Why Studios Struggle - And How to Fix It

Imagine walking into a Bentley dealership. You’re greeted with a smile, offered a cappuccino, and seated in a quiet lounge surrounded by designer books and polished materials with neatly detailed junctions. Now picture a typical Ford dealership - strip lighting, instant talk of budget, maybe a machine-brewed coffee in a styrofoam cup.

The contrast is unforgettable.

That’s where many architecture and interior design studios sit. Not because they aren’t talented - but because they’re treating a high-trust, high-ticket service like a commodity. I feel that interior design studios tap into this way better than architects. Perhaps we feel as Architects that we have a level of social proof with our title, and it almost makes us entitled. Maybe that leads to why people feel alienated from architects, they’re not sure what we do, and often feel like they’re being ripped off. On the flip side, interior designers are usually known to cost a premium, but there seems to be far less resentment.

A survey found that while 80% of businesses believe they deliver superior service, only 8% of customers agree.

Zofia (my wife and business partner) and I realised all of this early when working for others: it doesn’t matter how good your designs are if the experience leaves clients anxious, confused, or disengaged. In my previous practice, I started making every touch point beautiful, organised and a delight to receive. I'll never forget seeing how it worked first-hand: excitement, clients sending my documents to their friends, neighbours and multiple people finding my documents on planning websites and asking if I'd be interested to work on their project. Those projects: I was never competing against anyone else, I had differentiated. You see if you want to stand out, you need to differentiate.

In an industry where nearly every studio offers “design and planning,” how you make someone feel becomes your biggest differentiator.

I'll break down why small studios often get client experience wrong - and the simple systems you can put in place to make yours stand out. I've broken it down clearly into 3 simple chapters.

• Why small studios struggle.

• Why refining your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) is the foundation.

• How to design an experience that clients remember - and recommend.

Part 1: Why Small Studios Struggle

You hear it all the time, you need to find a niche. But how far do you go?

That's one thing I learnt after spending £25,000 marketing to the wrong people.

A couple of years ago, I was doing co-living schemes, lots of them - working with a PM/contractor delivering hands-off projects for investors. It was a sweet spot: low input, consistent money, minimal friction. So we decided to grow that side of the business.

We hired a marketing agency. Ran Meta ads. Started targeting landlords who wanted to convert empty buildings into co-living spaces. Leads started flying in - 10, sometimes 15 a week. We couldn’t keep up.

But within a few weeks, it was clear: we’d made a huge mistake.

They weren’t the right kind of landlord.

They were cash-poor, time-rich. Wanting to DIY everything. They wanted us to help, but didn’t want to pay for it. All their capital was tied up in properties. Every interaction felt like a free consultation. And when we did get a project through, it was draining. Slow, uncertain, unpaid extra work - and no one really valued what we brought to the table.

It took us a few painful months to realise: that we hadn’t niched down enough.

We’d just put a vague label on a diverse group of people and hoped for the best.

And it cost us around £25,000 by the time we’d paid the agency and covered ad spend.

We realised how important a mindset is when identifying your niche. We realised that actually what we needed was an Ideal Client Profile (ICP).

“We did not think about ICP. I wish we had done it earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.”

- Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front

No ICP? Everything becomes vanilla ice cream.

Without an ICP, most studios follow a familiar formula: win a project, take a brief, do a survey, and present a design. I did this for years. And it works up until a point. Some clients feel looked after. Others don’t. When you provide a generic service, you'll get generic fees.

In our practice, we now send out questionnaires specifically made for our niche. And we tweak them every time. It’s not a gimmick - it’s communication. It’s proof we’ve thought of them. That’s the stuff clients remember. That’s what makes it feel worth paying for.

RIBA consulted with over 500 clients. The message was clear:

They’re not getting enough from their architects.

Those who do listen are seen as "a rare commodity.”

Everyone else is doing the same, so you haven't differentiated, you don't wow them at each touch point - you make it harder for them to want to recommend you because your service is meh. Building this relationship, overdelivering on value will build your client relationship stronger than ever, and when things go wrong (and sometimes they do) you'll be glad that you're on good terms, and the client is confident in your processes that you'll get things back on track.

Building exclusive and value-added client touchpoints is a complex delivery system. It doesn’t come from “being nice” or replying to emails quickly. It comes from designing a journey with clear steps and consistent delivery specifically for your ICP.

Part 2: Why refining your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) is the foundation

Forget made-up avatars. No one cares if your ideal client is named “Lisa, 42, has two kids and a dog.” Waste of time.

Start with experience:

• Who were your best clients?

• What did they value?

• How did they behave?

Ask Yourself:

• Who paid on time?

• Who left us to get on with the job?

• Who came back for more work?

• Who sent referrals?

From there, we looked at the common traits - not just income or project type, but how they thought. You need to go comically narrow in your profile.

3 Filters to Sharpen Your ICP Immediately

1. Time-Rich vs Time-Poor

If they’ve got lots of time on their hands, they’ll try to do it themselves. Or they’ll micromanage you.

If they’re busy, they’ll pay for peace of mind.

2. Value-Seeking vs Cost-Saving

Do they want to get the most out of their investment?

Or do they just want to spend as little as possible?

The former sees you as a partner. The latter sees you as a line item.

3. Decisive vs Delegating to the Internet

If they constantly ask for “second opinions” from mates, Facebook groups, or other architects — they don’t trust you.

And if they don’t trust you, the project will be miserable. For both of you.

Your process becomes a filter. The right people lean in. The wrong people drop off - without you needing to waste hours on calls trying to force alignment. It helps you build a brand voice, a mission that goes beyond logos and business cards.

And that’s the beauty of this level of clarity: it saves everyone time. It puts you in a stronger position. It makes your studio feel more premium - because it is. Not because of how it looks, but because of how intentional it is.

When you pitch your practice, you need only two reactions... either that person is going to work with you, with clear emotional excitement. Or they're completely disinterested. That's the sweet spot. If you get a lukewarm response, you're just like everybody else. Get used to being different, that's true differentiation.

Part 3: Design an experience that clients recommend.

Here’s the good news: because the client experience bar in architecture is so low, it’s easy to stand out if you’re willing to raise it. It starts with your first impression.

Build an Emotional Connection Before You Speak

Once you’ve figured out who you’re really for, everything in your studio needs to speak to that person.

• Your website copy.

• Your proposal wording.

• How you answer DMs.

• How you're photographed (funny? relaxed? serious?)

Clients decide whether they trust you in the first 7 days. It's how your website speaks to them, the welcome email, the tone in your voice, the clarity of your process. Do they leave that first interaction feeling looked after - or just... unsure? Provide clear next steps that they can take, to let you help them - you're the expert they were looking for to take them from a to b.

A well-composed, beautiful investment guide acts as the next step into your studio - a quiet but powerful handshake. It tells them who you are, what you stand for, how you work. And more importantly, it should make them feel something about what it might be like to work with you.

Done right, it filters out the wrong fit before you even offer a consultation.

Then, after the call, you close the loop with your fee proposal - a final emotional touchpoint. It should be based on high-converting strategies, visually stunning, and carefully worded to make it easy to say yes.

Create a Seamless Welcome Process

Before you even begin designing, show the client they’re in good hands. Send a Welcome Guide that outlines how your process works, what to expect at each stage, and how communication will flow. Pair it with a thoughtful, templated welcome email so no one ever wonders what happens next.

When two people connect in conversation, their tone, cadence, and even body language quietly start to sync.

It’s called interactional synchrony - or more casually, the chameleon effect.

It’s our brain’s way of building trust. We mirror the people we feel safe with. And that can start well before you’re sitting face-to-face.

Your welcome email, your tone of voice, the rhythm of your first steps - all of it sets the tempo. More often than not, your clients will follow your lead. It's the perfect place to anchor your boundaries.

Standardise Your Proposals and Documents

A great proposal explains your value, sets clear boundaries, and makes the client feel confident in your process. It shouldn't just be an email, use this touchpoint as another sales tool.

Dive deep into your ICP to understand what they want to hear from you at this stage, and how you can make them feel that you are the only designer for them. This is where you can differentiate yourself even more.

Every document you send should work harder than just informing.

At a minimum, it should do these things:

• Highlight your USP — why you, not just another architect.

• Set clear boundaries — so expectations are aligned from day one.

• Present your fees confidently — make it easy to understand.

• Make the client feel heard — show them you understand their needs.

• Answer unspoken doubts — so they don’t have to chase you for reassurance.

• Build quiet authority — not with words, but with a level unspoken of sophistication and elegance.

Set Up Predictable Communication Points

Don’t wait for clients to chase you. Build a rhythm.

Weekly updates - even short ones - go a long way. Meeting agendas, follow-up notes, and milestone summaries make clients feel included and confident in the process. They know what’s happening, what’s next, and that you haven’t forgotten about them.

Zofia and I understood the value of this when we planned our wedding. It was the first time we were clients. We’d never spent that kind of money before - and suddenly we were managing a team: florist, DJ, venue, caterer.

Some of them were brilliant communicators. They’d check in even when there wasn’t much to say - just a quick update to let us know we were still on their radar.

It made a huge difference and we trusted them.

With some, the silence made us nervous.

That experience changed how we think about client care.

It’s why we send out our Friday update email like clockwork.

When people don’t hear from you it seems like they assume the worst.

Conclusion

You don’t need a bigger team to deliver a better experience. A systemised approach to dealing with clients means a small team can feel like a much larger team, but with a level of personality that differentiates them.

Most of this stuff doesn’t take that long. But it feels like it does until you systemise it. Once you do, every client interaction becomes smoother - and more aligned with how you want your studio to feel.

If your clients feel lost, unimportant, or underwhelmed, they won’t value your work - no matter how good it is. And that’s what leads to resentment, fee pressure, and draining relationships.

Start with the first impression. Fix the welcome. Clarify your offer. Communicate more than you think you need to, but automate it where you can, and simplify it - template it.

Before long, your client experience will be your differentiator.

And you’ll enjoy the work more too.

If you're looking for the next step, check out my 40-page client guide for more guides on positioning your practice to win work that you want.

- Tim