enjoy myself, and almost always to comment to whomever I was with “Wow, this really is a great space.”
While that first emotional reaction is the goal of every designer, and certainly the greatest source of pride as a compliment, it is a message that needs to be carried through the design process, so that to those intimately involved in the project, be it the owner or the painter – they know the feeling you are going for, and they are aware of the intended emotional reaction that the finished space will offer.
When I am working on millwork (a term for doors, architraves, skirting etc) design, where angles are critical and where the smallest line or profile can tell a profound story, I always use emotional and evocative terms to describe design direction and to explain decisions.
I have guided clients away from filling an entire wall with dark wood because in that space I felt the feeling would be Claustrophobic as a result. I have also recommended colors that are Charming or Calming or Clean.
When I meet with a designer and he tells me that he wants the counter-top to be “heavy” I know he is not referring to weight – but to prominence – and I know that he will be successful in communicating his vision to me.
Sometimes a door “wants” to be a bit taller, sometimes a reveal will “read” as unintended, sometimes a column will feel “dishonest” if it is not physically or visually supporting anything. Lines can be clean, profiles can be heavy, light, thick, complex, intense, prominent, strong, subtle, aggressive, soft, gentle and in some instances, provocative
For me, when a designer tells me about how the color will “pop” or how the taper will be “sexy” or how the textured finish needs to feel under the fingers…I know I am getting a complete picture. I can visualise the “wow factor” of the finished room, because I am having all those intended emotions expressed to me during the design process.
I’ve run into all kinds of designers over the years, those who feel comfortable communicating their vision in very human and emotional terms – and those who feel that rough sketches and a general, clinical overview are enough. In the majority of instances, the former will always have a more complete, more perfect project when all is said and done.”
And this is the part that I like the best. “Being passionate about your design work is great, but being able to share the passion of your direction and the emotional process that preceded it, is a great way to ensure that what you get at the end is what you envisioned at the beginning.
Certainly, there is a bit of inherent vulnerability here. By expressing your emotions about a portion or all of a project, you are opening yourself to criticism and hurt – but that is why the most successful designers are very confident in their work, and have no problem sharing the feelings behind their vision – conversely, as a woodworker, I understand that my responsibility is to understand that vision and not try to change it.
It’s not unlike a relationship – where the most successful spouses are going to be the ones who make an effort to understand their significant others, and not an effort to change them into their own vision. It is for this reason, that aside from recommendations on meeting budget constraints or technical issues, I never second guess the designs given to me to produce.
A good designer will get the same commitment from the painter, the contractor, and every other trade involved – as the presentation puts everyone on the same page emotionally, and the finished vision is one that everyone carries throughout the project workflow, until the space is completed and total strangers can enter, and share in the wonderful realization of a collaborative effort driven by the mind of one, capable designer.”
There are many published theories on the Language of Design, Andy Dong wrote a whole book of the same title, describing it as a “unique text for postgraduates and researchers studying design theory and management, and allied disciplines such as artificial intelligence, organizational behavior, and human factors and ergonomics.” (Wow!)
In my mind Jack Gold’s assessment of the Language of Design hits the mark. He has reminded us that expressing our design emotions with our clients should clearly define our design intentions. Nothing in the world happens without design and the role of today’s designer has to rotate around design, and a belief that your expertise will produce an environment where your client wants and needs you.
Any thoughts??
