The world is a bit of a hot mess; that’s undeniable. Still, there are glimmers of hope as we put one foot in front of the other and adjust to our new normal. Here at Design NJ, we’ve had the opportunity to speak to people in every segment of the design profession. What we’ve found is that, under suboptimal (to say the least) circumstances, they continue to serve their clients by whatever means possible.

We asked industry professionals how the corona virus pandemic has affected their businesses. The responses reveal a community committed to ensuring continuity in client service, willing to go the extra mile and determined to find new ways of accomplishing long-standing goals. Whether rallying the troops (and government officials) via Zoom meeting, moving consultations outdoors or expertly divining client reaction beneath a facemask, these consummate pros have nimbly risen to the occasion.

- Marirose Krall, Design NJ

From Marc Brahaney, Founder and Architect, Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction:

As a residential design-build firm, we were able to continue work on projects already in process, with homeowner consent. We have always been careful to maintain safe work sites and cordon off our construction area from non-work areas in our clients’ homes. We have stepped up those practices with rigorous safe separation and hygiene rules, including a handwashing station, mandatory masks, and limiting the number of people on the site.

With the stay-at-home order, we quickly pivoted to using video-conferencing technology to stay connected with clients and one another. Going forward we will probably continue to do virtual meetings; more staff members can participate with clients without the inefficiency of everyone traveling to a single physical location. The option to work from home and video-conference our weekly staff meetings also seems to give us more work flexibility which our team appreciates.

Read the full article at designnewjersey.com.