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Carrera

Kramit, what are you doing with advertising? I found that in small practice that small ads in community newsletters and papers is quite effective. Just a 3”X3” ad works, don’t change it advertising is consistency and the same ad works year-by-year. I found an ad by an architect that had a small B&W photo of an architectural detail like a porch cornice detail with white lettering of contact information only to be classy and conveyed a strong message – keep pounding!

Sep 20, 14 12:32 am  · 
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Yep, I still do CDs from time to time by hand. There is an art to that, too. It depends. If I am using engineering consultants that's a different story. Total time to producing deliverables may not be all that different.

Sketching is always a part of my design process. SketchUp 3d models maybe used as well in the process. It depends on what I am trying to get at in communicating the design.

The method of visual presentation of design ideas is up to the person. In designing, I like pencil/pen and paper method alot. I would do that even to the CD level at times. I can work almost regardless of electricity. I've learned the hard way in my area that during our high wind storms, we often get electricity outages. Most work in storm seasons, here, I do more of the design by hand. I take on more of the structural 'engineering' side of things myself (okay, can't bill it that way using the "engineering" term but the function of the role.... especially in Oregon projects given the exemption of residential and light commercial projects under engineer's law).

MEP is often prescriptive but I may do that, too. 

As far as my own work, I do what I need to do to communicate design. When I am working with engineering consultants, I have to use computer software based method of designing/developing DD documents and CDs. I have a portable 24x36 drafting board as well as the 18x24 portable drafting board.

There is more control over CDs and to discourage fickle clients constantly making radical changes, I impose a "fickle a-hole penalty fee".... okay, change-order fee that is billed by the hour at Billed Hourly Rate or 15 minute unit at 1/4 of Billed Hourly Rate. If Billed Hourly Rate was for example $100/hour, then 15 minutes would be $25. It's more or less rounded off/up (but consistently applied with any given project). In other words, they would benefit by making sure they are decisive and not screw around with me. 

There is no point & click magic button. I may print out common CAD blocks onto sheet at suitable scale and when using them, just trace the CAD detail. There is alot of ways to do it and do it efficiently.

I will cyanotype the CDs copies with originals retained at the office and the cyanotype sets are submitted to building department and additional sets as needed for other departments.

Sep 20, 14 12:54 am  · 
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As for cyanotyping, that's a choice not a requirement. Real blueprints are made but that's kind of a classy art form vs. say being a el cheapo prints. It will be very clear to detect an official copy and a pirated/illegal or otherwise unauthorized copies.

It's kind of an authentication because most aren't going to go through the process of trying to make an cyanotype copy from a cyanotype copy. The trouble of trying to do so would be A) cost prohibitive and B) too time consuming.

Sep 20, 14 1:01 am  · 
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kramit

Carrera, I place ads in Real Estate Publications, Design Publications, Newspapers, I go to banks and talk with loan officers (they love people that protect their clients from $leezy builders), give them my business cards and a paper weight or something, I give out shirts, caps, coffee cups/mugs, I place 3'x3' Signs on the front lawns of where I did a design for a client. I frequently visit building departments and they all know me by nick name, I try and be friendly and professional, but not to the point where i come off as an ass either and they always refer me when people are looking to build. I have a few ads on billboards too. I have magnet signs on my truck. I have done it all when it comes to advertising. The point here is Marketing, and marketing well to where everyone knows your name and what you do as a professional. I not only do commercial work but I do a lot of residential work, and work with many realtors as well. I firmly push Remodeling Design as there seems to always be remodeling.

I cannot sit back and just let Word of Mouth come along, i need to move and do something to gain clients and advertising everywhere and doing it tastefully (not cheesy) has made a huge difference in what I do.

Sep 20, 14 2:07 am  · 
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Carrera

Kramit, you are doing all the right things, while some here my criticize your efforts your market is the general public and all that you are doing applies. As you said keep it tasteful because that is what you are selling. Those guys in dorm rooms can’t compete with that. Be consistent with your ads and don’t miss a single issue of a publication - advertising is consistency.

Richard, it may seem a little old-school but if one has the ability to hand-draw it’s just as fast for a single application. We are going to get criticized for it but there is something about transferring brain to fingers – especially in design. Man, it’s a hell of a lot less physical to do CAD than physically laying over a board. If I was still in the game I would defiantly do CAD, I just did a Grad School project by hand and I just hated the prospect of laying over the board - its way more physical but I loved the result…got criticized for the watercolor rendering I posted but I still believe that architecture is art and I think clients expect that from real architects on real architecture.

Sep 20, 14 2:58 am  · 
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Carrera, 

It's definitely physical to draw and work over a drafting table.

As for watercolor rendering, I thought it was decent and it was to do exactly what it is for. Watercolors as with renders are not really about the purpose of being photorealistic representation because the point isn't to make that precise of a claim of what it will look like but convey sufficiently the essence of what it would look like. When it isn't photorealistic like a photograph, everyone knows its an artistic rendition and woud not have too much expectation that the colors like the paint will look exactly like the rendering. 

I do use aquarelle lead & lead holder for my own watercolor rendering in addition to other mediums. 

Sep 20, 14 10:35 am  · 
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