“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.”

— Seth Godin (American author and a former dot-com business executive.)

Every project an architect works on is not simply a service, but rather a meaningful relationship. The best way to let your potential clients know about this is through sharing it effectively. Most people refer to this step as “Marketing.” However, it takes years of practice to perfect this skill, as your potential client easily neglects it.  

When architects are investing rigorous time and effort in tailoring their client preferences, it is equally important that it reaches the right audience. Digital Marketing is one such effective tool that will set the stage to convey the full potential of an architect’s work. There are countless tutorials and guides on best practices in digital marketing, but we will be focusing on the challenges that are actually transforming architectural marketing.

5 Challenges and its Solution

Challenge 1: Elevating your website – Low Website Traffic

Now that every architect and architectural practice has understood the importance of a website, it’s essential to know how it works. It is also crucial to utilise the website’s tools to their fullest extent. One of the most common issues every architectural practice faces is low website traffic. Although a practice may be doing well with visitors, converting them into clients can be challenging. There might be multiple reasons for a website to be abortive. However, with a few tweaks and effective tools, it is possible to give a complete makeover.

Solution: – Invest in SEO and website optimization

Challenge 2: Supercharge Your Email Interaction

Nurturing a client-architect relationship takes multiple stages to succeed, especially if it’s an online interaction. Sharing updates through emails for architects is becoming more sophisticated, focusing on personalized content, visual storytelling, and integration with broader marketing strategies. One of the best ways to keep your clients engaged and enhance your digital marketing is to use personalized email content.

• Interactive Email Design
• Automated Drip Campaigns

Solution: Email Marketing

Challenge 3: Engage Your Audience Through Social Media

As digital marketing grows, client-architect interaction has taken on new dimensions. Architects leverage social media to showcase their projects, reach potential clients, and build their brands. These platforms have become especially popular because of their focus on imagery, which aligns well with the visual nature of architecture. 

Solution: Sharing Effective Stories on Social Media  

Identifying your target audience is important when sharing progress with these platforms. The top 3 most-used platforms by architects are:

• Instagram – Its visual focus makes it ideal for sharing high-quality images of architectural work, design concepts, and creative processes.
• Facebook – architects use Facebook to share projects, engage with a wider audience, and participate in architecture-related groups and discussions.
• LinkedIn – It’s a platform for connecting with industry professionals, and potential clients and staying updated on architectural trends and news.

Challenge 4: The First Best Impressions / The Proof of Trust

One of the widely faced challenges among freelance architects is making the first best impression. As important as networking events are, it is equally important to make a good first impression on a potential client. We classify this as an ‘elevator pitch’ or ‘business proposal’. 

Architectural proposals are a strategic compilation of your practice’s history, philosophy, mission, and vision statements. The perfect balance of including this information and not making it too monotonous is a skill every architect learns through experience. 

Solution: 

• Tailor your pitch to show how your expertise can address their specific needs.
• Instead of listing services, explain your approach’s benefits to the client, such as maximizing space, enhancing sustainability, or delivering projects on time and within budget.
• Focus on highlighting your USP (Unique Selling Point) sets you apart from other architects. This could be a particular design philosophy, specialized experience, innovative use of technology, or a strong portfolio in a specific niche.

Challenge 5: Effective Publicizing for Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing‌ consists of two functional aspects – strategies and tools. Earlier we discussed some effective strategies, we will now discuss the tools to implement them. The idea of running a creative business means keeping with the current trends in spreading your USP. A good way to do that is ‘effective publicizing’. But what exactly is effective publicizing? 

They are nothing but paid ADs or in marketing it is known as pay-per-click advertising. It is the digital version of brochures and pamphlets. Present-day architectural business owners have started using multiple social media platforms apart from Google and Facebook.

Solution: 

• The most recent platform of advertising that architects have adopted is LinkedIn Ads.
• To make advertising more natural, Youtube Ads is one of the best tools these days, as it has become one of the most visited platforms for potential clients.

Instagram Ads: As a visually driven platform, Instagram is ideal for architects to showcase their work. Instagram’s advertising is integrated with Facebook Ads, allowing for seamless targeting. Instagram Ads often drive strong engagement, making it easier to connect with prospective clients.

***

Digital marketing streamlines the process of networking and maintaining a healthy relationship with clients in this digital age. As it is, the most cost-effective method compared to the traditional way of printing brochures or billboards. Understanding and leveraging digital marketing will have a distinct advantage in an increasingly competitive market. 

These effective platforms offer detailed analytics, allowing architects to understand what content resonates with their audience, which campaigns are effective, and where adjustments are needed. This data-driven approach leads to more informed decisions and better results.

The post How Architects Can Conquer Common Digital Marketing Roadblocks appeared first on Archipreneur.

For the last decade, technology start-ups have sought to revolutionize nearly every working sector. Ambitious, growing tech companies are racing to find opportunities for what they call ‘disruption’ of the remaining traditional industries, from agriculture to medicine. It comes as no surprise that the building industry is ripe for disruption.

For the most part it has been practiced in the same way for centuries, and as a result it is renowned for being slow to adopt to new technologies. However, as public attention builds on the future of our built environment and its integration with new tech, architects have a responsibility to innovate. In the midst of this Digital Revolution, how can architects incorporate new ideas from the tech sector to better design progressive buildings and smarter, more sustainable cities?

Let’s first take a look at the guardians of design processes within the tech world. The user experience (UX) designer controls the design processes of products, apps and websites. There are several stories of professionals with architectural backgrounds transitioning to the field of UX design and working for startups to design their digital products and websites. This suggests that architectural thinking is transferrable and that there may be parallels within the design processes of both fields.

What are the similarities between user experience design and architectural design? Perhaps the best example can be found in the cross-­appropriation of architectural and ­technological language in recent years. More and more often architects incorporate tech buzzwords like dynamic, hub, agile, incubator and scalable to communicate their intentions for contemporary design.

For years, the rapidly growing tech industry has created expressions and digital specializations like digital infrastructure, software architecture or architecture frameworks, perhaps to make computer engineering skills feel more concrete, relatable and connected to traditional industry practices. CO-Office, an emerging architecture firm based in New York City brands itself as “UX Designers for Space”.

In Amsterdam, esteemed architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio launched a new company called UNSense, an ArchTech ­company which explores sensorial technologies for cities. KPF from New York City has launched a division called UI (Urban Interface for Cities), which uses urban data analytics for informed decision making in the design of buildings and cities.

It is interesting to see architecture companies using an interdisciplinary approach to explore these new fields and that they are also expanding their business models to incorporate new practice. To better understand the potential for architectural and UX design industry growth in this context, let’s take a closer look at UX ­design processes today.

What is User Experience Design?

The term user experience mainly refers to designing apps or websites, but it can also be applied to the use of physical products. A UX designer is concerned with the full scope of user interaction with a product, not only ­acquiring and integrating a product but also aspects of branding, design, usability and functionality. For this reason, UX is a major ­component of a device long before it is in a ­user’s hands.

Roman engineer Vitruvius is widely considered the first architect and designer, and many believe that he defined the criteria for user experience with the terms firmitas (strength), utilitas (utility) and venustas (beauty), which he applied to his architectural designs. While these tenets were only intended for the design of buildings at the time, today, as designers apply these criteria to designing various products, his core principles take on different meanings.

For Vitruvius, strength referred to stability and structural integrity, evident for example in a house that did not collapse. For UX, this term can be likened to the reliability and security of a digital product, ensuring that it does not crash and cannot be compromised. Regarding utility, or functionality, in architecture the debate of form vs. function has lasted for centuries.

Many agree with the Modernist Louis Sullivan that “form follows function“ and ultimately the success of a building or product relies on its usefulness more than its appearance. Utility incorporates accessibility, another principle which is shared between architecture and UX design. Both buildings and products should be inclusive and accessible for maximum public benefit and utility.

In addition to strength and utility, user experience is also influenced by beauty and emotional drivers. The importance of beauty and aesthetics varies from product to product. The beauty of a spreadsheet, for example, is usually considered secondary to its utility for organizing and conveying information. However, in fashion design, aesthetics and appearance are commonly foregrounded.

We can understand how the architectural tenets of Vitruvius are used in the tech sector, but what are the foundational design principles for UX design, and how can architects adopt these practices to improve the process of designing buildings?

UX Design vs. Architectural Design: A similar process?

Research and organization of information/space

The traditional architectural method of designing a building begins with research and information about the urban context, the spatial demands of the client, and the development of the building’s concept. A first step is often to structure the spatial demands of and relationships between different elements by working out a program. If we were to use a concert hall as an example, this would mean defining the size of the required spaces and the spatial relationships (i.e., the entrance area in relation to the concert hall, the backstage areas and the stage itself, the service areas, cafes, shops, and so on).

Architects would consider how visitors might enter the building, how the entrance should look, and how foot traffic should flow through the various sections of the hall. The programmatic setup of the building would therefore interact with and correspond to the urban design and the building’s form and position within the context of its location.

The starting point for UX Designers is similar: they ask why, how and what the product should be for its user. The design process for a digital product would start with a research phase to collect data, to understand the client’s fundamental requirements, to carry out user interviews and to establish the business targets and criteria for the product itself. Both the architect and UX designer therefore conduct research, gather data and try to understand the demands of their stakeholders to inform the design process.

Sketching and wireframing

Designing an app or website usually starts with wireframing the overall design concept. A UX designer places basic layout blocks to outline the product flow without going into detail on colors, fonts, or headlines. In architecture, the design process typically starts with initial sketches, placing the required spaces into floorplan arrangements and designing the overall layout of the spatial zones within the boundaries of the urban context.

The finer details of the building, such as the material of the facade and minor design elements are generally resolved later. While the output of the initial design phase for the UX designer is a wireframe layout; the initial output of the architect is likely a ground floor plan or an urban site plan.

Prototyping vs. model building

The design process of creating an app, product or website leads to a prototype; a minimum viable product (MVP) that can be used and tested. In architecture this prototype is the architectural model (physical or digital) which can be placed into the urban context in order to review the building’s design and its relation to neighboring buildings. The architect would design a physical model to different scales in order to check interior configurations and assess how light flows into the building or urban site. This could be further reviewed with a virtual 3D model or VR solution. In this way, architects apply the same methods of UX design for the physical world.

Iteration: An agile process as key difference

Both the UX and architectural design processes will eventually lead to a model prototype or MVP. However, the design process is only the first element of the project cycle; comparing the processes of constructing (or building, executing and realizing the concept) is quite different. After the design stage, an architectural project will progress to permitting, schematic design, construction drawings and finally construction.

This process, when drawn along a time axis, becomes less and less flexible. Many stakeholders can enter the design process at a single point and provide conflicting feedback on the developing strategy, bringing the pro­ject to a standstill. Once the design has been signed off by its stakeholders, the detailing phase for construction drawings can begin. At this stage, the design does not fundamentally change because other project parties including the MEP and structural engineers must integrate their work into the planning cycle.

In the digital world we find a more agile approach to a project, where the design phase is followed by a testing and iteration phase. The product or service is first tested so that user feedback can be collected. The product can then be improved and adapted based on the gathered user data, to improve product quality and ensure a better market fit.

One could argue that collecting user data is much more easily achieved in the digital world because data can be gathered in simpler way. Buildings are static prototypes and after they are finished they are, in effect, left alone with the user. The maintenance phase is not generally used for major building improvements. If you relate the iteration process of UX Design to the built environment it could mean that a building would be changed, adapted or improved based on the experiences of the building’s users after the building is finished.

This would rely on collecting user feedback within the asset management cycle and sharing the outcomes with the architect responsible for making design improvements. Altering a building after tenants have moved in is a challenging undertaking, but the data could also be used to inform and improve the next generation buildings of the same building type. Unfortunately, the asset management phase and the architect are usually not connected and rarely exchange ideas for design improvement unless there is a significant fault or failure.

In the Digital Revolution the physical and virtual worlds evolve together, cities adapt more quickly and tools are developed that can be applied to architectural design. Virtual and augmented reality solutions have become a common starting point for thinking about ­iterative processes that can be integrated into architectural design processes. Data gathering in cities might also improve the process of designing and constructing architecture with real-time iteration feedback from the user, i.e., pedestrian flow, Wi-Fi connection date, and traffic data.

How Can Architecture Learn from UX Design?

Approaching architectural design with an UX designer’s mindset would begin with a stronger focus on the end user. Gaining a better understanding of the end user from the outset would encourage a more holistic approach to designing the experience of using the building. A building is greater than the sum of its parts, more than a collection of bricks and mortar. Buildings often comprise an ecosystem or community of people who are using it.

Consider WeWork as an example, where members use the organization’s physical space as a service – a meeting point, office, co-working hub – but they also connect and relate in a digital way though WeWork’s digital network to the built environment.

The architect of a new building could start to think about how a user might experience it in the digital world, or how the user could be connected to it via an app or marketing material. The digitalization and interweaving of digital and physical spaces could also lead to new business opportunities. There is opportunity for architects to expand their service portfolio by offering design services, which the client could use for marketing the project during the leasing phase.

The technology exists for building facades to react to the local environment by collecting and displaying data which, in turn, could help inform other developing projects. But will these opportunities in technological innovation for buildings be developed by architects, or will tech-entrepreneurs take over in the future?

Buildings are unique prototypes in that they typically last for several decades, while a digital product has a far shorter lifespan. That said, as a network of spaces in the city for user consumption, buildings can become helpful technological tools for architects when designing solutions for the smart cities of our future.

As the role of the architect continues to evolve, the digital design sector will generate new opportunities for architectural thinkers, and as architects we should be ready to embrace these prospects for growth in our industry. —

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The panelists Roger Zogolovitch, Meredith Bowles, Amandine Kastler and Jack Self talked about introducing the concept of entrepreneurship as a way of operating architectural practice even while studying.

Jack Self had to work different jobs to put himself through school and found the idea of working in offices for other people rather unappealing, which is what prompted him to take a less conventional route.

Roger Zogolovitch noted that the imbalance between the number of students who become “master builders” and those left to pursue smaller projects and forge their careers on their own. He also stressed the ability to recognize opportunity as a unique skill of an architect, exemplified by his own work as an architect and property developer with a keen eye for “soft sites”.

Talking about opportunities, the panelists agreed on the importance of recognizing and seizing the right opportunities, not relying on lucky breaks. This feeds into the idea of designing your architectural practice as you would a building.

Members of the audience posed provocative questions asking about ways architects can gain more control over projects and stay relevant. Meredith Bowles noticed that the limitation of the role of architects is real- architects need to take change and not be in the service industry-accept changes taking place all around and bring those changes into the profession.

Another interesting question pertained to the lack of published work that covers architects’ careers and the idea of looking at architectural practice from a production standpoint. One member of the audience noted that architects are failing to take responsibility for the building process, participate in every aspect of the project, from graphic design to tenancy leasing strategies, not just sitting in the office designing. This readiness to take risks and be active participants is what separates great practices, regardless of firm size.

Roger Zogolovitch agreed that there is arrogance among architects due to which they don’t engage with the business and production aspects of the industry. Instead, most architects focus only on design and ultimately lose control over projects. This is why Meredith Bowles moved to executive role and worked on the business side to get to build the types of projects he and his partners wanted to do.

A portion of the talk was dedicated to the idea of marketing and self-promotion. Jack Self mentioned Mies Van der Rohe and Le Corbusier as the best examples of architects who understood the power and importance of media and publishing. Both have also reinvented themselves and assumed different names early in their careers.

Here is a link to the video

The post Pathways to Practice: Unique Approaches to Architectural Practice appeared first on Archipreneur.

Here, they talk about their respective journeys from mainstream architecture to ArchViz, as well as the challenges of running what has become one of the most relevant events in the field of architectural visualization, but also in digital arts in general.

Enjoy!

Can you talk a bit about your careers before founding d2 conference?

Jason: I studied architecture at the University of Arkansas and lived and worked in New York City for a few years after that. My wife (she is Austrian) and I moved to Austria in 2003. I had difficulties landing a job, since I did not really speak German, but eventually ended up working for an ArchViz company where realized that I really liked this part of the job. I continued working in a few architecture offices, doing a mix of 3d and regular architecture work, and then finally went out on my own in 2011. I met Fabio and Christian at the first event that they did in 2013. Soon after, Fabio contacted me about setting up an ArchViz office and helping run the conference with Christian. We renamed it to d2 conference in 2014 and soon after decided to focus solely on the conference and drop the ArchViz part of our office. Vienna is a tough place for this industry.

Fabio: I moved to Austria from London in 2009, after finishing my BA in architecture and meeting my wife– she is Austrian. Once in Vienna I started my master thesis in architectural science with a focus on digital architecture. After completing my master in 2011 I struggled with learning German and finding a job. At the same time I developed an interest in 3d and started looking for work opportunities. Since these were scarce, I took matters into my own hands and decided to think about what I could do to improve the situation.

Christian: My first professional experience was working for an architect. Since then I pursued a few different careers, including working as a professional ski instructor for 5 years and joining the SAE school of Audio Engineering in Vienna where I was a supervisor and instructor for 5 years. During this time, I also worked as a recording engineer and did recording and mastering for Austrian musicians and bands. Ultimately, I co-founded the AMT Advanced Media Training Gmbh– which is still running– and my main company, ThreeKC Mediaware Trading, which is also an authorized reseller for tech products and companies like Autodesk, Rhino, V-RAY, Maxon, Wacom, Lenovo, among others.

What made you decide to found the d2 conference?

Jason: It was already founded when I came in, so I guess I just got lucky. Right place, right time!

Fabio: There was no real market for visualization in Vienna, and the cheap work offered in the neighboring countries was quickly killing the profession. Clients in Vienna did not take our work seriously– we were considered pretty much a commodity type of service. All these issues needed to be addressed and discussed, and I wanted this to happen in the city where I lived.

Christian: I met Fabio in 2012 and hired him as an Autodesk AutoCAD teacher for a training program. We stayed in touch and did a few workshops together before deciding to create an ArchViz conference which was then called “symp.in”. We got together with Jason in 2014 and organized the first d2 conference that had 54 attendees.

A large number of ArchViz artists are ex-architects. What do you think are the reasons behind pivoting from architecture to ArchViz?

Jason: There is surely a variety of reasons, but it seems the common theme is the lack of opportunities for architects in some countries. I also think that young architects become a bit disillusioned with architecture when they make the transition from university to working in an office. They find out, like I did, that the job is not exactly what they thought it would be. ArchViz provides a way to be creative every day, with the advantage of short project time spans. You get to see and work on many different projects instead of one big one for 2 to 3 years, which can happen in architecture.

Fabio: I think architecture (please architects do not hate me) can be enjoyed in 2 only stages– the initial stage, when the most important decisions are made and the idea gets formally structured, and at the inauguration of a building when all the struggles are finally over. I worked as an architect before going into ArchViz, but quickly learned that the process of making a building took way too long and that was something that did not interest me that much. Making images was thrilling, and having clients see their ideas taking shapes. The whole process was a lot more dynamic. It was almost natural for me to make the transition.

Christian: I think Jason and Fabio said it best.

What are the biggest challenges in organizing an event like d2 conference?

Jason: At the beginning, it was making it visible to our target audience. Now, it is trying to figure out what people will be interested to see at the conference. We talk about this a LOT, and it is very important for us to get this right. Give the people what they want!

Fabio: Well (I’m laughing in my head), at the beginning, the struggles where everywhere. I was the one with the main vision and I had to fight a lot against so many variables, but these are not worth mentioning right now. It was not a linear process. Jason and Christian have helped me figure out a lot of things and for that I am thankful. There were times when I thought I was going to lose everything, and although the fear is still there sometimes, at the moment I focus more on thinking about what to do to make people go bananas instead. This sometimes means bringing speakers that we know are going to make a lot of noise, but whom the rest of the industry do not know that well; it can mean organizing activities that are going to be entertaining and at the same time educational; it means showing off cool new tech that can make the life of ArchViz artists a lot better.

Christian: The biggest initial challenge was to give Fabio’s vision a solid footing in today’s reality. And then, of course, create a mood where the guests feel comfortable. That includes everything– from finding the right location for the year, the right speakers, food, etc. And, of course, finding a format that would also satisfy our sponsors.

Freelancers and firms of different sizes attend the conference. What do you think are the biggest pain points when it comes to growing their businesses? Is there a particular aspect of business development they often miss or neglect?

Jason: For someone trying to start out as a one-man shop, it seems that there is a problem identifying what to charge. Many times there is a basic lack of understanding of how to calculate the costs of doing business. Obviously, getting new clients is also up there, but without a properly calculated basis, it is hard to know where you should focus your energy.

Fabio: Research and development– this is by far the most neglected aspect. You cannot grow without consistent R&D. You simply stop evolving without it.

Christian: I think, as in any other business, what happens is that the prices go down, clients’ expectations go up, and the respect for the work of visualizers diminishes. Another thing I’ve noticed is that most people who start running their own enterprises know very little about business and all the administrative aspects of the work like sales, marketing, taxes, and insurance, to name a few.

What do you think is the biggest misconception architects have about ArchViz?

Jason: That’s a bit tricky, as I have worked on both sides. I don’t think there are really any overarching misconceptions. But it is definitely true that architects who do understand the process of our job make the best clients. The reality is that it is up to those of us who work in the industry to make the value of our work clear to architects and developers.

Fabio: I’ve worked as an architect and a visualizer, and now as a consultant. I have coached both architects and visualizers on how to talk to each other and have a better professional relationship. Communication is one of the biggest issues. Understanding each other’s role is also an issue. For some reason architects and visualizers often end up in frienemy-type relationships that result in mediocre work simply because neither side takes a stand on what they believe is right. Of course, I am focusing on a small aspect of your question, but these are common denominators for most of my clients, so I think it is very relevant.

Christian: Architects usually want to control and put their name on everything. J

How do you see architectural visualization developing in the foreseeable future?

Jason: Things are moving fast these days technologically. Real-time rendering is a thing that will become a bigger part of the job when it reaches the right quality level, but it isn’t there yet. When it does happen, though, companies that are already prepared to work in this way will have the upper hand. And just to clarify, I don’t mean just using engines to make images. Instead, real-time will give us the ability to create multiple outputs with the same model. For example, you could extract stills, animations, as well as VR from the same source. I do think we are still a few years out, but it is coming as processing power increases.

Fabio: We are moving into a real-time visualization era. I hope designers will understand the use of real-time visualization as a tool and not confuse this with the role of those who try to create proper marketing material for architects. The industry will quickly have to define where the two overlap, otherwise it will be chaos (I think there will be chaos). Unlike ever before, we need to understand and master the business dynamics of the job so we can predict how our roles in the visualization process are going to be affected.

Christian: I think there will be an automated process of “standard” images, driven by new technologies like AI on one side, and VR and mixed reality on the other. A week ago I attended a presentation of the Microsoft Hololens with a BMW car company demo sequence which was really impressive!

Entrepreneurs and business owners often have a tough time achieving work-life balance. How do you avoid burnout?

Jason: This ties into knowing how to run a business. Everyone needs time for themselves, and this needs to be included in how you calculate your costs. If you allow for it, and charge accordingly, you can make sure to give yourself some breathing room without overworking yourself and/or our employees. I think the most successful studios have this figured out.

Fabio: Learn how to say “no”. Don’t be a diva but do learn when you need to simply say “no” (This is not possible. It will cost you extra.). Learn how to focus, be productive and stick to a precise schedule.

Christian: I think you have to learn this like all other things. When you’re young you don’t have a problem working long hours and under high pressure, but later in life you have to learn to say “no” to things that will cost you your time. Also, people should remember there is a real world beyond the monitor and it’s well worth seeing. J

Any advice for those looking to break into archviz?

Jason: Learn as much as you can about the job. Knowing how to use the software is only a small part of it. Look at other artistic fields and learn from them. It is amazing what you can learn just from studying film, photography, and painting and then applying the techniques to ArchViz.

Fabio: Not necessarily in this order: do not go freelance before having tried working in an office first. And I mean an ArchViz office! Have 6-9 months of salary put away, reduce your expenses, and apply yourself until you make outstanding and unique work. Do not burn bridges and stay on good terms with your ex-colleagues. Try to leave your existing job having at least a few clients that can give you work.

Christian: Get into it! ArchViz is more exciting than many other business sectors!

What’s next for d2 conference?

Jason: We have made an effort in the last two years to bring more non-ArchViz artists to speak at the d2 conference. This ties into the previous question, as these people are always a great source of inspiration for creative work. I personally love to learn from people in other creative fields and then try to apply that to ArchViz. A couple of good examples of such speakers from the last couple of years would be Mike Winkelmann (aka Beeple), Tomasz Wyszołmirski​ (Dabarti), Thomas Dubois, and Victor Enrich. We already have a couple more great surprises for this year, so we hope to see you at the d2 conference in Vienna.

Fabio: We always try to predict the direction the industry is headed by consulting different active and successful artists. We would like to expand a bit more, but are still focused on giving the d2 conference experience to all of our attendees. We want this event to remain intimate in order to give people a chance to meet, interact, learn new things and grow together.

Christian: Hmm… I think we should open up a little toward related industries and transform into a media-type company.

The post Founders of the d2 Conference Talk Architecture, Entrepreneurship and the Future of ArchViz appeared first on Archipreneur.

Among the many communication channels architects use to reach out to potential clients and create a following, the website is arguably the most important one. With a plethora of website-building platforms and attractive themes available to architects, choosing the right one can become a headache. Solutions that strike the balance between beautiful design, streamlined navigation and affordability are rare, and those tailor-made for architects are even rarer.

Common Mistakes Architects Make When Creating A Website

One of the most common mistakes architects make when creating a website is opting for a template that lacks intuitive navigation. We’ve all seen website builder for architects that feature cool animated graphics and stunning visuals, only to see them turn into frustrating experiences after just a few clicks. Visitors end up spending little or no time trying to navigate the maze of information and rarely come back.

Another mistake is having a single URL website that doesn’t allow users to link back to specific projects. This means that bloggers and social media users can’t share specific links in their posts and tweets, but can instead only link to your homepage, thus forcing their audiences to hunt around for relevant information.

Most marketing efforts in architecture rely on great visuals. Firms hire professional photographers to capture images of their built projects and use engaging diagrams and 3D models to represent work in progress. All this effort can go to waste if not properly displayed, organized and optimized for online searches. There are two important aspects concerning images that need to be considered when designing a website. Firstly, it’s useful to have some text to accompany each image in order to make them more searchable. Another reason for adding text is providing useful information to journalists and bloggers who want to talk about your work. Images should also be large enough to be reposted in online magazines and platforms.

A Website Builder Tool From Architects For Architects

A structured and easy-to-use website is the cornerstone of every architect’s business. Its technical, aesthetic and functional aspects will determine traffic, user engagement, and build a firm’s reputation. An ideal architecture website should let the work speak for itself and require minimum effort to maintain.

Monograph website builder for architects is a subscription-based website-building platform for architects that offers beautiful, responsive templates and a free concierge service. Unlike other website-building platforms like WordPress, Monograph Website is designed to be wysiwyg (“what you see is what you get”). While working in WordPress can be cumbersome an require programming knowledge, the Monograph Website backend shows the page you’re editing exactly as it will look when it goes live. The drag-n-drop interface makes it easy to edit content, choose fonts and arrange elements.

One of the best things about Monograph website builder for architects is the fact that it was developed by a team of architects turned entrepreneurs. Robert Yuen, Alex Dixon and Moe Amaya created Dixon & Moe, a boutique software development and design consultancy focused on building applications and digital products in the AEC industries. The agency’s first digital product is Monograph Website, an industry-tailored web platform, website builder and concierge service designed specifically for the architectural profession.

The available templates focus on the visuals and let your portfolio speak for itself. Each is search engine-optimized in order to maximize your web presence. You can simply drag and drop media, arrange, update and reorder content using the streamlined, intuitive editor. You can also monitor traffic and connect Google Analytics. The platform currently offers three gorgeous themes–Avant, Mezzanine and Meridian– with three more to come.

How To Turn A Slow, Difficult To Navigate Website Into An Effective Marketing Tool

Arkansas-based Modus Studio migrated to Monograph website builder for architects when their previous website became too complicated to maintain. The firm, which works across typologies and scales, from sustainable renovations and conversions to urban design and multifamily housing, built their previous website by themselves. The amount of coding necessary to keep things running smoothly eventually forced them to hire professionals. Nevertheless, the site became slower and more difficult to navigate, and turned from a useful marketing tool into a resource- and time-consuming chore.

Switching to Monograph website builder for architects allowed Modus Studio to use their website as an on-the-fly marketing tool to quickly show their work to potential clients. Their current home page has a simple grid layout that showcases a select number of projects which best represent their practice. They use the Avant theme with a clean, banded layout. Each clickable image leads to a project page with an image gallery, project description and essential info like project typology, location, completion date and photo credits.

“Our particular website design using Monograph Website has helped to quickly get the information that matters to potential clients”

“Our particular website design using Monograph website builder for architects has helped to quickly get the information that matters to potential clients,” said the architects. “Our philosophy, design team, projects, contact info…all of it flows to the user rapidly and in an organized manner,” they explained.

Among the many useful features Monograph Website offers, architects at Modus Studio have been most impressed with the streamlined way of adding content to their website and organizing it on the front end. “This reflects well on our level of organization. For example, if one of our designers has a meeting with a potential client or has a presentation to a particular group, we can promptly reorganize the content of the site to fit the theme of the day. Photos, sketches, and diagrams appear quickly and navigating through these in conversation is effortless. Since the website works so well, we’ve been able to turn all of our designers into potential marketers. If projects come up in conversation outside of the office, any one of us can quickly pull out our phone or tablet and get to the project type being discussed.”

“Since we began working with Monograph website builder for architects we have noticed that our target market seems to have a better, more complete understanding of our work.”

Monograph Website provided the firm with a level of consistency in marketing that resulted in considerably higher visitor engagement and stronger online presence. “Since we began working with Monograph Website, we have noticed that our target market seems to have a better, more complete understanding of our work.”

We interviewed Robert Yuen, Co-Founder of Monograph.io and Partner at Dixon & Moe as part of our Archipreneur Insights series. Check it out to learn more about how Yuen and his team mates develop innovative products for the AEC industry.

Also stay tuned for the upcoming Monograph Dashboard. Their second in-house software venture, Monograph Dashboard is a data driven platform designed to help architects and engineers understand and run their businesses more effectively, combining project planning and management with time tracking, forecasting, reporting and a lightweight CRM.

Learn more about creating a high converting website for architects here

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