DesignCOMPASS
How do you know that the project you think you need is actually the project you need? Is there a way to be crystal clear on the problems you're trying to solve before starting the remodeling or rebuild process?
Over the last couple of decades, we've developed tools to make sure the answer to those questions is YES. We call those tools DesignCOMPASS, because they help to give you clarity and direction on the issues that led you to want to do this project to begin with.
Over the last couple of decades, we've developed tools to make sure the answer to those questions is YES. We call those tools DesignCOMPASS, because they help to give you clarity and direction on the issues that led you to want to do this project to begin with.
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1 - The 5-Why Exercise
We've talked to a lot of people who say, "we need a bigger house." On occasion, that's true. Most of the time though, when we dig deeper, we learn that the underlying issue doesn't have to do with the size of the house at all, but the way the current layout ties into your emotions. By using the 5-Why Exercise, we dig down to find out what that emotion is, and when we do, now we know the problem that we're actually solving.
For example: maybe you thought you needed a bigger house to expand your kitchen, but really the problem was that your existing kitchen is tiny and closed in, and the emotion you feel while cooking is loneliness. A much more straight forward solution might be to expand your kitchen into your dining room and open up some adjacent walls. The solution is different for everyone, because the emotion is different for everyone. Check out our podcast episode on the 5-Why Exercise and give it a try: 2 - Heat Maps
Once we understand your why, we can start to discuss how to solve for it. In the previous example of a kitchen expansion, how do we know that the dining room is an appropriate room to incorporate into the kitchen? The tool for that is a Heat Map.
A Heat Map is a color coded floor plan of your home that allows us to see which spaces get used a lot, and which spaces have the opportunity to be better utilized. It is the perfect tool to facilitate a conversation about what works, what could work better, and what needs to be completely reimagined. Once completed, the Heat Map makes it clear whether we can accomplish your Why within the existing footprint of your home, or whether or not we need to expand. To learn more about Heat Maps, and how to create your own, check out our podcast episode about them: 3 - The Future Test
You know your Why, and thanks to your Heat Map, you know where you should be looking in your home to fulfill what Why. But what if you're still not quite sure? We get it. You might only remodel or rebuild one or twice in your life. You don't get a lot of practice at this, and weighing the pros and cons of big decisions can be paralyzing sometimes. Enter, The Future Test.
The Future Test is an exercise that takes you out of your current situation and places you at a point in the future when your decision is made. It imagines two versions of your future self - one that did the big thing and one that didn't - and helps you discover which of the those versions of your future life you'd rather live. Currently, you can learn more about The Future test in chapter 4 of Designed Happy: The Book. Soon, we'll have a podcast episode about it, which we'll embed below. |
DesignCOMPASS gets even better...
when you add RealTime Design