Hi! Im Fiona. Things that I do: Teach Vectorworks and SketchUp - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Hi! I’m Fiona. Things that I do: Teach Vectorworks and SketchUp • Tutor at London College of Garden Design • Freelance for other designers • Project management • Draw great plans and details • Create dreamy visuals • Provide a sounding board/second pair of eyes/nagger/ • reminder/voice of reason

T alking about profit • (Not fees - that’s another discussion entirely!) • On paper, design fees might look good, but how much profit do you really make? • What are the things that take away from that, often without you noticing • What can you do to minimise those things? • Because after all, however much you love your work, the more efficient you are and the more profit you make, the more time you will have to spend enjoying life (even more!)

An imaginary project £2,200 design fee: • 2 design options 7 hours • Working up chosen option 1 hour • Amends 1 hour • 1 x visual 6 hours • 2 x construction details 5 hours • 1 x planting plan 8 hours • 3 x site visits 8 hours

Y our hourly rate £2,200 design fee Total: 36 hours 2200 / 36 = £61 per hour Not so bad! But… What about all the hidden things that steal your time?

Time thieves 1. Indecision and self doubt 2. Software black holes 3. Replicating or creating more work 4. Inappropriate use of software 5. Doing unnecessary work 6. Skill / knowledge / expertise black holes

1. Indecision, self-doubt & expectations Examples include being unsure about: • Material choice • Plant choice • Design details • Client-induced angst • “What ifs” • Going round in circles Also mis-management of client expectations: what you do, what your role is, what your fees are and how they work.

2. Software black-holes AKA. “Dicking about” Generally small errors, inconsistencies or problems that consume a disproportionately large amount of time.

3. Replicating work • Re-doing things from scratch that you’ve previously done before as a result of: • Bad filing • Not using templates • Not utilising images libraries • Not making use of built-in software libraries 


4. Inappropriate use of software • Over-doing it eg. Doing client presentations in InDesign • Under-doing it and having to compensate eg. Plans in SketchUp • Using the wrong thing entirely eg. Plans in Photoshop or Illustrator • Not using any at all!

5. Doing unnecessary work • Doing additional work before the design’s been signed off, e.g. Details, specifying materials, sourcing plants • Worrying about things that haven’t happened yet (or may never happen) • Do you even need to do that planting plan? • Or that construction detail? • And do you need to do them now?

6. Skill / knowledge / expertise black holes • Things you can’t do • And don’t know

The reality of our imaginary project • 2 design options 7 hours + 30 mins mind change due to worrying about client expectations 
 + 30 mins looking at paving + 45 minutes black hole trying to add a bench in Vectorworks + 30 minutes call to client to explain payment schedule + 2 hours re-drawing after discovering error in site survey + 1 hour chatting to another garden designer about what they think of the proposed options 
 • Working up chosen option 1 hour + 1 hour looking at trees 
 + 15 mins looking for mis-filed Vectorworks file 
 • Amends 1 hour + 2 hours of further amends that weren’t budgeted for after client’s mother-in-law came to visit and made “suggestions” 
 + 3 hours re-designing terrace after last-minute decision by client to ditch raised beds.


 The reality of our imaginary project • 1 x visual 6 hours 
 + 1 hour trying to fill in weird gap in SketchUp model 
 + 30 mins googling how to fill in weird gap (1 minute to actually fill it) 
 + 1 hour figuring out importing image into Photoshop to change colour of paving slightly + 2 hours re-drawing after Client decides they don’t like the steps after all 
 • 2 x construction details 5 hours + 1 hour researching drainage details online 
 + 20 min phoning ACO to ask about slot drains 
 + 25 minutes faffing around with hatches on Vectorworks 
 + 1 hour due to amends after discovery of soil waste pipe no one had mentioned + 2 hours re-drawing the step detail you did before the client changed their mind


 The reality of our imaginary project • 1 x planting plan 8 hours 
 + 1.5 hours creating new plants due to “lost” file from previous job • 3 x site visits 8 hours 
 + 1 hour additional visit to demonstrate that proposed trees won’t create too much shadow 
 + 1 hour worth of phone calls to reassure client about design decision, plant choices, contractor start date etc. + 3 hours transport

Y our hourly rate £2,200 design fee Was: 36 hours Additional 27.5 hours work so a total of 63.25 hours 2200 / 63.25 = £36 per hour

1. Indecision and self-doubt & expectations • Decide now, change your mind later • Work now, think overnight, send tomorrow • Think about the consequences of changing your mind. They are generally not bad! • Set client expectations from the outset - what you will do and don’t do, exactly how each stage will work, how the payment schedule will work etc.

2. Software black-holes • Be self-aware. • “Is this me being OCD?” • “Is this problem going to get me towards my solution” • Generally the answer is no. • Try allocating time towards tasks, and pull yourself up if you start going over (use a phone timer) • Be aware what your time sucks are

3. Replicating and creating more work • How’s your filing?

3. Replicating and creating more work Do you have a clear file labelling and versioning system? • What the file is • What job it's for • What date it was done 
 My system is this: 
 [Drawing title] – [Project] – [Version] – [Date].xxx For Example: Layout plan - Tylebrook Farm - v3.1 - 20-9-17.vwx

3. Replicating and creating more work Do you use templates?

3. Replicating and creating more work Do you use templates?

3. Replicating and creating more work Custom Vectorworks libraries

3. Replicating and creating more work Collections in the SketchUp Warehouse

3. Replicating and creating more work Pinterest boards

4. Inappropriate use (or un-use) of software • Use the right software: • Vectorworks (or AutoCAD) for plans, planting plans and construction details • SketchUp for 3D models (or Vectorworks) • Powerpoint for presentations • Don’t use, for example, Photoshop or Illustrator to do plans, or InDesign to do a client presentation • Not using any software at all? • Learn it • Or outsource

5. Doing unnecessary work • Only do work when you actually need to do it • And think “do I really need to do this?” • If you know about plants and are doing a small London garden, do you need a planting plan? • Building a simple retaining wall and know your contractor? Do you need a construction detail? • Worrying about things that haven’t happened yet (or may never happen) • Until the design has been signed off, don’t do a thing!

6. Skill / knowledge / expertise black holes • Identify things you don’t know and find out ways of learning them - CPD, industry courses, seminars, workshops, supplier presentations • Take your landscaper to the pub • If you use a certain product a lot, explore what training options they offer • Outsource!

General Rules • TIMESHEETS! • Focus on the end goal - you are selling a product, and that boils down to various drawings (and the ability to convince someone to pay to get them made real). • Be decisive (until spades are in the ground, you can always change your mind!) • Always be sure to give the client your hourly rate for amends. And make it high enough so that they think very carefully before changing their mind (again).

Thank you! I’m on stand E63 (opposite the pool) - please feel free to ask any questions. www.fionasilk.com 07870 663102