Key takeaways
- The right office design firm starts with how your team works, not with a furniture catalog.
- Ask to see named projects in your sector, and ask what the firm actually did on each one.
- Find out who will design your space, who will install it, and who answers the phone after move-in.
- See and sit in the furniture before you commit, and ask how the firm handles the pieces you already own.
What does an office design firm do for your business?
An office design firm plans how your space will work, then specifies and delivers the furniture and finishes that make the plan real. Which firm fits your project depends on how much of that work it does itself. For a fuller picture of the discipline, see our guide to commercial office design.
Most buyers are choosing between firms that look similar on a website. The questions below are the ones we would ask any firm, including ours, before signing.
Has the firm designed spaces like yours?
Ask for named projects in your sector, with photos of finished work. A dermatology practice, a student union, and a corporate boardroom have very different needs. A firm that has delivered each one will plan for them from the first meeting.
Then ask what the firm actually did on each project. "We supplied chairs" and "we planned and furnished the whole practice" are different answers. A few examples from our own gallery show the range:
- Our Wasserman Ulitsky Dermatology project in Venice was a full furniture and design partnership for a new practice, with reception, exam, sterilization, and back-of-house furniture and finishes coordinated end to end.
- Our FGCU Cohen Student Union project in Fort Myers was a student union build-out with an information desk, lounge banquettes, café and study seating, and an outdoor patio.
- Our Barron Collier Companies headquarters project in Fort Myers was a headquarters refresh covering reception, lounge, executive offices, the boardroom, and the break room.
Does the firm start with how your team works?
A good firm asks about your people before it shows you products. Expect questions about headcount, growth, how teams meet, where people need quiet, and what frustrates them about the current space.
Those answers become a space plan: zones, circulation, and the balance of open and private areas. Only then does furniture get specified to fit each zone. If a firm leads with a catalog or a quote, the plan is being skipped. You can see how we approach that step on our space planning page.
Who will actually be on your project?
Ask to meet the people who will design your space, not only the person selling it. Ask about their experience and the projects they have worked on.
Ask who will lead your project and how the design team will work with you. A firm that is proud of its team will introduce you to it early.
Can you see and sit in the furniture before you commit?
You should be able to test the chairs, desks, and finishes in person before anything is ordered. Photos cannot tell you how a chair fits a six-foot employee or how a fabric feels after an hour.
Ask whether the firm has a showroom near you, and whether its designers evaluate products hands-on. Our post on how office furniture gets specified walks through what our designers look for. If you are also weighing a furniture dealer, our post on working with a Steelcase dealer in Southwest Florida covers what that relationship should include.
Who installs it, and who comes back after move-in?
Installation is where a good plan succeeds or fails, so ask who will do it. Some firms subcontract installation, so the people in your office on install day may never have seen the plan.
Ask whether the firm has its own installers, its own warehouse, and someone who manages the job on site. Then ask who you call when a chair breaks or a team grows. The crew that builds your space is the same crew that stands behind it. For the Collier County Sheriff's Office, our in-house team delivered and installed the workstation systems, private offices, and admin spaces.
Can the firm work with what you already have?
Not every project starts from an empty floor. Many offices have furniture with years of life left in it, and a good firm will tell you what to keep.
Ask whether the firm reconfigures existing furniture and plans new pieces around it. Our work for the Lee County Port Authority at Page Field was a conference and meeting room reconfiguration for its administrative offices.
What should you bring to your first meeting with a design firm?
A little preparation makes the first meeting far more useful. Bring these, and judge each firm by the questions it asks back:
- Bring your headcount today, and what you expect it to be in two to three years.
- Bring a floor plan or lease drawings, even rough ones.
- Describe what works and what does not in your current space, in your team's own words.
- List any furniture you hope to keep, and bring photos of it.
- Share your target move-in date, and anything fixed around it, such as a lease start.
Who designs and installs offices across Southwest Florida?
We plan, furnish, and install commercial offices across Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties. Our team of more than 60 in-house employees works from two showrooms and our own warehouses. See our work and the products in person at our Fort Myers showroom or our Sarasota showroom.
If you are comparing firms now, start with a conversation about your space and your team. Schedule a design consultation, and we will begin with how your people work before we talk about furniture.
