Interior Design Communication: It’s About Show and Tell

Designers create visuals for clients and for sharing information with other members of the design team. You'll need to know how to select the right visual for the right use at the right time. Designers also use different communication methods for data and research, and for conceptual and planning diagrams.

Learn which types fit the goal. It's all about show and tell (or sell).

Purpose of Interior Design Communication Methods

Small residential projects with one decision-maker, usually need an informal meeting with a copy of the report and a few visuals.

Larger projects, especially commercial projects, have several stakeholders. These often require a formal written report with presentation boards or other visuals.

Regardless of the project size or complexity, the goals are to get:

• Client comments and feedback
• Approval to proceed with design and continue to the next project phase

Presentation formats include face-to-face meetings or even virtual presentations, such as with Zoom.

Presentations are typically done at the end of these two phases:

1. Programming phase — to proceed to the Design Development phase
2. Design Development phase — to start preparing Construction Documents

Interior Design Presentation Documents

The goal of design presentation varies with the different activities in each phase of design. The designer should consider the types of decisions and desired outcome of the presentation to determine which type of visuals are most appropriate.

Programming phase

This phase is about demonstrating that the design solution meets the project's functional requirements. Visuals used to communicate design solutions during programming can include:

• area requirement summaries
• parti diagrams
• concept sketches
• adjacency diagrams
• bubble diagrams
• stacking diagrams

Design development phase

During the design development, the designer refines the physical solutions. The designer's goal is to gain approval for final plans, specific materials, and furnishings. The goal is to get client approval to proceed to construction documents.

Floor plans, material, and color boards

Rendered floor plans illustrate the design solution in 2-D. These show the client the layout of the building's construction and how the furniture fits into space. Floor plans also illustrate adjacencies, clearances, and traffic flow throughout the space.

Material boards show the finishes selected for the project. It's ideal to have an actual sample of each material on the board showing the texture, weight, and true colors. Samples displayed on material boards may include:

• Paint
• Wallcovering
• Tile
• Millwork finishes/wood stain
• Hardwood flooring
• Carpet
• Hardware
• Window shades
• Drapery fabric
• Upholstery fabric
• Bedding fabric
• Decorative pillow fabric

Construction models, mock-ups, and prototypes

Many people find understanding floor plans and elevations challenging. For larger projects, renderings and models show the design in 3-D to help the client better understand the volume of the space.

Study models are sometimes prepared during the design development phase for use in-house by the design team. These are sometimes crude and made out of cardboard or foam core. These study models, also known as concept models and working models, are usually made at a 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch scale.

Presentation models are more common for larger projects. They're most often used for formal client presentations. Detailed presentation models are now easier to fabricate with techniques like 3-D printing. They're often used for architectural projects and show the whole building.

A mock-up is a life-size model of design. It can be of a single piece of furniture or a construction mock-up of an entire space.

A prototype is similar to a mock-up, but it offers the opportunity to test the design. A model hotel room is a good example of a construction prototype. A mock-up of the room itself with samples of all furniture allows for testing the function of the space. Do the bed lamps on the nightstands reach the outlets? Is there enough space to pass between the bed and the desk? Does the bed coverlet pool on the floor?

Ultimately, the designer must remember the goal of the presentation. When the goal is to for client decisions and approval, the project can progress.

I passed! Thank you Lisa and Qpractice team for all the help and to everyone who have joined in the forums and answered questions. You all have inspired me 🙂

Maribeth Dono

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