Whatever happened to taking responsibility? Is this a lost virtue or has advancing age taken a toll?

What about today’s apologies? “I am sorry if you interpreted what I said in a way that hurt your feelings.” Today’s design/builds make it a little more difficult for those looking to deflect blame and offer non-apology apologies.

There are numerous advantages to design/build projects: streamlined communication, reduction in proposal preparation for the client, and increased opportunities to save time and money. These are pleasing benefits, but the advantage that I find particularly underrated is the single-source accountability aspect of design/builds.

Taylor Studios’ early years were as a fabrication only firm. We would be hired by design only firms to convert their 2D designs into 3D experiences. On occasion, an exhibit did not perform to the client’s satisfaction. Was the mistake made in the design phase or was the mistake made in the fabrication phase of the exhibit? And who was going to make it right? Getting to the root of the problem wasted time and energy.

A design/build firm bypasses this type of dilemma, for it is the only responsible party if a client expresses dissatisfaction. Taylor Studios as the designer and the fabricator is RESPONSIBLE. We fix problems immediately. The clients never have to determine where the fault lies because it lies with us. We are in charge of our own destiny. This is very satisfying to a client, and it is very satisfying to us because we continually evaluate how we could do things better.

In the comments below, tell me about an experience you’ve had with design-build, design-only, or fab-only. Which is your preferred method?