It is very difficult to hold a client accountable for their role in a project. We all want to make our clients deliriously happy and meet their expectations. Sometimes this desire can stifle our ability to hold client’s accountable to the responsibilities that they signed up for when they signed the contract. Of course, we all want to walk away from a project where the client sings our praises. This puts the client in a powerful position when negotiating issues that arise during a project. At least, when they are working with a firm that really cares about the relationship and outcomes.

Roles and responsibilities are different for every project. We attempt to define these clearly and definitely at the start of the project. We review them with the client at the start. Yet, given some recent hiccups, even this communication may need to be reiterated throughout the course of the project.

I just got back from AAM and was surprised how many of my counterparts also had stories where what they thought was clearly the client’s responsibilities caused problems in the project. One colleague I talked to about this probably has the most accurate view on this issue. He said, in reality clients expect you to take care of everything inside the box of the exhibit. If this is the case, how do we as planning, design and fabrication firms account for all the potential issues that can arise in a project? Do we set a big chunk of the budget aside as a contingency like the construction industry does? Can we ask the client to set aside a portion of the budget for their own use on things outside of normal exhibit design? How do we convince clients that something in the design will need to be deleted if after the design is completed the safety review calls for more sprinklers needed in the space? Who then pays for the redesign of the exhibits? You see it gets complicated.

We had a recent project where we thought we clearly expressed that permitting, inspection fees and such would be the client’s responsibility (see the contract language below). In the end the client disagreed and we had to go through months of negotiation to come to a solution to a problem that was a bit of a surprise after some HVAC and safety issues arose. The architectural fees to access the problems were going to cost $30,000 alone. Yet, in other projects with similar design elements this had not happened. Every location has different rules and it is hard to predict how local codes are going to affect the project.

Building Modifications & Renovations – All required building modifications and renovations will be designed and documented in the Design Documents. Building modifications and renovations will be the responsibility of both parties as follows:

a. Taylor Studios is responsible for new interior construction including: new partition wall framing, finishing, doors, electrical work, and trim; new exhibit specific lighting system(s); new HVAC supply ducts as needed, and new audiovisual control system

b. Client is responsible for: new HVAC air handling units if needed, permits, inspection fees, relocation of any existing fixtures such as water fountains, changes required to the fire protection system such as new sprinkler heads, fire alarms, emergency lighting, and emergency exit signage, and building shell changes such as reworking exterior doors.

In another project a client demanded that we use a certain vendor to create a water wall. When it came time for fabrication that vendor refused to provide the component. The client demanded a solution that included water against our recommendations. We did what the client asked and it did not work in the end. Then there was much negotiation on who was responsible for the new design and implementation. So, as you can see it can be very difficult to meet client expectations and hold them accountable for their role in the decisions.

Do you think it is fair for clients to have responsibilities in a project? How would you hold them accountable? Clients what do you think is fair? How would you improve the communication?

One of the most often asked questions is how long does a project take to complete. There are many variables that determine the schedule. Here are some to consider.

When Does the Client Want it Done
We just got a request to produce a Bluefin Tuna photo-op model and they needed it installed in New Orleans within 30 days. This is no problem. We can do it. However, we would need to charge more than if we had more time. We are already booked and therefore would have to produce it with over time pay. A rushed project often costs more.

Generally, any project’s schedule can be negotiated to be mutually agreeable.

The Size of The Project
Obviously, a million dollar project takes more resources than a $1,000 project. The larger the project the more time.

How Fast Can The Client get Their Part Done
Client involvement starts right away with getting the contract signed. A few weeks ago we met with a client on a Tuesday and we had a contract signed by Friday. It was a rush project. Design, build and install a donor wall in 60 days. In order to move fast a client must move fast too. Most clients take 30 to 90 days to sign a contract once a project is awarded. This can delay the start of a project.

Often clients underestimate the amount of time they will spend on a project. Clients have to approve many things from design progress, copy, photographs, budgets and fabrication progress. Often clients have committees. Imagine having eight people approve a 200 page design booklet. Most clients commit to a two week review period, yet often struggle to meet these dates. Clients also have to provide details on their resources like their artifacts, collections, building specifications and visitor demographics. If these are not provided on their due dates it can cause large delays in the project. You might consider your own staffing and resources when considering how quickly you would like to produce a project.

If payments, building construction or renovation is behind schedule this can also delay the project.

Most of our projects have these kinds of delays.

What Type of Project
Planning and design generally take longer than fabrication. More decisions and involvement of people takes time. If details are completed in the design phase then production can go quickly. A workshop can be done quickly.

General Project Time Frames
A planning/design/build/install project of $250,000 or more takes an average of 18 months to complete.

A fabrication project of $250,000 or more takes an average of six months to complete.

A planning project takes an average of eight months to complete.

Everything is negotiable, these are some generalizations you can consider.

Price, Quality, Speed – pick two
This is an old saying. It isn’t quite relevant these days as companies can meet all three. However, there is logic in considering these variables and how they are combined.

We are often asked this question.  Additionally, explaining budgeting to clients is an educational process.  Our service and product is not an everyday thing to purchase and it can be confusing to know what a Woolly Mammoth model or a workshop might cost.  Here are some tools you can use to think about it logically.

HOURS = DOLLARS

For some reason, this seems to be a hard concept for people to grasp.  Yet, if staff are traveling, on the phone, writing, designing or building something those hours have to be paid for.  Much of this time seems to confuse people on why it costs money.  Yet a project manager is spending hours when they are budgeting, getting quotes for materials or spending time with a client trying to find a photo.  These seem to be difficult things for people to pay for and it is necessary for a successful project.  Unfortunately, some hours do not always seem tangible even though they add value to the project.  You can logically think about these hours when trying to think about how much something would cost.  The hourly rates of most firms also include a portion to cover overhead expenses like computers, a building, a desk, phone equipment, accountants (yes, doing tax work adds a lot of expense that is frustrating), and human resources.

MATERIALS = DOLLARS

All projects include some material costs, even design and planning.  Most of the time, things like paper and ink are built into the hourly rate.  Yet, that material is necessary to complete a project.  For fabrication there are many potential materials.  The prices of materials fluctuate with the market, like wood and steel.

SHIPPING = DOLLARS

Whether we are FedExing a document or filling a semi with exhibits, this will cost some dollars.

TRAVEL = DOLLARS

There is travel time which has to be paid for as staff does not work for free.  And there are hotels, dining, mileage, flights and rental cars, too.

DELAYS often = MORE DOLLARS

If a project is delayed months or years, prices tend to go up.  We recently budgeted for purchasing many different props for a project.  We created the budget over six months ago and the fabrication portion of the project was delayed.  Props that were priced at $100 over six months ago are now coming in at $115 or more.  Additionally, if subcontractors give quotes to help you create a budget for a client their pricing is often only good for 30 days.  If their capacity books up and the schedule is not lengthened, there is a cost for a rush on the job.  Maybe they have to pay overtime to get it done within schedule.  Sometimes they just can’t fit it in at a later date at all and then you have to get new quotes.  If a project is delayed it messes with a company’s staff availability and planning.  It can cause overtime and much more.  Inflation, changes in material prices and the cost of labor fluctuate and this can cause prices to change as quickly as 30 days.

Industry Pricing Guidelines^[1]

Listed below are general industry pricing guidelines for interpretive exhibit design and fabrication projects. Certain projects are composed of simple exhibit units at a relatively low cost (price/sq. ft.) and other projects are composed of complex multi-media exhibit units at a higher cost. The majority of projects are a mix of both types. The following cost breakdowns serve simply as range indicators:

$200 – $300 Per Square Foot – Conventional cases, pedestals, panels with printed graphics and copy, mounted photographs, and some artifacts. Simple audiovisuals, in the form of slides and auto-repeaters. Simple dioramas and custom artwork.

$300 – $500 Per Square Foot – Walk-in dioramas or replicated environments. May include some electronic exhibits and/or computer interactives, such as games and/or short films. May include creative artwork and custom background murals. Audiovisual is more complex in this price range with custom photography, and special effects. Controlled climate artifact preservation.

$500+ Per Square Foot – Above, plus highly interactive exhibits and complex audiovisual, multimedia presentations, animated figures, and full sensory immersion exhibits.

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[1] Veverka, John A. Interpretive Master Planning. Tustin: Acorn Naturalists, 1998.

Brochu, Lisa. Interpretive Planning. Fort Collins: Interpress, 2003.

What kind of company do you want to work with?  What traits would that company have?  Have you ever hired someone to work on your home and were disappointed in their service, quality or integrity?  I have many of these stories.  I once used a plumber who also did some electrical work.  I worked with this plumber for years, giving him lots of business in running air lines in our fabrication shop to fixing plumbing issues at my home.  Over time I began to hear stories about their lack of integrity.  Then it hit me personally and I was lied to and taken advantage of.  I will never use this plumber again and will encourage others not to.  There was a cost to not doing my due diligence in hiring the right firm.

Then there is the myriad of people I’ve attempted to hire at my farm who don’t show up, who take lots of phone calls to get the work done, who break things and don’t claim it, who throw trash in my woods, etc.  It can be very frustrating to find the right people to work with.  Do you have any of these stories?  Is price more important to you or would you rather have a reputable partner that will probably cost you less in the long run?

Here are the traits we look for when hiring subcontractors or partners.

1. Integrity
2. Quality reputation and portfolio of work – will the company back their work?
3. Experience
4. Good financial practices, including having the proper insurance and accounting practices.
5. Excellent project management practices. Will they be on time?  Do they have good communication practices?  Will they fill out the proper paperwork?
6. It’s an added plus if they are passionate about what they do.
7. And are they fun?  Not a requirement, but sure makes it more pleasurable.

We prequalify all our subcontractors before considering bringing them onto our team.  This is one form we use to decide whether they qualify as someone we would hire.  We now have an excellent group of partners to bring on the team who have these traits.

We also practice what we preach and offer all these things to our clients.  Plus we back our reputation with a five year warranty.  We build unique stuff that often has cranky dos (what I call our mechanical interactives) that will have lots of public interaction.  We don’t have centuries of testing opportunities like your car company.  Therefore, occasionally we have to fix something that didn’t work as planned.  We do this on our dime.  Imagine how much it would cost you if your company charged you to fly across the country to fix what they built?  This could be a savings of tens of thousands of dollars.

What do you look for when hiring a service provider, contractor or designer?

Do you want to work with an organization where the owner/leader is what you are hiring, a name? Or do you want to work with an organization where the leader creates a team that serves your needs and wants?

In many creative industries clients often buy the name of the owner or artist. Today many people buy the name of Frank Gehry to put on their building. Wow, they are amazing buildings. However, if you take Millennium Park in Chicago as an example of buying names, did you know the original budget was $150 million and the final cost was $475 million? This was a cost to the Chicago taxpayers and some private donors. The cost overruns are attributed to construction delays, poor planning, many design changes and cronyism.

If you follow my blog posts, you see that I often write about leadership, communication, management and the like. I often wonder if our readers find this of interest or want to know more about how we plan, design and build?

At Taylor Studios Inc. we focus on process in order to offer the most creative planning/design/build experience as easy as possible. It is my job as a leader to run a well-oiled machine so our clients don’t have to worry about whether we will be on time and budget while offering great customer service. The way a leader does this is to mobilize people towards a vision and focus on strategic issues, while making sure clients are happy, marketing and sales are tip top, finances are under control, staff is happy (human resources) and operations is clicking along. With all of this constant improving our clients have a team, not just an individual that has their back.

I hone my leadership skills by constant learning. Much of this learning is about improving your life and others and can be applied by anyone to improve. Wouldn’t you want to hire an organization that:

• Knows how to handle a mistake.
• Offers good team work and unity.
• Doesn’t micromanage and offer’s staff autonomy.
• Communicates well.
• Has fun at work.  (We love what we do!)

What would you like us to blog about? Would you rather work for an organization where the leader is a figurehead or a team builder?

“To lead is to mobilize and guide the energy and talent of others in pursuit of a common result.” Pat Murray