Most projects signify a milestone and have been years, decades and in some cases a lifetime in the making. Spending less than what is available seems disrespectful. We approach pricing with an outcome-based strategy. Produce one dollar of benefit for each dollar spent. We welcome any and all dialog regarding price. Cost of design and production can vary widely without compromising the message. Never does withholding resources earmarked for the endeavor enhance the final outcome. We strongly recommend the owner have a price in mind prior to commencing. Our position is not low cost, but quantity and quality based.

Financial and business planners can assist in determining appropriate funds for all project types or components. These professionals are trained to look at the complexities of market values, competition, short and long-term capital and revenue generation among other factors and conditions. Owners should consult with qualified professionals if they have not already done so.

The cost of a project can vary tremendously based upon many factors. Many are positive steps an owner can take to directly lower cost and maintain or increase quality. There are also many negative pitfalls an owner can avoid to achieve the same. A few of these measures include consideration of: 1) owner value, 2) sophistication of techniques, 3) owner participation and 4) materials and finishes. There are many more. Although there is much truth to “the more money spent, the better the result”, this is not true in all cases. Therefore, it is important to understand where investing more actually creates additional value and results.

Positive:

Owner Value – Given the subjective nature of design being open to interpretation, the single biggest factor affecting price is the value placed on the project by the owner. A facility, room, fixture, or graphic can be as expensive or as inexpensive as the owner wishes to dedicate funds toward it. There are analysis methods to assist in determining what is the appropriate funding for any project or component. Again, we strongly recommend the owner have a price in mind prior to commencing.

Sophistication of techniques – There are many reasons for selecting a more sophisticated or elaborate technique: Impact, entertainment, marketing, communication and even simply personal preference. Our approach to technique selection is to match the technique with the objective. We arrive at this match by an outcome based strategy initiative. Having a clear goal can ensure that if $1 is spent on a particular technique the result will produce at least $1 of intended benefit. This assurance can yield a significant savings and a tight control of fund allocation. For example- If a storyline identifies the need for a vintage car, the cost can be several hundred dollars if handled with a photomural, or several hundred thousand dollars if the real actual car is provided. Regardless of the money expenditure, a content-based approach assures the message never wavers or changes. We stay current with industry trends, techniques and suppliers and can offer presentation methods to fit any budget. .

Owner participation – This is straightforward and self-explanatory. The more work the owner takes on, the less expenditures for supplies and labor. Research, fact gathering and text writing are big savings areas. It is a fact that in most instances the subject of the project is the very livelihood or daily business of the owner. It is virtually impossible for us, or anyone else for that matter, to learn more about the project or story than they do. This especially true in special niche markets, community, or topic projects. If the work is to be done on an existing situation, fact gathering can be easy and always available.

Existing elements - The use of existing elements, hardware and technology can produce a significant cost saving in the fabrication and production phase. In addition to a monetary savings, many times using existing hardware extends warranties and lowers maintenance. Although a readily available component may cost half of a custom piece, the savings may not be that direct. Most of these available components require custom elements to incorporate them into a more useful or effective design.

Materials and finishes – Savings in this area are both short and long term. Certain project components can be finished with lower cost materials without compromise. Other project components may have to be built from the high-grade materials to ensure lower lifetime costs. Wood laminate finish is considerably less expensive than the real solid wood and virtually just as good. A traditional CRT monitor is less than a plasma screen, and a stock photo is less than hiring a photographer. However, a stainless steel counter may cost more in production but have no maintenance costs, and lasts forever. This is equally so with countless other details. During final design and construction documentation, we affirm and verify these choices to properly align all aspects of ownership, production, maintenance, and sustainability.

Negative -

Not all measures affecting cost are positive and direct. A few of the most common actions owners make which have a negative affect on cost include the following:

Lack of a defined goal – Without a defined goal, a tight scope of work cannot be established resulting in pricing being high enough to cover “what if” circumstances. The lack of a defined goal can stem from inexperience or over-emphasizing technique goals such as originality, creativity or cutting edge without a defined “why”.

Rigid control – This scenario can stifle or not accommodate ideas produced. This can result in great solutions lacking necessary funds, or the ideas having to be abandoned. In either case, the project suffers. As a response to this scenario, we have often performed preliminary concept work outside the original work scope. This investment can often save money in the long run and greatly enhance the final outcome. Although seldom popular, making an initial investment for upfront conceptualization often saves money in the end. Very simply, resources are better utilized when the goal is clearly and confidently known.

Low bid – As the famous quote states, “Low bidder usually wonders what was left out”. Whether intentionally or by oversight, if elements are left out, the cost to add them later far exceeds what they would have cost originally. During the design and planning stage, low bid can mean less services, fewer options, or no accommodation for owner input and revisions. During production and implementation, a low bid can indicate one of a hundred counter productive measures such as low-end thinking, inferior materials, off-brand equipment, or minimal detail finished.