When it comes to building a successful design career, experience is often the most powerful teacher. In our Advice from designers series we ask accomplished interior designers — from boutique studio founders to seasoned industry veterans — to share the pivotal lessons they learned early on, what they wish they’d known when starting out and what they would do differently if they were launching their careers today. This month’s edition focuses on managing and vetting clients: outsourcing client management, communication strategies, paying attention to red flags, and documenting the design process.
Managing and vetting clients
Lindsay Olson of Lulu Designs learned early on how important managing client expectations would be. “Design school teaches foundational principles, but not how to read between the lines of what a client says and what they truly want,” she says, “Over time, I’ve learned to listen for emotional cues and observe reactions during presentations—these subtle signals are often more telling than words.”
She worked with a client who frequently changed their mind, causing repeated project delays. Rather than becoming frustrated, she introduced structured check-ins and documented every decision along the way. This approach helped maintain alignment and fostered trust between both parties.
Similarly, Olivia Botrie, principal designer of Dart Studio brought her sister Jenna on as a business manager to help shoulder some of the responsibility of managing clients, so that she could better focus on the design and creativity.
Lauren Lerner of Lolo Designs learned to pay attention to how clients talk about their day-to-day life and mined those details for “more valuable information about their values than any Pinterest board ever could.”
Trusting your gut when vetting clients
Coco Greenblum of Studio Coco Greenblum had this to say about vetting clients before you’re in too deep, “[It] sounds cliche, but trust your gut. In terms of taking on clients + working with new vendors – the design process is incredibly personal and you need to have people on your team that you can trust. If you don’t have a good feeling the working relationship will be successful, trust yourself first. New projects + vendors will always come.”
Designer Michelle Murphy of DEMI RYAN shared similar advice about not ignoring the red flags early on: “In the beginning, I said yes to every client and project, even when there were early red flags. I’ve since learned that the most successful outcomes come from working with clients who trust the process, understand the value of design, and allow us to lead. One of the biggest lessons was realizing that not all business is good business—knowing when to walk away is just as important as knowing when to say yes.”
Managing and communicating with difficult clients
When it comes to how much of a design project is the actual design versus client management, David Mann of MR Architecture summed it up best: “Much of what I do is manage clients, contractors and vendors as well as associates. Being in school and to some extent, working for someone, shields you from truly understanding the responsibility of nurturing all the entities that go into creating spaces.”
“Early on, designers tend to think more about design and less about management. In the end, it’s necessary that both skills are well-honed, in order to have the best possible career. As your firm grows, you may be as fortunate as I have been to work with great managers, but you still need to know if their management style is right for you and how to correctly assist and/or guide them towards ensuring the optimal results.”
Upon transitioning from design school to the professional world, architect Dan D’Agostino of Plan Architecture had this to say, “In college, we’re often taught to develop and defend our opinions, but in the professional world, this can be misunderstood. While you may know more about design than your clients, they know more about their business, their needs, and their audience. Listening and collaborating are key to finding the best solutions.”
That is not to discourage you from pitching bold ideas — just learn to finess how you communicate them.
Don’t be afraid of suggesting the bold option
Lerner of Lolo Designs took a business risk with one client who was resistant to her bold wallpaper choice: ” During one project, a client resisted the bold wallpaper I proposed for their powder bath. I asked them to trust me and promised we’d pivot if they hated it. We didn’t pivot. It became their favorite moment in the house.” Doing so, put forth a confidence in her own design instincts that made the client trust her more.
When it comes to pitching your wild design choices, confidence kept coming up in one form or another. And sometimes, that is just something that comes with time.
Olson of Lulu Designs also shared an anecdote about trusting your instincts and not being afraid to pitch a client on the bolder option, even if you think they won’t go for it: “I once had to decide whether to suggest a bold, unexpected color palette for a luxury client’s living room or stick with the safe neutrals they initially requested. I trusted my instincts and presented the bolder option, supporting it with a narrative about how color can transform a space. The client embraced it, and the project became a portfolio highlight—reminding me that creative risks, when grounded in expertise, often lead to the most memorable results.”
The path to a successful design career is paved with more than just creativity — it requires emotional intelligence, clear communication, and the confidence to lead clients through a sometimes unpredictable process. As the designers featured in this edition of From the ground up reveal, managing and vetting clients isn’t just a logistical task; it’s an art form in itself.
Knowing when to take a risk, when to walk away, and how to listen between the lines can define not just a project’s success, but the sustainability and fulfillment of a designer’s entire practice. | Stay tuned for our next edition of “From the ground up: Advice from designers (for designers)” for more field notes from today’s top working designers.
