Reimagining spaces as an interior designer can be so rewarding, especially when you see the look on your clients’ faces when you’ve transformed their space into a welcoming room.
But what about the times when you totally miss the mark and clients aren’t so happy? … Awkward. You just about want the ground to swallow you up wondering where you went so unbelievably wrong. We’re sure many interior designers can relate!
A lot of the time it’s because you probably didn’t ask your clients the right questions to get to know them before you got started on your project.
Putting together an interior design questionnaire is one way to help you gather all the right information so you don’t end up with disappointed clients. In this post, we’ll share how a client questionnaire can help your interior design business and list 30 insightful questions you can include in your questionnaire.
Content Snare helps you get the information you need from clients. When you use Content Snare, you’ll get access to our questionnaire template loaded with questions to get you started on your own client questionnaire.
There are a few different reasons why creating an interior design questionnaire helps you in your design process.
The questions you ask in your client questionnaire will help you get to know your new client and define exactly what it is that they expect from you. The more information you get on their specific tastes, design styles, special needs, personal preferences, and budget, the more specific your project proposal will be, and the less likely you are to completely miss the mark on what you deliver.
Sometimes you gather great information in your initial consultation or discovery call, but then new questions come up later on. An interior design questionnaire will help you fill in any missing gaps that exist after your design consultation so you’re fully prepared to deliver your best work.
You might be asking your clients about their preferences bit by bit every time you have a check-in meeting or a phone call, but you’d save yourself a whole lot of time if you centralized all their answers in one place. Sending clients your questionnaire helps your design business save tremendously on time spent in meetings and stay more organized.
Sending a new client your interior design questionnaire after your initial consultation shows that you have solid business processes in place and are doing your due diligence to understand their needs. As your client goes through your insightful questions, they’ll start to see the value of their investment in your services. All of this can work wonders for your reputation as an interior design business and help you get those referrals!
These questions help you get a feel for how well the space is currently working or not working for your client. Sometimes you uncover some elements of the room that your client is attached to and not looking to change. Use these questions to mark down their primary complaints and make a note of what you should probably leave alone.
1. What do you love about the current design/space?
2. What do you dislike about the current design?
3. Are there any furnishings, decor items, collections, or sentimental art pieces you absolutely want to keep?
These questions will help you paint yourself a picture of how your client wants to use their new space and what they’re looking to get out of your design. These are very important questions to ask before you dig into design preferences.
4. What does your family (or if a business - your team) normally do in this room?
- E.g. watching TV, playing with toys, brainstorming, having meetings, doing yoga, playing video games, reading.
5. Can you describe the ages and characteristics of who will be using the space?
- E.g. young children, remote workers, grandparents, boomers, teachers, mixed demographic of professionals.
6. Do the users of this space have any hobbies or extracurricular activities that need to be factored into the design?
- E.g pilates, cooking, reading, yoga, meditation, daily naps, arts & crafts.
7. Do any users of this space have any special needs that need to be taken into account? - E.g. wheelchair accessibility, inability to reach high places, need for dim lighting, trouble with stairs.
8. What are your goals for the room/ space?
- E.g. a space for one sole purpose vs a space for mixed activities, a space where parents can work while surprising children, a space that encourages collaboration and creative brainstorming.
9. What are your technical needs for this space?
- E.g. surround sound, wifi, home theater, computers, projector, smartboard, hidden cables
Ask these questions to narrow in on exactly what your clients like and don’t like when it comes to design.
A heads up - not every client will have the descriptive vocabulary to be able to communicate exactly what you want. It’s on you to help give them some ideas. For these questions, we recommend including both multiple-choice options with some ideas as well as open-ended questions so they can get more specific or mention other ideas that aren’t on your list of options.
10. What colours do you like?
- e.g. neutrals, pastels, blacks, olive greens, ocean colours, bold colours
11. Are there any colour combinations you like?
12. What colours do you dislike?
- e.g. yellows, mustard, dark colours, overly bright colours
13. What design style(s) do you prefer?
- e.g. modern, beachy, contemporary, traditional, eclectic, bohemian, other
14. What design style(s) do you absolutely dislike?
- e.g. modern, beachy, contemporary, traditional, eclectic, bohemian, other
15. What patterns, if any, do you like?
- e.g. stripes, zigzags, polka dots
16. What patterns, if any, do you dislike?
- e.g. stripes, zigzags, polka dots
17. What words would you use to describe the ideal style of the room?
- e.g. casual, formal, spacious, clean, minimal, sophisticated, lived-in, welcoming, romantic
18. Do you have any inspirational images you can share?
Tip: use a questionnaire tool like Content Snare that lets clients upload their own reference photos
19. How do you want the space to “feel”, or what mood do you want it to create?
- e.g. warm, cosy, airy, bright, lively, glamorous, welcoming
20. What are your preferences for flooring?
- e.g. hardwood, carpet, concrete, tile, marble
21. What are your preferences for artwork?
- e.g abstract, landscape, nature, photographs, architecture
Tip: You can even take these questions a step further and provide your client with images as examples. We love how this interior design client questionnaire shows images of potential patterns on page 6.
When you use Content Snare, you’ll get access to our complete list of interior design questions pre-loaded into a client questionnaire. All you have to do is send it over to your clients!
Ask these questions to get a feel for who and how you’ll be collaborating with to get the job done. You’ll need to find out who your primary point of contact is and just how involved they want to be. The answers to these questions will also tell you if the client has enough of a budget to be a fit for your design business.
22. Have you worked with a designer before?
- If yes - ask follow up questions on how the experience was: what went well and what didn’t
23. Who makes the decisions on this project?
- Follow up by asking for their direct phone number and email address
24. How involved are you planning to be with this process?
- e.g. very involved, involved, minimally involved
25. Do you want your design done in phases or all in one go?
26. If in phases, please list the rooms/areas/functionalities you’d like us to work on in order.
These questions help you understand your client’s budget, how willing they are to go past it, and what’s most important to them in the project.
27. What is your budget?
- Provide open-ended questions as well as ranges for budget options
28. What is your preferred time frame for having this project complete?
29. What is more important to you, the budget or the result?
30. Are there any other services you need that I can help you with?
There are a couple of ways you can go about this
Google Forms and Gravity Forms are two online forms tools worth exploring. They can be fairly easy to use but there are a couple of important considerations you should keep in mind.
1. Clients have to finish forms in one go
You always want to make life easy for your clients, but when they use forms they have to submit their information all in one go. If they need to exit out of the form for any reason, they’ll have to re-do all their work again when they come back to it. No fun! If people have to deal with inconveniences like this it will only mean there will be delays in getting content back from them.
2. You still need to use email regularly
When you use online forms, you’ll still need to do the manual work of sharing it with a client over email, reminding them to complete it, and sending follow up emails if their answers are unclear. This can be a huge time suck.
Another way to go is to use a tool like Content Snare that avoids these headaches. Here’s why this option is a better choice:
1. Clients can fill out their questionnaire in their own time
When your client gets their questionnaire through Content Snare, they can answer as much of it as they want to, and come back to it later. Easy peasy. With an auto-save feature built into the forms, all information is saved and your clients can complete the form over multiple sessions, picking up where they left off last.
2. You don’t need to use email separately
Content Snare cuts out the need for you to send email reminders. You can choose how often you want the platform to send your clients reminders then sit back and let it do the work for you. Content Snare will remind your clients to complete the questionnaire till all the information is complete and received.
So you definitely don’t want to be spending time putting your questionnaire together just so your clients don’t complete it. Here are a few tips for making sure they fill out and return your questionnaire:
Any working relationship is a two-way street. When you have your discovery call or initial consultation with your client, let them know what it is that you expect from them too. Give them a heads up that they’ll need to complete your questionnaire before your designers can make any informed decisions or moves on your project.
As much as you let your clients know what you need from them, you may still have to follow up to get the questionnaire back from them in time. You can do this manually over email and over the phone, or spare yourself the time when you use a tool like Content Snare that sends out email reminders for you till the whole questionnaire is complete.
We hope this post gave you some helpful inspiration for what questions to include in your interior design questionnaire.
Did we miss any great questions? Let us know in the comments!
When you build your client questionnaire with Content Snare, you’ll make life easy for your clients and receive the information you need much faster. Get ready to wrap up your design projects sooner than you have before.
Warehouse Hotel Singapore
We all know the importance of first impressions. From meeting a new colleague to arriving in an unknown city, the impact of the first few seconds cannot be overestimated and sets the tone for the long-term relationship.
As we have previously discussed, the hotel lobby is paramount in creating a guest’s initial impression with award-winning designer Douglas Nysse reporting that, “If you lose them at the beginning, it is very hard to recover. In their mind, they’ve decided it is a bad hotel”.
With this in mind there is a huge amount of pressure resting on the lobby layout; not only should the guest feel welcomed by the space and reassured that they have chosen the right accommodation, but the lobby should also convey an immediate sense of the brand and outline the kind of experience the guest should expect. The lobby can be considered the staging area for everything that goes on in a hotel and, as such, it’s the best opportunity to address the guests’ needs and to ensure their expectations are met.
With every sense involved in formulating the initial opinion of a hotel, there are a number of key areas that must be considered in order to ensure that this is a positive one and accurately represents the experience that is to come. From the right lighting scheme to the efficiency of layout, we are exploring nine of the essentials of hotel lobby design.
Ett Hem Hotel Stockholm
As hotel guests’ behaviours shift, with people spending less time in their rooms and more time in the communal spaces, there has been a change to the way hotels are proportioned. In many hotels, the communal spaces have grown significantly in size in order to accommodate additional amenities and create additional revenue opportunities. These may include cafes, shops and even pop up restaurants that appeal to today’s millennial traveller. “[The lobby] is an extension of the [guestroom] and of the city,” says Dimitri Antonopoulos, VP of Restaurants and Development at Antonopoulos Group. “It’s important that lobbies and bars are the kind of place that you want to go out to or spend time in.”
In many hotels, this increase in lobby size has led to a reduction in the average room size. This has, in turn, facilitated a rise in occupancy opportunities, making the available space work harder and drive additional profits.
“[The lobby] is an extension of the [guestroom] and of the city,”
DIMITRI ANTONOPOULOS
Hotel Lobby Design
Today, the lobby is the hardest working space in the hotel and the design strategy behind it must have the needs of the guest at its heart. It is essential that the lobby provides the perfect balance between form and function as it strives to offer a showstopping space that will create the best possible first impression while performing a number of crucial tasks.
From checking in to informal business meetings, the hotel lobby has become a multifunctional space that is as versatile as it is stylish. However, the role the lobby plays in each individual hotel is entirely down to the guests and their requirements. Do they need a space to work remotely with high speed internet access and wireless printing facilities? Or are the majority of the guests couples on romantic getaways who are looking for an opulent space to relax and enjoy each others company? These are the kinds of questions that will inform the overall design strategy and lead to a successful space.
By developing a design strategy that fits perfectly with the clientele, it is possible to create a lobby that builds a sense of community and enhances the hotel’s overall ethos and develops the character of the brand. In doing so, it also cements the hotel and the experience into the mind of the guest, turning them into loyal customers and brand ambassadors.
Public Hotel New York
Whereas the hotel lobby was once a space that served as the entrance to the rest of the hotel and an access point to the main functions of the venue that guests would simply pass through, it is now evolving into something altogether more sophisticated.
In recent years we have seen a clear shift from the traditional dominating front desks to lobbies that have split uses. From lively social spaces to co-working zones, meeting areas, casual dining and open-plan bars, the lobby is now the beating heart of the hotel. Increasingly designed in order to entice guests out of their individual rooms and into a sociable hub, the pressure is on for these spaces to perform a wide variety of duties. In order to pull this off successfully, zoning is essential.
By creating dedicated zones that flow seamlessly together, you are ensuring that each of the functions that you require your lobby to fulfil are given the space to do so. By strategically laying out furnishings and using devices such as sound absorbent panels, one lobby can offer everything a guest needs, from a place to check-in to an area to enjoy a meal.
The commercial benefits of creating a space that successfully performs all of these roles are clear to see. Rather than working from a coffee shop or hosting meetings in a dedicated co-working venue, guests can instead choose to remain at their accommodation, thus keeping any food and beverage revenue within the hotel. On top of this, offering an enhanced experience that provides the ultimate convenience increases the likelihood of repeat custom and positive reviews.
Soho House Chicago
Impressions are formed using all senses and this needs to be considered carefully within the design strategy. By creating a lobby that appeals to more than just the eye, an inviting ambiance is developed which will encourage the guest to engage with space and the brand.
The sense of smell is closely linked to emotions and also to memory and so this is an important area to tap into. Creating a pleasing aroma in the lobby can have a significant impact on consumer behavior and so the kind of scent that is used should closely relate to the overall experience that you are seeking to offer.
According to a Bloomberg report, in 2015 hotels spend $300 million in the scent branding industry and this figure is predicted to continue to rise. Some of the most popular scents used within hotel lobbies and corridors included green tea and lemongrass which Air-Scent International claim evokes memories of warm nights and sparkling waters. White tea and thyme is also a popular combination with its incense-inspired aroma and clean, crisp edge.
Four Seasons Paris
The way in which a space is lit has a dramatic impact on our initial impressions and on our emotional response to it. Too bright and the space can feel clinical and uninviting, too dark and it may appear dingy and small.
In today’s multifunctional lobby, one lighting scheme may not be enough to make the whole space work and so this needs additional consideration. Working spaces will require functional task lighting that ensures guests are not forced to strain their eyes to read and that does not cause glare on computer screens. Conversely, social spaces require a more ambient lighting scheme that encourages guests to relax and enjoy their surroundings. As such, lighting is a crucial part of the overall design strategy and must be considered early in the process.
W South Beach
The sounds and entertainment in a lobby are also important to consider and this goes beyond creating a playlist your guests will love, the overall acoustics of the space must be raised early in the design process. Loud lobbies may give guests the impression that a good night’s sleep isn’t on the cards while silent spaces can be difficult to fully relax in. Carpeting and soft furnishings can be used to diffuse sound and prevent a space from feeling echoey, and noise control materials can also be incorporated into wall coverings and flooring.
The sounds and entertainment in the lobby should align with the needs and agendas of the guests. A hotel with a relaxing spa may benefit from a gently bubbling water feature that puts guests in mind of unwinding while a business hotel might offer a bank of screens showing daily news updates and stock market fluctuations. Hotels that regularly cater for families with small children may consider an area that encourages children to engage with interactive technology thus allowing parents to check-in with ease.
Sir Joan Hotel Ibiza
As well as being an integral component to the overall look and feel of the hotel lobby, the furnishings will make or break the success of each of the zones that are being created. From luxurious sofas on which guests can relax with a cup of coffee to desk areas that are ergonomically designed to ensure the most comfortable co-working space possible, it is important that the pieces chosen not only enhance the style of the space, but also its functionality.
Lobby furnishings should encourage collaboration and offer guests the chance to create groups of seating that work for them. It is also important to consider that one style of seating may not work for all of the functions that you wish the lobby to perform and so many options may be needed. Barbara Best-Santos, associate principal of ForrestPerkins points out that; “Today’s lobbies are true ‘great-room’ environments that are activated through varied seating options and live/eat/work-inspired spaces.”
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona showcases this perfectly with a number of grouped seating areas that make it easy and comfortable to communicate. Seating with high backs also helps to shield the groups to create a feeling of separate areas without them being entirely cut off.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona
As people automatically gravitate towards designs that are rooted in the natural worlds, biophilic design, particularly in hotels in urban areas, can have a significant impact on the guests’ experience. From highlighting scenic views to harnessing natural light and using architectural patterns that mimic natural shapes, biophilic design is thought to promote wellbeing and, according to a study reported on by Oliver Heath Design, guests are willing to pay 23% more for hotel rooms that offer views of biophilic elements such as the ocean.
One hotel that has successfully blurred the lines between the interior and exterior spaces and created a natural oasis in a busy urban space is The Hudson in New York City. With a vibrant canopy of greenery in the lobby and ivy creepers snaking up the brick walls, a striking balance between the hustle and bustle of city living and the tranquility of the natural world is created.
Biophilic design also ties in with our increasing awareness of ecological issues, social conscience and desire to engage in a greener way of living. From sustainable building materials to designs that make guests feel a greater connection to their environment, this is an important trend to incorporate.
The Hudson Hotel Courtyard
As many move towards the Smart Hotel model in which technology takes centerstage, it is crucial that each hotel decides how this will impact on the overall service and operations.
Consider, would the hotel guests prefer to be met by a friendly face and a personal touch or is time of the essence and would online check-in and an app-based key card be preferred? This will play a major part in deciding elements of the lobby design. Is a front desk an important component of the lobby or will roving team members and areas with touch screen technology that puts the power in the guests’ hands be the best way to cater to the needs of the clients?
The Inn at St Botolph in Boston gives guests complete autonomy over their stay, providing a code by email that guests can use to enter their rooms without meeting with a single staff member if that is their preference. Allowing guests to make these choices for themselves gives guests the freedom to tailor their hotel experience to suit themselves and provides a modern alternative to check-in queues and clunky processes.
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