This Beyond Interior Design podcast is all about exploring the world of design and branding. We give insights and strategies for interior design professionals to develop their personal brand, communicate their unique value, and build successful client relationships. It gives you actionable advice to help you thrive in a competitive marketplace, while staying true to their authentic selves.
More about this: http://instituteofinteriorimpact.com/branding
Go to: beyondinteriordesign.CLUB
This Beyond Interior Design podcast is all about exploring the world of design and branding. We give insights and strategies for interior design professionals to develop their personal brand, communicate their unique value, and build successful client relationships. It gives you actionable advice to help you thrive in a competitive marketplace, while staying true to their authentic selves.
More about this: http://instituteofinteriorimpact.com/branding
Go to: beyondinteriordesign.CLUB
I think the the idea of being authentic in a brand is used a lot at the moment and I don't know if authentic is the correct word I think it's about being sincere [Music]
as designers we are all sensitive people right we came into this industry because we wanted to create beautiful things and want to connect with people but we learned that actually not everybody is like that sometimes we have to change the way we present ourselves to be taken seriously to get the projects that are on a bucket list listen those are not my words but from my podcast guest of today but hey here's the good news if you are a smaller Design Studio or freelancer you need to stay you need to stay true to your authentic self this way you use your full potential which is already unique so for the people who don't know me yet I'm Mark miskas co-founder of The Institute of Ontario impact where we help self-employed their designers to take their business to the next level and to add more meaning to their profession and one way to do that is via this podcast beyond interior design so glad you're here and today Christoph Doria thisiri is here to expand our creative Horizons he's a 3D artist creative director interior designer and brand experience designer and we are going to talk a lot but one of the main topics is definitely how to differentiate your personal brand in today's competitive Marketplace because is there something we can learn from large brands let's find out please welcome christiani
it's nice to be here thank you for having me yeah great that you are joining our podcast thanks for your time yeah in your busy schedule today all right so uh let's let's move on with this uh with this episode um well first your name wonderful artist name tell me more about it where does it come from are you from really from the UK yes I'm from the UK one in the UK I have an Italian family um but they came over during the war so I mean um not very Italian anymore but it's a great name it's it is it definitely stands out um but every printed document ends with Dorian du so ah oh yeah that's too long yeah
[Music] yeah great name hey let's let's um yeah let's start what what I want to draw lessons and Inspirations from uh from from large Brands let's what is it what is it that they do last friends large brands put that stake in the ground um large brands are Unapologetic about what they do and the product that they provide when you go to McDonald's you don't get an apology for the fact that they don't have Donna on it on the menu or um they're not taking extra orders you can't go into uh you can't go into Nike and say I like this shoe but uh you know can it be a heel um they're not yeah okay you put three can you put three stripes yeah yeah yeah exactly um yeah they have a brand they don't apologize for it they are sensitive about their brand they care about it and they care about how other people respond to it but they're not taking minute by minute critique if you know what I mean um they make the effort and then they stand by it and I think as designers we sometimes struggle with that um you know we are very sensitive people we we want to please we want to be thought of well um and sometimes we think if we can't meet a request or if we can't be to demand that somehow reflects on our ability that reflects on uh our creative capacity and I don't think that's the case at all um they're all I think there are times where flexibility is very important but there is nothing wrong in in having a brand and having a position and saying this is what I do um and that's what we can take away most from larger Birds so you know you need to know when to say no actually yes um and I think I think that becomes easier when you have a very clear product offering I think sometimes um especially when we're starting out when we're smaller you know Studios or for Freelancers
there's the temptation to say oh well I need something like this and I need something like this because I I need people to see as many different types of uh work or spaces as they can so that they hire me and what that does is it confuses the offer I mean if we go back to restaurants like McDonald's or whatever
when you're looking for a restaurant you say oh I'm hungry for fill in the blank what are you hungry for Mark
yeah yeah what do yeah what do you like yeah yeah you know if you're hungry for Thai food you look for a Thai restaurants you don't then go in and ask for uh nachos so so you need to present it really clear up front on your first when they first connect with you as a designer as a creative as an Italian architect you need to show them what it is that you do and what it is that you deliver yeah is it you need to you need to communicate really clear guidelines in that absolutely because any any slight uncertainty that we give our clients it ruins our credibility and that's the moment that they feel that oh I need to take control of this situation I need to lead this um so really you know we're not doing else our clients any service by leaving fluffy edges um we do need to be a lot more precise in what it is that we're offering them yeah so is it is that the answer to well outline splittering Crispers to your process asking you all kinds of questions that you say well that's not actually me I'm not the expert on that but well let's have a look or I have all this big worlds your your entering when clients are taking the lease is it yeah absolutely that's the results well they do that because they don't trust us because we're not confident and we don't put our stick in the ground they don't think that we'll deliver unless they take control of the reins and that's just not the case at all um and you know it's a vicious cycle because once we once we relinquish that control of our process and our product we can't guarantee the end results um you know McDonald's is going to get some good PR out of this so I hope they're paying you know McDonald's has a process every single restaurant you go to you get one it was it three gherkins you get a small amount of ketchup small amount of mayo a small amount of mustard everything is the same we can't go in and you know peer over the the worker and say oh can I have a little bit more of this or a little bit more of that no you have to pay for it well you you pay yes if you want more mayonnaise or sauce or whatever you need to pay for it so that's a really clear concept yeah but you know this is because they don't do it because they're difficult they don't do it because they don't care about the customer they do it because they want you to have the product you're expecting um and that's something that we need to remember that when we're standing up for our process and we're saying I'm sorry but this is my process you know you see my portfolio you've seen the work I did for this other company this is something this is how I got them there and I need you to trust me um so yeah part of that really is having a very clear process very clear product and a very clear brand because you're also going to attract the people who who don't want to micromanage you if you do your product is so clear they'll see what they want and they'll just say give me that give me this um and that's you get you get you get bought actually because you yeah they know what they get they know how you do it what you deliver so yeah there's no risk involved actually yeah absolutely Mickey's shoes are so nice I don't wanna I don't want a custom one I want that one they I know they've spent so long refining that product I just want that shoe that's all I want uh yeah it's proven it's proven yeah yeah so yeah well my favorite thing is if you want the proven system or method like we have the we came up with the entire impact formula and it's only because we did over 400 projects with it over thousands of clients yeah and we tested it on other companies and it works and that's why we stick always to this formula because we know if we let clients split across crash through the videos or in another order or we do it on a different way they lost they get lost and we got we don't deliver they don't get the results they want so yeah it's sometimes it's people are asking questions like hey can I just pick one phase or one model of that and say whether you want to start with unlocking your potential at the end we start with with the magnifier things it will magnify all your horrible uh skills and tasks and activities too you get more of your rubbishing you get more of of the things that going well but that's not the right combination yeah well great great Insight uh Crystal thanks for that because yeah we can we are creatives we are kind of dreamy and in our heads thinking yeah but we if we have a clear plan to communicate how to communicate your unique value it's so easy to choose for you and to attract the right clients so what what is it that that brands do when you when you um get involved with them because then you have well you you start to uh well you decide to buy something or if it's food or a shoe or whatever what is it that they do what's the next step The Next Step so it's all down to process so they lead you they've thought it all through and this is something that I think especially as Freelancers and small and even even you know experienced creatives fall for this problem as well is we haven't thought through the process we're so um we're so invested in the outcome and getting the client to sign on the dotted line and and move forward we haven't really thought through the next step we haven't thought through okay what's the brand Journey um we have with thought about our own brand experience you know when you go into the Apple Store to put it into an interior design concept they have thought through everything they have thought through how you move to the space which products you see first um you know how easy is it to see the till uh the cash register all these things they've considered and we haven't considered them and I wonder how we build how we take the elements from our interior design world and design our own business process now you can you can borrow actually those skills or these or techniques from other worlds absolutely yeah yeah and that's that's part of I think I think uh the hook of you know uh housing interior nods and interior but everything is an interior it's an enclosed space um so even your process this is your space design notes yeah yeah great we have we are Factoria daily in one of our earlier podcasts uh talking about customer journey and experience if you are interested for the people are listening if you're interested in depth make sure you listen to Victoria Taylor because he's kind of sketching and designing the whole journey you can take your clients on but it's cool to uh to have a relation with with other brands and other Worlds how to copy paste it actually into your own uh into your own brand into your own interior design studio because you you need to is it that you need to act like a brand is that is that the kind of solution to the to your success act like a brand I think I think the reality is is we are moving into a into an age where everything is around everyone is a brand um whether you like it or not and if you decide that you're not a brand it means that you don't have a brand um um it's not something that we can opt out of we can either decide it for ourselves or it's decided for us um but yeah this is I think this is the key that we take away is is being intentional and being really strategic about how we position ourselves and filling in those blanks for our customers because that's going to make them much more relaxed and much more confident in the journey and we'll be able to guarantee a much better product um yeah and you said it well a grant and it sounds CLC it sounds commercial and hey most of us are creatives and maybe the the money mindset or the the love for money is not always in the in in the good place with creatives they are like oh if I can just do my passion I can do what I love every day I'm I'm so happy well well imagine doing the whole day what you love to do the most and you get paid for it premium then you have an amazing life for sure so how can you how can you get rid of the idea that the brand is really commercial or silsy what it what is it that you can do as an individual in Terror designer what's your how do you get to the core of your own right I think I think the the idea of being authentic in a brand is used a lot at the moment and I don't know if authentic is the correct word I think it's about being sincere sincere yeah sincere yeah so I think authenticity for me is me me me me um and I don't know if that always serves as the best way um we have clients they have their own needs their brand is so [Music] that's an interesting case because if you say is me me that refers to to Ego yeah and well there are a lot of egos in there in in the world let's say that way and there are uh Architects designers that use their own bot like hey this is my style take it to leave it and well some of them are making big big big money on that one so it's it could be a business strategy to say this is me don't tell me what to do I there was I spoke to him well I read an article about an uh interior designer and it was like hey what what do you do if people ask you to design something else or or how do you know what to design for me the client was asking to this interior design and architect how do you decide what to design for me and his answer was well you know what I designed what I like what I do you saw my portfolio so this is what you get sure um that's a heavy one happy answer I was like oh whoa I was thinking of a nicer way of saying this uh yes but this is why I think sincerity is important in the process so it's about perspective if you say this is what I do it's authentic I'm just being authentic to myself I mean great um that may not you may make some friends you may not make friends um but that's good well sure but I think if we are if we assume if we accept that creatives are in this industry to to create positive beautiful things in the world I don't know if that perspective is helpful and I think sincerity replaces that and that's about saying okay this is what I do this is my brand and these are my skill sets it's not about being egotistic and about being negative and saying well if you want something else I don't do it so go away it's about saying I care about your outcome I care about you getting the result that you want and I'm being honest with you and saying this is where my skill set lies these are where my processes will lead us and we can go on this journey together or not um and I think that's the difference between sincerity and authenticity yeah great Goods yeah very very clear explanation so it's it's well understanding your clients needs that's true number one and it's about being you know when you when you're confident about your products and your brand and the things you can do not that you will do or won't do the things that you can do and can't do it's actually a service it's actually a help to other people um to sometimes say no rather than it rather than you you need an elitist thing where you tell them I don't know to go away and uh that's not something that's for you it's a I think it's a different way of looking at the world yeah but and if if you want to stay authentic and and that meatball yeah that you that you are acting and and working in your own well personal flow let's call it that way if you are if you're feeling you're not in line with yourself not your true self authentic self you're going in the wrong direction it takes a lot of energy you get a lot of frustrations so how do you what what can be uh is it important to Define your own core values of that that you know how to act on it or how to when the alarm clock goes off that you're like hey I'm not on the right path well of course it is um and I think sometimes that can be active or passive an active way to go about it as we described before being really clear about your product and the things that you do and I think like attracts like if you're if your portfolio and the work that you do is full of biophilia it's all plants it's all nature it's all Greenery someone who was looking for a contemporary minimalist brutalist in Syria contact you so no it's sort of uh it filters itself that's again about hey I serve pizza or I serve french fries yeah that's yeah that's the uh that's the difference they see it already when they're entering the building your website your absolutely social media profile whatever it's all telling them this is what we have this is what we do and that process helps them because they're not lost the client's not lost they're not feeling in the dark they're not trying to bend you into a shape um and both parties getting frustrated um it I know it can feel limiting to think well let's say I'm an interior designer and let's say my specialty is kitchens and all I do is kitchens that can feel limiting but actually I think it's it's expensive because there are all kinds of kitchens you know you could do so many kinds of kitchens and your opening opportunities to really explore that field into whatever it takes you into
yeah yeah there are you have definitely a lot of creative freedom within your own well let's call it signature or expertise yeah that's what what I really do know that's why you can pick are you going for residential offices hospitality become an expert in one of those fields in your communication and you have the freedom to pick another project to say well I'm always into Hospitality but this is such a great residential client and he likes the way I'm communicating and designing and Hospitality so they are in the same line in the same flow and then it's easier for you to make an uh well to do Residential one project because they're coming from this brand experience of hospitality and they want that in their residential project so you don't have to change the whole concept the process that's that's what makes it easy right yeah you don't have to Niche yourself like that you can meet yourself however you like your product doesn't have to be kitchens or bathrooms or residential or offices you know you could be very intentional about your style you could say you know I I work with period period um properties looking at authentic reproduction design let's say that's your niche there's a whole world in that there is you know uh government buildings there are schools there are museums there are hotels and people's homes so you can Niche it however you like but the important point is that you are intentional about it and yeah about it yeah you're communicating your the impact you want to make the goal you want to achieve with them yep yeah and if they if they know that they will trust you on that that you that everything what you're doing what you're offering what you're telling them how you're guiding them is leading in that direction and that's the commonality with your clients yeah absolutely I mean yeah this is the whole point of I think this is the whole point of the talk is when we look at big Brands we don't walk into the store and start making requests and giving orders and that's because it is so clear it is so intentional and so well thought out even if it's not for us even if it's not a brand that we love we know that it's there for a reason we're not looking to fix it and that's the lesson that we take from from bigger Brands and we can we can certainly work that into our life and we should work it into our into our workflow yeah well let's let's because we have a few minutes left um I want to explore the idea because you had a quote not every interior has to be an interview you mentioned it early in the in one of the first minutes I was like okay I need to know more tell me more what do you mean with that we're coming into a space with generative AI where where the real the lines between the physical and the digital space are going to become less and less important um I have nieces and nephews who are more excited about their Fortnight skin than they are about early trainers I mean this is the world that we're moving into and I think the Sci-Fi crazy stuff about living in the metaverse OR Ready Player one or all that kind of stuff I don't think that's I don't think that's something we need to be concerned about but we are looking at a generation for whom a physical space the room the house you live in is not any more real than the digital assets that they have and as designers I think it's very important that we expand the idea of what we consider to be an interior and work that into our creative work so you know in the most small way you can look at the work of Team Labs who create these incredible interactive uh extended reality spaces and think about okay I don't have uh I don't have a 10 000 foot Warehouse with uh you know a million dollars worth of projectors but what do I have you know I have this 8K projector I got from Amazon um I have this kids playroom let's make some really interesting spaces that engage them extend the space you know as they grow up as well you don't have to completely change the room every time they get a new interest or they you know maybe this week they're interested in dinosaurs maybe yes they're interested in uh you know sea life you can work that into the space that they're in um and I think it doesn't have to be limited to that and this is the work of a designers thinking about all these different applications but it's a world that's going to become more and more familiar to us now what what I know a lot of designers they they they sometimes hate technology or working with programs or computers so well the big Brands they have they can have a whole team on that they have the Specialists the experts on that one how can you how you can you start with it to because we obviously we got we can't ignore this world it's impossible right so it's a tricky one um my personal advice especially to younger designers those either in school or just out of school is you know you're young you have time on your hands please learn 3D software do it now hurry um but you know for those of us who have a working studio and finding you know Finding three hours every night to learn these new skills it's it's probably not feasible um but learning learning about the software learning about the process and familiarizing yourself with it is going to be important because what we can do as creatives is we can collaborate you know just in the same way the brands are you know having Supreme X Louis Vuitton we could have Mark Newson X insert designer and you can collaborate you know maybe you don't have to have all of the answers yourself but if you have the understanding and you have the appreciation of of where it's going you can collaborate with other Studios and other Freelancers to create incredible work I I think that I fully agree on that one I think there is the key to success nowadays because we have we already have so many disciplines as an interior designer and architect we are from floor planning we need to know all about Fabrics about lights about about furniture about Acoustics yeah it's it's already amazing that we we can we are our simple man's actually super women right Swiss Army people yeah and clients think we do all know that we are an expert on every field of death so I think again that's your point what you're what you're telling us don't tell them that you are an expert on every discipline of interior design because if they are interested in Fabrics don't communicate that you want that you are a fabric Specialist or talking about curtains when it's not your passion or your expertise right yeah yeah otherwise you yeah you don't you you can't deliver and you're not sincere about your own qualities and products so yeah so teamwork is uh see what makes the Dream Work makes a Dream Work yeah that's the one yeah um well oh Kristoff yeah normally we I have almost a one-hour talk on my my um now we are halfway and I have so much questions for you um your I know you know a lot about this meta first world and Ai and VR whatever and and what it can mean for the for the future of interior designs I I may I invite you for a kind of part two of the beyond the terrorism podcast to talk about further on this topic but you know what I would love that that would be fantastic yeah wow great well then we then we have a deal because we need to discuss more of this world because people now might think wow it's going on literally in your timelines in your in the designs we see so many wonderful wonderful designs popping up on social media and we know they are created with software with computers yeah that's so good that we have a break just decompress again yeah the Deep dive really yeah we need to Deep dive in that one to see what's going on over there and how we can what's our role as designers on that one because I think there is a role for us yeah is it I think to to give you an intro of what our role will be in the future because a teaser yeah not the spoiler alert that kills the teaser then no one knows well no AI will ever know what Christmas morning feels like better than a designer that's it wow that's a good one thanks a lot Crystal I do appreciate that you took the time to uh to be my Beyonce Terra design guest great talking to you I'd hope to see you next time you're going to plan the next uh next meeting let's make it soon and uh very much we'll keep in touch press that button