Welcome back to Design Business Blueprint, your guide to fortifying and growing your design business with practical strategies, real-world insights, and a dash of tough love. This month’s topic: Client Expectations Are Evolving — Are You?
That’s also the name of the panel I’ll be speaking on at High Point Market this October. If you’ll be at Market, please join me at The Point on Sunday, October 26, at 10am ET for an invigorating conversation hosted by ASID and presented with Joybird, where I’ll be joined by an all-star lineup of designers and industry pros.
But whether you’ll be in the room or not, this topic is one every designer needs to consider, because change isn’t coming. It’s already here.
Today’s Client: Informed, Involved, and (Impatiently) Expecting More
Gone are the days when clients simply handed over their inspiration photos and let you “do your thing.” The modern design client is informed, empowered, and engaged. They’ve seen a million Pinterest boards, watched HGTV on repeat, and probably used a 3D design app before reaching out to you. And thanks to two-day shipping and AI-assisted everything, they’re now conditioned to expect speed, visibility, and flawless results…yesterday.
Here’s the thing: this doesn’t make them “difficult.” It makes them normal in today’s landscape. So instead of resisting, we as designers need to evolve. Let’s break down how things are really changing.
1. Transparency Is Expected
Of course your clients want to see your inspiration and beautiful mood boards, that goes without saying. But now, they want and need to understand the process. They expect to know where their money is going, how long things will take, and what could potentially cause delays. Vague estimates, fuzzy timelines, and opaque pricing structures? That’s going to cause frustration.
Tip: Use collaborative tools like shared Canva boards, project management apps (designers love Asana and MyDoma), and clear quoting templates to offer radical transparency. Your clients will feel empowered and trust you more for it.
2. Speed is the New Luxury
This one’s tricky. “Good, fast, and cheap.” They say you can only pick two, right? And while designers can’t change lead times or production delays, they can streamline the decision-making process, avoid bottlenecks, and respond quickly.
Tip: Work with vendor partners who support your need for efficiency. At the High Point panel, we’ll talk about how brands like Joybird are reshaping workflows to enable quick turnarounds without sacrificing customization or quality. This is where choosing the right vendors can make or break your client’s experience.
3. Clients Want to Be Part of the Process…So Let Them
Most of today’s clients expect to be part of the design journey, not just the destination. This means that collaboration is important and information sharing is key.
Tip: Invite clients into every step of the process with regular updates and include visual updates when you can! Use software that allows them to see your process so they can share their feedback and ask questions. Clients also love to track progress, and while a weekly email with a quick update and preview image keeps them engaged and excited, I prefer to setup a shared document that I can update in real-time that allows the client to access information anytime they want that.
4. Managing Expectations Up Front Helps Reduce Headaches Later
We’ll take a deep dive into this at the panel, so I do hope you will join, but I’ll say it here too: Everything starts with managing expectations. From the moment a client signs on, you need to walk them through the journey, what they’ll get, when they’ll get it, what might go wrong, and how you’ll respond. And throughout the process, refer back to these expectations that you’ve set from the get-go. This will deepen the trust they have in you.
Tip: Some designers use visual aids in their onboarding like slideshows, process diagrams, even checklists. People retain information better when it’s visual, and clarity now prevents conflict later.
How to Stay Ahead: Practical Strategies for Designers
You already know you need to evolve. But how do you actually do it without overhauling your entire business overnight? Here are five ways to start adapting today:
1. Upgrade Your Tools
Start using collaborative platforms that offer real-time visibility into project status, timelines, budgets, and mood boards. Your clients will feel connected, and you’ll spend less time repeating yourself.
2. Refine Your Vendor List
Choose vendors who can support your new workflow. Ask: Can they deliver quickly? Can they give you accurate lead times? Do they help you shine in front of your client? If not, it’s time to reconsider that relationship. Remember that everyone has a shelf-life so if a vendor you once relied on isn’t keeping up, feel confident in your decision to move on and work with vendors who give you what you and your clients need.
3. Help Your Client Understand Their Style
Clients are inundated with inspiration. Help them focus by guiding them to create a folder (Pinterest, Instagram, or wherever they are most comfortable operating) with visuals of things and spaces they like. As a designer, you can look through their curated images and be able to assess their personal style. You’ll see recurring themes that they likely don’t even realize. Point all of these themes out and refer back to these often throughout the design process. It will help keep your client focused.
4. Always Remain Three Steps Ahead
You’ve worked on enough design projects before to be able to anticipate your client’s questions before they’ve even asked them. Have an answer (and a backup plan) ready for everything. When you tell a client, “This fabric is delayed, but here are two beautiful alternatives I’ve already vetted,” you show confidence, capability, and control.
5. Train Your Team (and Yourself!) on Clear and Consistent Communication
A project doesn’t fall apart because of one issue. It can, however, fall apart due to a lack of communication around an issue. Build a culture of proactive updates, documentation, and shared information.
Join Me at High Point Market for More!
If this resonates with you…and I hope it does…then you need to be at High Point Market on October 26. I’ll be speaking at the ASID panel entitled:
Client Expectations Are Evolving — Are You?
– Sunday, October 26, 2025
– 10:00 – 11:00am ET
– The Point (Commerce Avenue between Wrenn and Main)
Moderated by Gifty Clark-Walker of Joybird and joined by esteemed panelists Dr. Dawn Haynie of ASID and Laura Bischofberger of J. Banks Design, this panel will cover communication strategies, vendor collaboration, setting expectations, and the tools that are reshaping how we work.
We’ll share real tools, real tips, and real talk. You’ll walk away with actionable advice you can implement in your practice starting the very next day.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Designers who want to succeed must evolve. Not by losing your voice or diluting your design identity, but by listening, adapting, and leading with clarity and confidence.
I hope to see you in person at High Point Market. And as always, if you’re ready to refine your client experience, improve your workflow, or explore new vendor partnerships, let’s talk.
—Design Business Blueprint is a Design News Now exclusive column written by Yudi Kaufman of YKD Associates. Yudi is a business strategist, entrepreneur, and creative with deep roots in the home furnishings and interior design world. He holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Interior Environments from FIT and brings a unique blend of right- and left-brain thinking to his work. Get started at http://www.ykdassociates.com to learn how Yudi can help you with your business.
