Designing in circles can be a frustrating habit for architects, but it’s even more challenging for recent graduates who are just starting their careers. In studio courses, a typical semester is only 4 months long. So, there is a limited amount of time for students to make decisions to reach final juries. However, I have seen that once students try to adjust to the real-world; they have a tough time adjusting to making design decisions and moving on. Projects in the real world typically take longer than 4 months AND they also need to have time to complete fully detailed construction documents.
It is important for Project Architects and Project Managers to teach the full design process including how to make decisions. It’s crucial to teach recent graduates how to avoid designing in circles and develop a more productive design process. Below are some words of advice for mid and senior level Architects and Designers on how to teach recent graduates to avoid designing in circles and provide tips on how to create a productive design process.
Why Recent Graduates Design in Circles
Designing in circles can happen for a variety of reasons, but it’s most common among recent graduates. Some of the reasons why recent graduates may design in circles include:
1 Lack of Experience
Recent graduates may lack experience and feel unsure about their design decisions. They often feel they are looking for approval from others, themselves, and the “correct” answer. (Which there is no correct answer to design, which is the beauty of it.) As a result, they may spend too much time redesigning and tweaking their work.
2 Perfectionism
Recent graduates may be perfectionists and feel the need to make everything perfect before moving forward. This can lead to a cycle of redesigning and tweaking without making significant progress. They can also get so hung up on doing something perfect or right that they forget to think outside the box like in school.
3 Unclear Goals and Deadlines
Without clear goals and deadlines, recent graduates may struggle to stay focused. It comes back to providing them with a deadline even if there is no “real” deadline. This gives them a specific amount of time to dive in, iterate, and stay focused. If the goal or deadline is undefined, it is an open door to designing in circles.
4 Fear of Failure
Recent graduates may be afraid of failure and feel the need to create a perfect design before presenting it to colleagues or clients. Or another way I look at this is that they are really trying hard to make sure their task is done correctly and do well within the firm.
Teaching Recent Graduates Not to Design in Circles
1 Set Clear Goals and Deadlines
One of the best ways to teach recent graduates not to design in circles is to set clear goals and deadlines. Even if they are just progression type deadlines and not for a specific design phase. Encourage them to create a plan and timeline for their design process, with clear goals and deadlines for each stage. This will help them stay focused and avoid getting stuck in a cycle of redesigning. If there is a priority to their task list, educate them as to why and set specific deadlines for those tasks.
2 Limit Design Options
Recent graduates should be encouraged to limit their design options to avoid getting overwhelmed and spending too much time on minor details. Encourage them to focus on creating a few solid design options and working from there. You can also encourage them to create diverse options to review as an internal team, and explain the team should get the options down to a handful to show the client. This teaches them not only to not redesign the same thing repeatedly but also best practices for showing options to the client.
3 Give Feedback
Feedback is critical in the design process. Encourage recent graduates to share their designs with colleagues, mentors, and clients to get feedback and input. This will help them refine their ideas and avoid designing in circles. This also provides them with practice presenting their ideas even if not complete with others. It builds confidence in their own design decisions. It also provides opportunities for them to learn real world requirements that they will have to adhere to with their design. (ADA, building codes, fire codes, etc.)
4 Emphasize the Importance of Iteration
Emphasize to recent graduates that iteration is a normal part of the design process. This is not meant to discourage them from exploring options and ideas. It’s about continuing their education they learned in studio: encourage them make changes and improvements to their work and not to get too attached to their designs.
5 Provide Guidance and Support
It’s essential to provide guidance and support to recent graduates. Be available to answer questions, provide feedback, and offer guidance throughout the design process. This may be hard based on your own schedule, but if you are overbooked. Try setting time in your schedule to meet with them regularly. Coordinate with other team members that they can reach out to for questions when you are unavailable.
6 Foster a Culture of Collaboration
Encourage recent graduates to collaborate with colleagues and work together to create successful projects. This will help them avoid designing in circles, build relationships, learn from others, and create a more productive design process.
Teaching recent graduates not to design in circles is crucial for their success as architects. By setting clear goals and deadlines, limiting design options, getting feedback, emphasizing the importance of iteration, providing guidance and support, and fostering a culture of collaboration, educators and mentors can help recent graduates develop a more productive design process. With these strategies, recent graduates can avoid designing in circles and create successful projects that meet the needs of clients and maximize profitability for firms.
Written by
Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB
