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American Academy of Landscape Design
| July 23, 2010 |
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Greetings!
Did I get your attention with the subject of this newsletter. Read on and see if you agree. Or not.
Sincerely, 
American Academy of Landscape Design
www.aaldweb.com
847-657-7900
P.S. Still have some book bargains left. If you see something you like, but you don't like the price, make me an offer.
Click here
P.P.S. Happy Birthday, Grandma. We miss you.
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We Install Other People's Plans
Before you judge, read through this.
For the vast majority of may landscape design career, I had a mind set that I thought was based on professional respect. That is, if a potential client put a competitor's plan in front of me and asked me to bid on it, my first question was, "Did you pay a design fee for this plan?" I figured if they paid for it, then they could do with it as they pleased. But if it was "free," then it was intended only for use by the company that designed it, and the clients were taking advantage of the situation.
At the same time, I've always been a proponent of charging a fee for design. If the design is any good, it should have a value put on it. If it is "free," then it's probably worth every penny.
I understand why many design-build firms don't charge. They treat design as a means to an end. The money for them is in the construction, and they don't want limit their chances of getting to that point by charging a fee for design. Indeed, many of those design-build firms offer mediocre designs at best anyway. But, in my market, there are some that actually provide very good design work and don't charge a client for it.
Looking back, I took a pass on a number of well-designed projects because of a perceived ethics issue. In retrospect, I had it all wrong.
Companies that give away good design at no charge are taking a risk. They may have many hours in a design with no commitment from a client. But that is THEIR risk. Why should that be MY problem? I often complained that my "competition" was cheapening my product. They should charge for design work. Only recently did I come to the realization that if I REALLY want to make them RETHINK FREE DESIGN, then I should make them pay for it!
Think about it.
Assuming the design is something you are comfortable installing, why not go for it? It will save your client some design fees, speed up the process, and send a message to all those design-build companies out there who have been devaluing design for many, many years!
I'm sure I'll hear from some of you.
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Free Webinar
On Thursday the 29th, Chris Heiler is offering a free webinar about how to build a web presence without a web site! If you are a student or a designer looking to get established on the web, you really should not miss this! I was an early-adopter when it came to creating a web site, and it paid off way more than I anticipated.
But Chris argues that you don't need to spend the time OR money for a web site, and you can reap the all of the rewards and more!
Go sign up now here.
Take a look at some of his introductory offers. |
 Garden Design School
I've had a number of inquiries over the years regarding full-fledged landscape design programs. You will find none better than Garden Design School USA.
Owned and operated by England's Robin Templar Williams and Moira Farnham, Garden Design School is in its 9th year and is a comprehensive, 8-month program for budding landscape designers. It's ideal not only for career-changers, but also for any landscape designer looking to improve design skills. Those who complete the program will have been exposed to all of the skills needed to practice landscape design professionally. You can read more at their web site. http://www.gardendesignschool.com/
Rob and Moira began offering their course in Boston last year. And they asked me to teach 2 of the 8 Blocks for 2010-11. I'm flattered to be asked and look forward to being part of this proven program. The next session begins in August and the schedule is posted here.
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