Some clients don’t want to tell their designer what the budget is, because they fear the designer will “spend it.” This is absolutely true.
In the first meeting, I sit down with the client to gauge what work they want done. Getting the client’s goals and ideas for the space helps determine the scope of the project and the feasibility of the budget.
Some clients don’t want to tell their designer what the budget is, because they fear the designer will “spend it.” This is absolutely true. Designers have a responsibility to their clients to work within the budget to produce the best results possible. The designer can’t do the job without knowing the budget and the design needs of the client.
Knowing what you are comfortable spending on a design project is one of the most important pieces of information you can share with your designer. If you have no idea what to spend, the designer can do a budget feasibility study so you can choose exactly what you want the design project to entail and how much the work is estimated to cost.
What this all boils down to is developing a trusting client/designer relationship. Two of the practices I employ to help create this sense of security is to always have my books open to clients as well as talking about money openly and often. Well-informed clients are happy clients.
