The Power of Misinformation!

​Wouldn’t it be great if we got some kind of an automatic, magical “heads up!” when information is wrong or misleading, when the experts aren’t, when advice goes against our own vision or your investment is in jeopardy?   Yes!
 
But, No!   That is not how it works.   Misinformation has power, and when it is used as a tool of deception in the delivery of services or goods, we all are on the losing end of things.  We all know the adage: If it seems too good to be true it probably is!  And that goes for almost everything from timing to cost.
 
Professional designers and their venue-related associates are constantly aware of problems concerning the compromises that often try to happen with materials, pricing, compliance integrity and goods.   There is always a source that promises cheaper, faster or easier!

Misinformation and quick promises of cheaper, faster, easier present huge risks. Your credentialed professional has reliable sources, and will be accurate and appropriate with your money, time and expectations!

​There are good reasons for choosing design professionals with appropriate credentials, reasonable and relevant experience, and an accessible track record.   Your insurance against avoidable, costly misinformation is to do your homework!
 
Cheaper, faster and easier are relative terms; we can wish as much as we wish to, but they come with a cost.  Cheaper often just means predictable obsolescence.  Faster, for speed alone, usually increases the margin of error and can compromise quality.  Easier, while it’s everyone’s dream (for everything!) only happens selectively!
 
The challenge is to recognize these promises, analyze their validity, get the facts and test their forward path.
 
One reason you have hired a professional (with a connected professional team) is to be able to work with legitimate, informed, credentialed experts who know what they are doing – and who have your vision and your budget securely in mind.  Most professionals are interested in long-term relationships with clients.  After the project is completed, they want to be a resource for you. 
 
Some clear signs of an opportunist are characteristics and promises that feel like:  too many promises too soon; a down-and-dirty attitude; slam-dunk answers to your questions; we-can-knock-this-out-for-you-in-no-time assertions; claims of don’t-worry--you can afford it; pressure to hurry up!
 
Clear signs of a professional, on the other hand, is one who takes the preparatory slow-lane even when a prospective client just wants to get on with it!   It is not delay or malingering to cross every “t” and dot every “i” when it comes to really discovering what a client needs and wants.  And, it is not procrastination (on your side of things) to do the research and background check of the professional you are considering.
 
A professional designer knows that their more meticulous approach may cost them a job.  However, there is also a lot of damage control that eventually comes back around!
 
You, the client, must often make hard choices to better serve your purpose and avoid the traps of unrealistic promises and costly misinformation.   What good is a “quick-fix” that needs to be redone in less time than necessary?  How is it good financial planning to try to “do it all” now, cheaply and carelessly – instead of incrementally, over time, with quality and with reasonably paced budgeting?
 
Your professional designer has nothing to gain from dispensing hollow promises or misinformation.  You have everything to gain by investing wisely in the help you choose.