IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 40

How much does the specific project team matter?
Does including a lot of senior team members in a proposal,
even if those people won't be the "day to day" players,
work to a firm's advantage or disadvantage?
AS Having actual project experience is important. Nothing is worse than being
handed over a team of junior designers, who are incredibly creative, but haven't
a clue what to do after the design is approved. And a team of disgruntled senior
designers who have very stale design talent and cynical attitudes is just as bad.
So ideally, a strategic mix of the two extremes-who work on a project from start
to finish.

The team members definitely make a difference. Don't propose a team and
then switch who they are if awarded the job. When a firm proposes a team, that
is who I am expecting to work with. You aren't really hiring the firm, you are
hiring specific people.

LM

Clients want to see the team that is going to do the work. Senior leadership that
is just 'for show' does not provide an advantage. Many clients want a guarantee
that the team proposed will actually be the team doing the project.

RA

One of the biggest challenges firms face in responding
to RFPs and RFQs is the question of how much to customize,
which is often the component that takes the most time
and effort on behalf of senior staff. How much does a firm's
insight into a project's unique constraints at this early
phase matter?
LM A simple page or two about your project approach is best-just point out examples
from past projects in this section. You don't need to rewrite every project page to
make it relevant to my project. I don't mind that the entire proposal is not about my
project, there are key sections that should be and others that are not as important.
RA Speaking directly to the client's project is important and many times it is
the distinguishing factor, and having the entire team speak to what is important,
maybe up front in the executive summary, can go further to engage with the
selection team than other factors. On a recent project we did for a global
headquarters, the client was completely enamored with the workplace consultant
on one of the teams-though initially they didn't even realize via the proposal
that that consultant was on the team.

40



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014

Contents
Contributors
From IIDA
Behind the Issue
Viewpoints
Pop Goes the Marketplace
Beyond Programming
Startup Design
RFP: Decoded
The Power of Narrative
Inspiration
Colophon
Design Buzz
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Cover1
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 1
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 2
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Contributors
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - From IIDA
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Behind the Issue
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Viewpoints
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Pop Goes the Marketplace
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 11
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 12
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 13
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 14
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 15
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 16
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 17
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Beyond Programming
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 20
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 22
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 24
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 26
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Startup Design
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 29
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 30
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 31
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 32
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 33
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 34
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 35
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 36
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 37
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - RFP: Decoded
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 39
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 40
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 41
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 42
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 43
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - The Power of Narrative
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 45
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 46
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 47
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 48
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 49
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 50
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 51
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Inspiration
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Colophon
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 54
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 55
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Design Buzz
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - Cover4
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