How to avoid making clients dependent on consultants

Communicating design across platforms has never felt more relevant. Print offers permanence and precision, digital brings reach and immediacy, and audio creates space for conversations with candour and depth. This week we launch a six-part podcast series, with Simon Wilson Swell Productions for Edwards White Architects Ltd to mark their 20 years in practice. The episodes share the team’s design vision and the collaborators who help bring their projects to life. Producing and hosting the series drew on skills I’ve honed through years of editorial practice, shaping creative thinking into formats that connect audiences with the value of design in Aotearoa. Thanks to Edwards White for inviting me into this collaboration. Extending design conversations across platforms is something I see huge value in, and I’m looking forward to building on this work with more of our creative community.

During the last year, I have realized that a word I’ve used my whole life is a thousand times bigger than I thought… ✨DESIGN✨ For years, my design universe revolved around planning tangible spaces and visual arts. But ever since I jumped into digital product design, I've been on what I can only describe as a design existential journey. I just listened to the "How Design Drives Successful Companies" podcast with Sarah Stein Greenberg from the Stanford D. School, and it was packed with gems. Here are my key takeaways, straight to the point: ◾ Design is our compass for uncertainty → It’s less about having all the answers and more about being brilliant at learning, adapting, and innovating when things get messy. ◾ Building to Think → Physical drawing and analog materials activate different brain pathways than digital tools. (Yay! My interior design training wasn't just aesthetic, it was cognitive 😎). ◾ Empathy isn’t just for users; it’s for your team → As we scale, we must design moments for connection. Because brilliant products are built by brilliant, connected teams. ◾ AI is the co-pilot, not the pilot → Use it for "fast flaring" (generating divergent scenarios), then apply your human lens to connect ideas with actual needs. ◾ Problem finding > Problem solving → We jump to solutions too fast. Identifying the actual pain point is the superpower. The wireframes come later. ◾ From "making things" to "making change" → Design beyond features. Think systems, ripple effects, and ethics. Heavy? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely. ◾ Assumption Storming → List every assumption about your project. Mark as fact, opinion, or guess. Then ask: "If this were wrong, what would we design instead?" Permission to break your own rules. 🧠 ◾ Design thinking for uncertainty → It's not just a methodology, it's preparation for navigating ambiguity and rapid change (basically our daily reality). I am constantly learning that my interior design instincts aren't things to leave behind, they're actually secret weapons in a screen-saturated world. What other hidden layers of design are out there waiting for us to uncover? And how are you seeing design evolve in your daily work? Share your thoughts below! 😁 #ProductDesign #DesignThinking #HumanCenteredDesign #AIinDesign #DesignProcess #UXDesign https://lnkd.in/eVWuJusb

Creative Problem-Solving in Everyday Spaces In Episode 22, Robin Julich shares how creativity transforms spaces—and careers. ⚫Designing for clients’ unique needs, not industry templates ⚫Turning playful challenges into innovation: “Let’s create a new way of doing this.” What unconventional needs have led you to better solutions? Watch or listen now: https://lnkd.in/gD5wYfNZ #iNNOVATIONInsights #CreativeProblemSolving #InteriorDesign #InnovationAtWork #DesignLeadership

If the answer to “where’s that process?” is “it’s in my head”, you’re the bottleneck. The more knowledge that lives with one person, the slower everything moves. Document it. Systemize it. Give your team access to the playbook. Because if your business depends on you to keep moving, it’s not built to scale: it’s built to stall. Alane Boyd and I discuss it and more on the, "Stop Chasing the 'One Thing' That Will Fix Everything" episode of Automate Your Agency. Link in the comments ⬇️

What if the most powerful force behind innovation… was invisible? 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲. Standards rarely get the spotlight, yet they hold everything together. They turn chaos into clarity. Ideas into impact. That’s why I wrote 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵. And now, I’m taking it further. Introducing The Standards Effect Series: six short episodes exploring how enterprise standards unlock real transformation. The teaser is out now. New episodes every 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, starting 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 30. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. #WorldStandardsDay #TheStandardsEffect #EnterpriseArchitecture #DigitalTransformation #SetTheStandard 

360° Strategy Series Ep 4: Impact materiality & the ROI of doing it right (4/5) Welcome back to the 360° Strategy Series, where we unpack modern strategy through the lens of Double Materiality. So far, we’ve explored risks and opportunities by: - Listening bottom-up (Ep 1) - Zooming out top-down (Ep 2) - Following financial signals outside-in (Ep 3) Now in Episode 4, we flip it inside-out — looking at how your business impacts people, communities, and the planet. 🌍 Every decision creates ripples: across supply chains, ecosystems, and society. And those ripples bounce back — boosting trust and brand strength, or hitting your balance sheet with higher costs and lost customers. The upside? Impact materiality is full of growth opportunities. Done right, it builds momentum, energises teams, and creates ROI that’s both financial and reputational. Purpose isn’t just PR. It’s strategy. And it pays. 🎥 Watch Episode 4: Impact Materiality (inside-out) Want to see how this plays out for your own business? Try our free AI-powered Sustainability & Business Strategy Report — a personalised mini strategy you can read in 10 minutes. 👉 Download it here: https://lnkd.in/gQdiNKiV

It’s good to have a 10 year plan, but don’t let it make you miss out on what’s going on in your business right now. Tune into my conversation with Mark Bradley with LeanScaper at 9:15 PST. Mark drops some outstanding advice and wisdom on this show.

I’ve never met a business that truly only has one process. However, I've met many business owners who believe they have only one process. If you have even one employee, you already have multiple systems — training, collaboration, approvals, task management, documentation, etc. So when someone says “I just need to automate this one thing,” what they really mean is “I haven’t looked at my business as a system yet.” Systemizing your business isn’t about fixing one broken process. It’s about creating consistency across everything, so you can eventually step out of the day-to-day and still have things run smoothly. Micah Johnson and I discuss it and more on the, "Stop Chasing the 'One Thing' That Will Fix Everything" episode of Automate Your Agency. Link in the comments ⬇️

Many developers start projects thinking they’ll save money by delaying or skipping professional consultants. In reality, the earlier you bring in the right experts — the more you save. In 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟭 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁, Nick Robinson, Alex Walker & Devon Ellis discuss why engaging architects early isn’t a cost — it’s an investment in doing it right the first time. 🎙️ “𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁? 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 & 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀” Watch the full episode now on The DREAM BuildCast channel: https://lnkd.in/gcQcjAtC #DreamBuildcast #DevelopmentStrategy #DesignWithPurpose #ArchitecturePodcast #CommunityImpact

A much needed guide for the profession… How to master content creation and social media! Architectural Influence The amazing new book by Thomas Rowntree and published by RIBA Publishing, released today! Tom has been at the vanguard of content creation and social media for the last 5 years, documenting is journey through study and practice so there’s no better person to listen to when it comes to this stuff. Alongside his own thoughts he has included a wealth of opinions and case studies from other Architects online (including me and a few of my mates) It was very flattering to be invited to contribute. I’ve gotten to know Tom over the time, he’s a genuine and thoughtful guy and I was even lucky enough to feature him on episode 1 of the Bespoke Careers podcast. I would really recommend people seeking out this book and devouring it for all the great advice As it says in the book “Social media has transformed industries worldwide, so why aren't architects leveraging its power to showcase their work? With over 5 billion active social media users, platforms like Instagram and YouTube have become powerful tools for sharing ideas, connecting with clients and building influence. Yet, many architects struggle to make an impact online. It's time to stop waiting for recognition and start creating it.” _________________________ 👋🏻 I’m Chris, an Architect & Creator Entrepreneur ♻️ Repost if this resonated with you 💬 I talk about all things careers & business in Architecture & the Built Environment