IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2013 - 16

The nature of volatility demands that we be agile as individuals, as organizations,
and especially as a profession.

Industry partIcIpants
crossville: Mark Shannon Vice President of Sales
Herman miller: Alan Almasy Director of A+D

Programs and Marketing

Arm yourself with metrics
The impact of design is measurable and, indeed,
an increasingly popular research topic. The academic
community is conducting interesting studies that result
in objective data, and manufacturers are spearheading
significant research, too. To access some of these findings,
visit the IIDA’s online Knowledge Center (knowledgecenter.
iida.org), a constantly updated library of intel, sorted
by specialty area. Bolstered with metrics that quantify
the benefits of design and chart how quickly those benefits
will pay for themselves—ultimately offsetting anything
spent on design fees in the first place—can help firms market
themselves better to potential clients.
Hire a chief engagement officer
Salesmanship doesn’t always come naturally to creative
thinkers, and marketing acumen isn’t on the curriculum
of most design schools. Principals, design directors, and other
firm leaders too often handle business development by
default, and not because they are particularly well equipped
for it. Firms need to have someone who can engage potential
clients at the C-suite level and explain the strategic
advantages that design can bring to their organization. Such
a staff member could help firms get into the conversation
early—even before clients have the occasion to relocate,
expand, or redesign—and educate them about the manifold
value of design services. Firms recognized the need for
a new breed of design executive: a chief engagement officer,
someone to help them take ownership of a fuller scope of
services—not only for the bottom line but also in the service
of better design.
Infiltrate public consciousness
The selling of our talents and expertise should not be
confined to the framework of a transaction with a potential
client. In order to increase the perception, awareness,
and understanding of design, we need to demystify its
impact to a broader audience: the general populace. Design’s
impact on the end user’s daily life correlates to that of the
a smartphone or tablet in terms of increases in productivity.
Yet we don’t have the time or the opportunity to educate
potential clients until it’s almost too late: until we are
pitching them on a project. We need to change that mindset,
to make people think about design more often and more
expansively to take design viral. We need to educate and
seduce in order to get people to crave spaces that inspire,
connect, and boost efficiency—the same way they might
crave a gadget that has the same effect.
16

Humanscale: Jon Strassner Director of A&D

North America

inscape: Quentin Kong Executive Vice President,

Marketing & Product Development
interface: Jennifer Busch Hon. IIDA Vice
President A&D Market Development,
Kimball office: Wendy Ewing Brand Manager
mannington commercial: Natalie Jones Vice
President of Commercial Brand Development
milliKen: Stacy Walker Director, Marketing
Communications
moHawK group: Chris Stulpin Director of Design
and Development, Architecture and Design
Segment Manager
ofs brands: Doug Shapiro Brand Manager
tarKett: Sharon Folliard Vice President
teKnion: Kay Sargent, IIDA Vice President
Architecture, Design, and Workplace Strategies
FuturIst panel partIcIpants

Eva Maddox, FIIDA, AIA, LEED AP, Perkins+Will/
Eva Maddox Branded Environments
Rob Kirkbride Senior Reporter/Associate Editor,
Monday Morning Quarterback
InterIor desIgner partIcIpants

Jim Williamson, IIDA Gensler, Washington D.C.:
IIDA President
Felice Silverman, IIDA Silverman Trykowski
Associates, Boston: IIDA President Elect
Viveca Bissonnette, FIIDA Hollander Design Group,
San Diego: IIDA VP
Julio Braga, IIDA, IA New York, IIDA VP
Anne Marie Gianoudis, IIDA Gresham Smith and
Partners, Birmingham, AL: IIDA VP
Scott Hierlinger, IIDA NELSON, Minneapolis, IIDA
Susanne Molina, IIDA Klawiter & Associates, Los
Angeles: IIDA VP
Rob Moylan, IIDA Smith Group JJR, Washington
D.C.: IIDA VP
Stacy Reed, IIDA Gensler, Austin, TX: IIDA VP
Sascha Wagner, IIDA Huntsman, San Francisco
Host

Enrique Reyes, Industry IIDA Milliken Carpet:
IIDA VP
To access white papers of Industry Roundtables,
visit:
www.iida.org/content.cfm/iida-annual-industryroundtable
http://knowledgecenter.iida.org/ http://knowledgecenter.iida.org/ http://www.iida.org/content.cfm/iida-annual-industry-roundtable
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2013
