Table Of ContentThe Business of Design
PuBlisheD B y
PrinceTon ArchiTecTurAl Press
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eDiTor: linDA lee
Designer: DeB wooD
sPeciAl ThAnks T o: Bree Anne APPerley, sArA BADer,
nicolA BeDnArek Brower, J AneT Behning, megAn cArey,
cArinA chA, Tom cho, Penny (yuen Pik) chu,
russell fernAnDez, J An hAux, John myers,
kAThArine myers, mArgAreT rogAlski, D An simon,
AnDrew sTePAniAn, Jennifer ThomPson, P Aul wAgner,
AnD JosePh wes Ton of PrinceTon ArchiTecTurAl Press
—kevin c. liPPer T, PuBlisher
liBrAry of c ongress cATAloging-in-PuBlicATion D ATA
grAneT, keiTh, 1956–
The Business of Design : BAlAncing creATiviTy AnD
ProfiTABiliTy / keiTh grAneT ; foreworD B y ArT gensler.
— 1sT eD.
P. cm.
isBn 978-1-61689-018-6 (hArDcover : Alk. PAPer)
1. Design services. 2. success in Business. i. TiTle.
nk1173.g73 2011
745.2068—Dc22
2011000849
The
Business
of
Design
BAlAncing creATiviTy
AnD ProfiTABiliTy
Keith Granet
Foreword by M. Arthur Gensler Jr.
PrinceTon ArchiTecTurAl Press, new y ork
This Book is DeDicATeD
To mAking DreAms come True.
To my moTher, DoroThy,
who TAughT me how T o DreAm;
To my PAr Tner, Jon,
who mAkes my DreAms come True;
AnD T o my sons, Josh AnD Drew,
who Are my DreAm.
conTenT s
M. Arthur Gensler Jr.
9 foreworD
13 inTroDucTion
Chapter One Chapter three
18 The foundation of a Design 80 marketing and Public relations
Business
marketing 82
Design education 21 Building a marketing Plan 87
writing a Business Plan 24 Public outreach 88
Starting your own firm 30 finding a niche 96
strategic Plan 33 learning how to say no 97
Top Ten Business Practices 35 Public relations 98
40 inTerview wiTh Michael Graves 106 inTerview wiTh A. Eugene Kohn
Chapter twO Chapter FOur
42 Business and financial 108 human resources
management
finding the right fit 115
financial Tools 46 reviewing your staff 116
Budgeting 61 mentoring your staff 118
contracts 66 employee Benefits 124
managing Profitability 75 hiring Practices 126
firm structure 126
John Merrill
78 inTerview wiTh ownership Transition 129
Building a legacy firm 132
corporate retreats 133
138 inTerview wiTh Victoria Hagan
Chapter Five
140 Project management
201 conclusion
Project kickoff 143 202 AcknowleDgmenTs
Team structure and roles 146 204 clienT lisT
scheduling 156 206 inDex
Budgeting 156
contract management 163
Technology and Project management 166
Power of communication 167
170 inTerview wiTh Richard Meier
Chapter Six
172 Product Development
hiring a licensing Agent 176
Product-Development Process 177
negotiating the Deal 185
managing the Deal 189
licensing versus self-Production 192
Building your Brand 194
Foreword by
M. Arthur Gensler Jr.
forty-five years ago, a college friend who was the development manager for
a large commercial project was looking for someone to provide the tenant
improvement and interior design for the building. i had never done tenant
improvement—or even interiors—but being an architect, i thought, “i can do
that.” so i accepted the assignment, and i started on my way to opening my
own firm.
fortunately, my employer at the time let me work part-time in
the mornings so i could focus on my new firm in the afternoons. in two
months i was able to build some cash flow, gain an understanding of all the
requirements of running my own company, and still have time to set up an
actual business and a physical office. i really knew nothing about running an
office, about business, or about interiors. But i had enough confidence to
believe that i could take on this new assignment and still do a good job for my
client. i certainly never realized that this small start-up would grow into the
international design firm gensler. i realize that the process would have been
much easier had there been books and programs on how to run a business
and develop a professional-service organization that i could have consulted.
The Business of Design by keith granet is a wonderful book that
serves as an important resource for establishing and managing design firms.
keith provides many invaluable suggestions for designers and architects who
want to start a practice or take their business to a new level. i have always
thought that as a profession—since all ships rise in a rising tide—we would
better serve our clients by running firms that are much more professional.
leveraging keith’s wisdom and expertise will go a long way in raising the bar
for professional service firms.
i started my firm without benefit of a business plan or any formal
business training. After a few years of practice, i realized i needed to take a
course in business, so i enrolled in an extension program at the university of
california. After three classes i knew that i wouldn’t learn everything i needed
to know quickly enough. so i hired my professor, glen strasburg, to work
directly with the few key people i had brought into my firm. glen led weekly
classes and assigned homework to my team so that we were able to quickly
learn what we needed about the business side of our efforts. i believe glen
9
Description:For thirty years, consultant Keith Granet has enjoyed helping design professionals turn their passion into profit. In his new book, The Business of Design: Balancing Creativity and Profitability, Granet debunks the myth that business sense and creative talent are mutually exclusive. The Business of
