Protecting the Client's Vision

Lauren Howard, Design Manager, shares her perspective on maintaining design intent from concept through to completion.

There are many challenging conversations Design Managers must have during a project. Whether it be with the consultant team, or my own team, I work to ensure that collectively we uphold the design objectives throughout the project. Clients and architects invest huge amounts of time, energy and money into developing a vision for an asset, so it's important that we don’t lose sight of what matters most to the client.

When architects question why something has to change, Design Managers are often the first people they turn to. Sometimes I'm explaining why something isn't buildable. Other times I'm pushing project teams to rethink a solution because a particular element is fundamental to the client's vision.

You have to challenge people, ask difficult questions and keep pushing until everyone understands each other’s priorities and what matters most to the client and design team. For me, it's about maintaining the design intent and finding a solution that works for everyone. When you get that balance right, you deliver a better project, build stronger relationships and create opportunities to work together again in the future.

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