How I Help My Clients Avoid Decision Fatigue
By now most of us have heard of the Forbes article quoting that most people make about 35,000 decisions in one day. That is a very large number. I suspect that, being the busy professionals they are, my clients might be making even more decisions than that every day.
Because I want the design process to be as enjoyable and efficient as possible, I have developed my process to minimize the number of decisions my clients need to make.
How do I do that? By presenting the product choices holistically. So, let’s say we’re working together on your living room, and you’ve asked me to help you refurnish the entire room. You need a large sofa, a couple of side chairs, a coffee table, and other items to round out the design. Instead of sending 3 choices for the sofa, 3 choices for the side chairs, and 3 choices for the coffee table (and on and on for each product in the room), I create a presentation wherein we look at 1 product selection for each item needed all together in the form of an “Initial Design Board.” Along with that digital board, I bring material samples for those specific selections, and we discuss the specifics of each item, along with why I’m recommending each particular piece. If you are not in love with anything on the board, I listen to your feedback, and we set another meeting for me to show you a second option for that item, which was basically the 1st runner-up that I set aside during my research and design work. And if any of the second round of selections still don’t make your heart sing, I present a third and final option at a later meeting, which is also known as my 2nd runner-up option.
Why is this so much easier for clients? Because they have fewer decisions to make. Clients only have to look at 1 option at a time for each product needed. And they are able to see how all of the selections work together. This vastly reduces overwhelm and helps clients confidently make choices.
If the idea of holistic design presentations appeals to you, I would love to help you improve your home! Please click here to get started. And for a little more insight into how I help clients through design services, this is a good read.
Until then,
MB