I am about to embark on the next stage of the interior design adventure! After two years of study and experimenting on my own home, I have my first client meeting!

Past experience in my professional services career has taught me that preparation is key. I am looking back at my training on getting to know my client and the client brief. As you are on this journey with me, I hope you find this helpful for your first client meeting too!

What is a client brief?

The client brief is the information you gather to understand the client’s requirements and aspirations for the space. This includes details of their preferences, likes, dislikes, budget and timescale. 

The client brief is a fundamental part of the interior design journey. Without it, the project is unlikely to succeed. 

The first client meeting

So, now we know the stakes are high, how do you make the first client meeting successful?

The first meeting with your client is like the beginning of a new friendship – it’s all about getting to know each other and taking the time to really listen. 

The client may have a vision for their space, or may be overwhelmed and lost. It is our role to make sense of it all and guide them to achieving their dream space.

To do this, we need to listen carefully, ask open questions, pick up on vibes and pay close attention to details… all attributes of a good friendship!

The Wish List

The starting point is discussing the client’s wish list. Your client unveils their dreams, and you need to catch every note. You also need to pay close attention to the realities. For example, what are they prepared to spend on the project and when does it need to be completed?

The first meeting aims to ensure you are both on the same page when it comes to the project. Once the wish list has been discussed, your interior designer skills come into play.

What is their style?

If you are in the client’s home for the first meeting you may be able to tell their aesthetic. On the other hand, the client may have just moved in and want to overhaul their outdated home or vanilla new build. 

Again, listening is your superpower. Ask questions that bring out their style inspiration. Do they lean towards cosy clutter or minimalist chic? Do they dream in vibrant colours or earthy neutrals? 

For those confused clients, photos are a perfect way to unveil a client’s style preference. Ask to look at any interior design Pinterest boards they have created. I think this is many people’s first port of call nowadays when looking for design inspiration. Or if the client is more old-school, they may have saved magazine articles or internet searches that you can look at. 

You can also talk through the different styles, and bring along images and key points to help with the discussion.

This article from House Beautiful sets out ‘The Ultimate Guide to Interior Design Styles’ and is a good place to start.

Prioritise Functionality

Once the aesthetic style has been discussed, the conversation needs to turn to the functionality of the space. A project will not be successful if it does not take the function and requirements of the space into consideration. This is where the world of Pinterest boards meets the interior designer’s realism. 

For example, when researching hallway storage, my Pinterest board was filled with beautiful built-ins with open shelving and dainty hooks. However, I need to remember that I have 2 small children, a husband who dumps everything at the front door, and I live in Manchester so everyone needs at least 5 different types of coats! One coat hook and a wicker basket is not going to cut it in my house. 

We need to bring our knowledge of function over form to the first client meeting, and guide our client towards a design that will work for their everyday life.

This part of the meeting will explore the practicalities of the project. Ask open questions to understand the client’s lifestyle:

• Are they looking for a casual, child-friendly home for a growing family, or a chic sanctuary for a busy young professional? 
• Do they need a hard-working, multi-functional space or a cosy retreat for relaxing in the evening?

First client meeting checklist

I am sure that after conducting a few first meetings, it will be easier to remember all the important questions and details. However, I think that I will always have a checklist with me, as I love to be organised (and again from my experience in professional services I know the pain of sitting through a meeting without an agenda or goal).

The checklist is just a guide, and the first meeting needs to be more about building a relationship and actively listening to best understand the client brief.

20 Questions to consider:

Client Questionnaire

It is a good idea to bring along a client questionnaire to the first meeting. This looks professional and shows that you are putting effort into this fundamental first stage. 

I have designed a few iterations of a questionnaire as part of my studies. I have incorporated the key questions and hope that it will encourage free-flowing conversation, which can be used to create a design proposal.

The questionnaire could also be sent out to the client in advance of the first meeting, but I think that this could be overwhelming and impersonal. So it is my intention to print out the questionnaire and take it along to my first meeting.

What to bring to the first client meeting

The first client meeting is usually a consultation, so will not include the full site survey. You can find more information on what to do and what to bring to a site survey here.

Good luck!

So now we know what to ask, how to listen and what to bring along. We can walk into the meeting much more relaxed and in control now that we have properly prepared.

At the end of the meeting, it is important to discuss the next steps. Follow up with the client in the coming days and continue to work on building the relationship. If the client is happy to continue, the next step would be to prepare a design proposal. This includes the scope of the project, fee structure, projected budget, deliverables, terms and conditions.

This is an exciting stage: it’s the start of a new relationship and journey to a dream space. Let the design adventure begin!

To find out about my interior design journey so far, please have a read of my About Me page.

Please join me for updates on this interior design journey…

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