All Style No Substance

Dear Style, 

You’ve got that problem of being all dressed up and too many places to go! Ok, let me be more serious. Ahem. You’re reminding me of my days as a baby marketer. Back then—like, waaaaay back then—when I worked in architecture firms, we used to say that presentation is just as important as content. And it still IS! But the Doctor has since learned that you can’t have one without the other. You need a good balance. In the sense that peanut butter needs jelly, rhyme needs reason, the ocean needs the beach…I could go on, but I think you catch my wave (see what I did there?). 

But you’re in luck, Style, because the Doctor is in and she’s here to help. But first, I want to make sure you’re not selling yourself short. Look, the Doctor knows—well, guesses, because I don’t really know you, but I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a great friendship—that you’ve got plenty of substance. You said that you’re winning awards, and I betcha you can draw a building like nobody’s business down to the very last hinge detail. But you can’t find the words to describe it. 

First, the bad news: you’re not the only architecture firm that’s had an easy time making images and a hard time explaining them. And now for the good news: communication, like a building, can be constructed. So, let me give you some concrete advice to build on (ahh, are we having a pun day? Get it? And don’t forget it).

Okie dokie, so let me start with the diagnosis. First of all, my dear Style, you’re entering the room from the wrong door, because you’re a visual person and you want to wow everyone with your design. Unfort, your images alone are not the argument, they’re just a way for you to tell your story. In other words, they represent your ideas. So, my dear Style, before you start sketching so much as a doorknob, your team should be able to articulate the inspirations, possible solutions and certain outcomes for each project and then create a design to match. Jumping into design before you have discussed program, site, or strategy is like building a high-rise before you’ve excavated the foundation. The Doctor’s all for making this easy peasy, so start by distilling your message down to one to three key points or themes. If you can’t do that, it’s game over before the starting gun went off.

Ok, now that we got that squared away, the next step is how you talk about your work and ideas. The Doctor’s not being judgy, but she’s just pointing out that there may be some room for improvement. What do we call that? Ahhh yes, constructive criticism! 

Here’s a little test. When you’re describing a staircase, do you say, “the staircase connects two floors” OR do you say the staircase “forms a metaphor of connectivity”? When you’re describing a building, do you say that you canted the walls of the structure, so it appears to change as you move around it OR do you say the massing “creates a sophisticated reading from distant vantage points.” If you lean more towards the latter than the former, your Style may be getting in the way of your Substance. And here’s the problem: the more you cling to your good old friend Mr. Jargon, the faster you will lose all your friends. They won’t know what you’re saying, or trying to say, and neither will you.

And look, what’s wrong with a little plain language once in a while? It doesn’t take away from the big idea. It just means that more people will understand it, which is what you want, right? We all agree that it’s your job to make great architecture. But to do your job well, you need to be able to explain your thinking to clients, to the press, to the engineers, and anyone else on the other side of the table. 

That doesn’t mean describing only the what, like size, materials, location or program.  Clients and editors care about the why: what the building does for the people who use it, what it solves, why it helps the community. You’ve already told me that you’re really good with the show, but don’t forget to focus on the tell. Tell the ideas behind your projects, show off your knowledge, take your client on a journey from before to after and beyond. 

Start with getting on the same page with your internal team. Bottom line, Style, if you can’t explain your images to your own colleagues, I’d bet the farm that you have no chance at engaging with a skeptical client or a busy editor. Use your images to create a dialogue, not a monologue. Seek to engage your audiences, inspire them, and sell them a vision of the future that they are eager to embrace. 

Bottom line, my dear Style? Put a little Substance in your step. Now go out and conquer.

Follow this prescription and then let’s set a follow up visit in six months and check your progress.