Client testimonial

Second-Floor Renovation

United StatesMarch 25, 2013, 12:25 AM

“Arcbazar facilitated the design competition for our upstairs remodel and bathroom addition.
Specifically, Arcbazar offered a forum and template for people like me (with no design expertise and no experience hiring a designer) to express my architectural needs, aesthetics, and budget in a designer-friendly format.
If you’re wondering, “Is something like this unusual design brokerage for me?” I suggest asking yourself the following questions:
Do you already know exactly what you want?

Yes? Then go out and hire someone to do for you.
No? Then Arcbazar offers an incredible opportunity to get three, four, or maybe even ten different ways to look at your design problem. For example, our upstairs remodel could have situated the bathroom in three different spots–and it was very illuminating for us to see high quality renderings of what it would look and feel like to have a shower “here” or “there”.
Have you had positive experiences in the past with a local designer you like?

Yes? Then hire that person.
No? Then be like us, and go out on a limb to try the service. I had always felt like design was for “fancy houses” and that I couldn’t afford good design. What Arcbazar offers is a wide pool of potential designers who offer a range of perspectives on a particular issue. Go through the “Arcfolio” on the Arcbazar website and check out the many different ways architects have interpreted “beach house” or “contemporary loft.” These are subjective terms and they mean different things to different people. One of the hurdles of choosing just one local designer is what happens when you and that designer don’t speak the same design language? Arcbazar offers the opportunity to see interpretations on an idea.
Are you the kind of person who needs your designer to speak native English?
Yes? Then Arcbazar may not be for you.
No? Then try out Arcbazar and be prepared that some of the very clever designers may not speak great English. You’ll have to be exceedingly clear in your design needs and if there are questions on the message board that you don’t understand then definitely ask the designer to explain him/herself. If that possibility scares you, then Arcbazar may not be your format.

Summary

Arcbazar is for people who want to see a variety of ideas, and approach their project with an open mind.
Part of why Arcbazar is so affordable is because you, as the client, need to do some of the heavy lifting yourself, such as measurements, photos, and writing up summaries.
Overall, I got fantastic results.
That doesn’t mean every design was fantastic–far from it. It means, that overall, the end result was that I chose one really good idea that met my design needs, fit in my budget, and was ready to use.
This was my second time hiring Arcbazar. The first time was for a landscaping project.
As a second-time user, I can suggest a few things to make sure that you make very good use of your Arcbazar project:

How to get more than your money’s worth from Arcbazar:
Offer a reasonable monetary prize.
Just because the system will let you set up a $50 prize doesn’t mean that any designers will actually compete or that any of the submissions will be any good. These are real designers, most of them young and newly established. For the most part, they’re clever and eager and they GET to choose whether or not they want to submit a project for your competition. If you put up peanuts for prize money, then perhaps only the most desperate will submit a half-baked idea; you will be unhappy. Arcbazar makes a suggestion for your project about how much prize money would be appropriate. Definitely follow their advice. And if you feel like the suggestion is unreasonable, then call up Arcbazar and talk the issue out with them. They’re responsive and helpful–use them as a resource.
I have found that I have gotten more than my money’s worth both times.

Do your homework!
One of the things that you pay an in-person designer to do is to complete all the careful measuring of the area, all the synthesizing of design ideas, all the research into local building codes about what is or is not allowed in your area. You will not get this with Arcbazar. Just for reference, I spent three hours carefully measuring every nook and cranny of my upstairs before I submitted a hand-drawn plan on graph paper. Three hours to do three rooms. But you know what? I got awesome results from people who were able to plug in my numbers into their architectural drawing programs–all ten of my submissions would have been workable.
I also included a link to my hometown’s building code website and asked the designers to make sure that all the window and door sizes were appropriate. Every designer sent code-appropriate drawings.
The more time you spend gathering good photos, writing up good summaries, preparing accurate drawings, the better your results will be. Do not skip this important step.
I was also surprised by what an important process it was for my husband and me to go through together. In answering all of the questions, I learned a lot about what he was looking for in a successful design–things that I didn’t know even though we’d shopped together and talked about ideas for almost a year. The questions that Arcbazar asks you to answer are a great opportunity to really refine your vision. Definitely take the opportunity to get your ideas spelled out–even if it’s just a list of things you don’t like.

Be clear
Like all relationships, communication is key. This is as true on Arcbazar as it is with a local designer. Be explicit about what you like–I like porcelain but hate granite. I didn’t expect someone to ask me how I felt, I spelled it out in my design considerations. I spent at least an hour crafting my design competition specifications–what I needed vs. what I would like, what kind of deliverables I needed (elevations vs. birds-eye). I also uploaded many photos of the existing situation for designers to get a strong sense of what the place felt like even though they were in Romania or Indonesia. (My first place designer was from the U.S., but the close 2nd place winner was from China, and the great 3rd place option was from Romania).

Keep in touch
Use the message board! Yes, about a third of the designers may have mediocre English, but it’s nearly always clear what people want, and if it’s not clear then ask for clarification.. Don’t fall into the trap that thinking that poor English means the person isn’t smart or talented. Hardly. And if you don’t think that you can get over that then you may want to reconsider whether Arcbazar is for you. The message board is also a place to post ideas about a new tub or a cool window that you just saw on Pinterest or in Better Homes and Gardens. Add a link or snap a picture of the magazine and upload it to the message board. The designers will see it and have a better idea of what you want.

Location, location, location
While I never gave designers my exact address, I was explicit about what neighborhood I lived it. Nearly all the designers checked out Google Maps to see what my neighborhood looked like to get a sense of the place. Location should always inform good design. Be clear about where you live and what your local style is.

Pinterest or Houzz is your friend
A big part of getting good results is giving good explanations about what you like. Maybe you can’t explain what you like in words–as a non-designer, I struggle with that myself. Use pictures instead–it’s easy, free, and fun.
Use a digital scrapbook to collect ideas about what you like. This can be especially powerful given that not everyone speaks perfect English. Share the link to your Pinterest/Houzz designs so that designers can really see “Oh, she’s a huge fan of farm house tables.” I saw elements of my design books show up in nearly all my design submissions–whether it was details on the built-in cabinetry or a particular color of tile.
Be prepared that you’ll only receive HALF as many designs (or less) than the number of designers who sign up
On my project, I think I had 16 people sign up and received 10 designs. On the surface, I thought, “What a bummer!” But then I remembered the number of times I’ve waiting for a plumber to never show up or for a contractor to deliver a bid that never arrives or for a roofer to return my call five weeks later. People are human. You will definitely have more sign-ups than designs–just like every other trade out there. Brace yourself for this eventuality.

Part of this flaw is with Arcbazar itself–in order to post on the message board, a designer needs to sign up for your project. What if a designer wants to ask some questions on the message board about your budget or about your design needs, and then realizes that your project and his/her skills aren’t a good fit? Reasonably, you won’t get a design from that person.”