What is Quality Anyway?
I am an architect. I have risen through the ranks, worked for various firms, own my firm and through my career have developed my own parameter for quality in the field of architecture and that is: Quality is defined by the client not self-proclaimed by the design professional. When most people consider Quality, they think of a product that is without defect or a product that serves its intended purpose. In my career, Quality is far more than that, it is also the service perceived by the client.
Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that Quality as defined by service cannot be attained unless each of these factors are achieved in the client’s eyes.
- Collaboration through meaningful participation from all project team members and stakeholders (both client & design professional).
- Stability by satisfying the demands of scope, schedule, and budget and keeping them in balance without one becoming excessive to the detriment of the others.
- Creativity: The design process brings into existence what was not yet known. It takes real creativity to insert a not-yet-formulated design concept into the design process without disrupting a stable and collaborative project environment. For me, the creative process of inserting what is not yet designed into the design process is the true worth of a design professional; requiring careful attention to detail and the utmost of service for the client.
When Collaboration, Stability, and Creativity are achieved to the client’s satisfaction, then and only then, is Quality achieved.