Selecting an appropriate interior designer, architect, or landscape professional for a project isn’t unlike choosing other professionals or vendors, as one always checks on reputation, appropriate licensing, insurance, and other basic screening criteria.

There are certain aspects to hiring such talent because there’s an important distinction to make as these professionals are providing an artistic product or service that must be addressed in order to optimize the client/talent relationship.

Scope of Services

The first step is to establish a scope of services. You need to know what you want to accomplish and you need to articulate this in writing. Being clear with what your needs are will better determine the accuracy of the selection process and ultimately the estimates. It’s important to know because there’s often overlap in what an interior designer and architect can do and what they want to do.

Just because a firm wants to do all aspects of your project, doesn’t mean you should engage them in that manner. The study of interior design, architecture, and landscape architecture are in fact fully evolved, accredited, and distinct programs. Each has a specialized curricula and each field has its own licensing requirements, as well as regulations that need to be followed.

It’s important to choose the right professional for each aspect of your project and know that it may involve an entire team of professionals, which can include an interior designer, architect, landscape architect, lighting designer, landscape lighting designer, and a general contractor who will oversee all of the subcontractors in a project. There may also be an owner’s representative or construction management firm charged with the task of overseeing the budget and paying all of the vendors.

How Much to Spend?

Once you know what you want to do, it’s good to have a sense of budget. This doesn’t mean you have to be exact, but you should certainly have a ballpark figure in mind of your total spending. This will determine the caliber of firm that’s hired, the quality of products used, and the timeframe.

Even in this post-recession economy of value-engineering, materials costs have remained the same or increased, and labor costs are about the same. While you can get firms to say yes to lower bids, squeezing your vendors is not the smartest thing to do either.

There are plenty of examples of contractors and furniture showrooms that have gone out of business, owing millions of dollars to clients, because their margins have been squeezed to death. Conversely, paying a fair price (something close to what they are seeking) can assure you the attention you probably want!

What’s Your Style?

The next step is determining which firm has the aesthetic values you seek. Ironically, this is the point that people feel is the most important, when in reality, it’s probably the least. While most firms are known for a specific body of work, they’ll all maintain that they design to their clients wishes and can do just about anything. My experience is that this is true.

Most people want to physically see perfect examples of what they will get, and want to see numerous portfolio images of a professional’s past work. Certainly this is possible, but not always. An ideal firm may not be portfolio rich, but be entirely capable and appropriate. I recommend weighing this against the other elements of the process when making a decision.

What’s Your Timeframe?

Another important aspect is timeframe. Many people seem to be in a rush and yet they delay their decision-making process until the last moment and then expect a firm to be ready, willing, and able. This isn’t prudent, nor is reaching out too far in advance. It’s ideal to start doing research when a client is prepared to execute an agreement and make the required deposit. The size of the firm, scope of the project, and budget will determine the speed in which a project can be completed.

Getting Along With Your Professional

And lastly, it’s important to match firms who have the appropriate temperament for the client. Personality plays a very large part in this process because at the end of the day, regardless of the business issues, this is an emotional process and people need to like who they’re working with.

Certain clients require design professionals with a “thick skin” and this isn’t all professionals! Vast amounts of money don’t guarantee subservience by creative talent, but it can buy a great product. At the same time, many vendors are willing to do whatever is necessary for a client, however demanding it may seem.

The more recognized and accomplished a professional, the less they will tend to tolerate their clients’ eccentricities, while there are a few who know exactly how to perform under unique circumstances.

Real estate and its development is an important aspect of most portfolios and choosing the right team of professionals to enhance property is essential. A good rule of thumb to follow is: It’s better to negotiate well in advance and pay a bit more, as it often saves money in the long run by avoiding unnecessary problems and having to redo things in the future.

Lloyd Princeton is the Managing Partner of iMatchDesigners LLC, a matchmaking company for architects, interior designers, and landscape professionals, matching professionals to projects of all types, anywhere in the world. You can find more information about iMatchDesigners at www.imatchdesigners.com.