Collaboration is the Key to Success

I’ve always loved the late Steve Jobs’ quote from 1997: “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back to the technology”. I think of this often when I am collaborating with a design-build colleague as we work on fulfilling our client’s expectations. Part of my role as the technology designer on any project is to inform and educate how various technologies enhance designs and create seamless, effortless lifestyles that complement the beauty of a well-designed interior space. Increasingly, the desire for outdoor experiences also requires a blend of design and technology that brings these spaces to life throughout the year.  

Collaboration is the key to success. I’ve been quite fortunate in becoming the CEO and Co-Owner of Integration Controls, a technology design center and system integration firm in the St. Louis metro area.  As we have grown, outreach and education are key factors in how we connect with our community, both in the education we provide AND the education we receive. I’m thankful to have architectural, interior design and builder mentors in our area that have shaped the solutions we provide in homes today. When all visions come together, and we understand and appreciate our various roles, we can create a magnificent space.  

In my role within our residential technology industry, I’ve championed this concept of collaboration and outreach to our design-build trade partners. The need to educate ourselves when it comes to our trade colleagues is vital for technology designers to understand and appreciate. If we don’t explore the complexity of fabric, furniture and finishes within design – as in architecturally defined rooms and public/private flow patterns – how can we be relevant when it comes to lighting design? 

If we aren’t cognizant of the ultimate responsibility of the builder, how can we be a reliable partner and ensure that the infrastructure we recommend works 100% and represents the builder’s best interest AND the clients’ desire for future-ready solutions? 

I love working with like-minded professionals in the design-build space who trust our firm to deliver solutions that simplify and enrich life – and the overall design of the home. The explosion of residential technology means that I’m out networking, educating and re-educating more than ever! Let’s face it – technology can be a daunting subject. Rest assured, the world has many more technology designers like me spread across the country who are reliable and consistently collaborate from a project conception to implementation. Source one or two for yourself if you haven’t yet – pop over to Cedia.net and search your zip code to get reliable advice and outreach from a qualified technology design and system integration firm.