Trust the Process

KEVIN Welcome back to ENDORIENCE. Today we’re doing something a little different. I’m putting myself in the shoes of a client. Gergő, imagine I’m a European luxury watchmaker and I need a premium custom retail environment. I’ve heard great things about TRUSTED, but I’m not yet convinced. Walk me through exactly what your process looks like. When I first reach out, what happens? GERGŐ First, we need to understand each other. We need to understand what you want to achieve with your brand, what you want to achieve with your products and, most importantly, who your exact target audience is. That is the starting point. KEVIN So you aren’t simply there to build something. You need to understand the wider design philosophy, strategic direction and target demographics. GERGŐ Exactly. If we want to create a successful retail store or point of sale, we need to understand your clients and customers. And nobody should understand them better than the brand itself. KEVIN What else do you need to know? GERGŐ We need to understand the exact location and market. Then we study the brand: the materials, components, colours and other elements that fit both the brand and its customers. KEVIN When do I start seeing design ideas? GERGŐ Once we have enough information, we research the target audience. Usually within one or two weeks we can begin developing sketches, basic concepts and mood boards. Then we discuss those directions together. KEVIN So you can perform market analysis yourselves? GERGŐ Yes, and we prefer to be involved. If we simply receive ideas from a third party, we cannot always be certain that those ideas are focused on the right priorities. KEVIN As a luxury watchmaker, my customers expect extremely high quality. How do you make sure the design meets that expectation? GERGŐ Location is critical. Once we know where the store will be, we can understand which materials and visual languages are perceived as premium or luxury in that particular market. Then we develop the concept accordingly. KEVIN Let’s say I’m opening a luxury watch store in Vienna. How would you approach it? GERGŐ Vienna is in Central Europe, close to Switzerland and Germany, and it has a relatively conservative luxury culture. The design therefore probably shouldn’t be unnecessarily aggressive or colourful. If you study established premium streets in Vienna, you will see restrained palettes and very controlled environments. Materials can evolve, but the fundamental language remains relatively consistent. KEVIN Do I receive one design option? GERGŐ No. We normally start with at least three concepts. Then you can select one or two directions and we develop them further. KEVIN How do you integrate client feedback? GERGŐ We have an experienced internal design team. We develop revised mood boards and then increasingly detailed concepts for particular parts of the store. That allows the client to understand not only how the environment will look, but how it should feel to the customer. KEVIN What happens when a client has an idea that is extremely difficult or expensive to execute? GERGŐ If we identify red flags, we raise them immediately. We need to identify the weak points of a concept early. Otherwise those issues become endless discussions later in the project. Budget is another critical consideration. There are often technical ways to reduce cost while maintaining the customer-facing quality and material experience. KEVIN So that is where consultation and experience become important. GERGŐ Exactly. It is fundamentally a consultation process. KEVIN Where do you source materials? GERGŐ There isn’t one typical source. We source globally. High-quality stone may come from Italy. Wood may come from Germany, Canada, Sweden, Hungary or another appropriate region. Some specialised acrylics, textiles and other materials may only be available from one or two specific suppliers. KEVIN Once the design is complete, how long does the quotation take? GERGŐ If we have developed the design ourselves, usually no more than around ten days for the first stage. If the design comes from an external designer, we ideally want to speak with them. A drawing can show many things, but it doesn’t always communicate the priorities and intention behind the concept. As manufacturers, we need to understand why the concept is the way it is. Normally, that process is still around ten to fifteen days. KEVIN What happens if I receive the quotation and tell you I can have it manufactured in China for less? GERGŐ That is obviously the client’s decision. But in many cases you won’t receive the same combination of quality and service. European proximity allows us to support the project throughout the process, work closely with the material sources and remain involved through installation. China is exceptionally strong in mass production. It can also produce very high-quality work, but once you require the same specialist materials, labour, detailing and service level, the price difference can become much smaller. KEVIN What about Turkey? GERGŐ Turkey has developed significantly and can produce very competitive high-quality work. The difference is increasingly not simply the finished product. It is the process, service, compliance environment and implementation support surrounding it. KEVIN So implementation is really the differentiator. GERGŐ Exactly. The crucial question is how the design becomes real furniture and ultimately a real retail environment. KEVIN I’ve accepted your offer. What happens next? GERGŐ After concept approval and commercial agreement, we move into technical design. This is a deep dive into how the furniture actually works. You see exactly how it will be constructed, how it functions and how it will be used. That is particularly important in luxury retail because these environments may be used for many years. KEVIN And they experience much more intensive use than residential furniture. GERGŐ Exactly. A retail environment can have anywhere from tens to potentially hundreds or more customer interactions in a day. It is not comparable to furniture in a private home. KEVIN Can the client inspect materials or prototypes before manufacturing? GERGŐ Absolutely. During technical development we create material samples. The client receives the relevant surfaces, colours and materials, often as a complete sample set. At that point there is still time to change something. On larger or more complex projects, we may also manufacture full prototypes. That gives another opportunity to validate the solution before serial or final manufacturing begins. KEVIN How do you make sure everything arrives and is installed on schedule? GERGŐ Through very tight project management. Once a project starts, we continuously monitor its progress. We need visibility almost day by day. KEVIN Why should I choose a company of your size rather than one of the largest international suppliers? GERGŐ Our size can actually be an advantage. We can focus on customers individually. We can guide the client through the entire process. With very large suppliers, a client may ultimately interact with only one or two project managers who are simultaneously responsible for many other projects. We approach that differently. KEVIN What is the one thing a new client should remember about TRUSTED? GERGŐ That manufacturing and installing the retail environment is only one part of the project. A large part of the value is created before manufacturing begins. It comes from consultation and from the know-how we can bring into the process. KEVIN That is ultimately the value you bring to the table. Thank you very much, Gergő. GERGŐ Thank you.