Here is the list of things to pay special attention to if you want the collaboration with the yacht interior designer to go smoothly. To choose the co-worker or the best one out of the options offered, ask (and answer) these questions.
1.Who are the final clients?
Both you and the designer have to know the answer to this question. Everything you do during the process is related to the people who will spend their time on the boat. Will the vessel be used for private purposes or charter? At charter yachts, all the materials must be very durable, and the maintenance should be easy and quick. The organization of the space should be on a high level so everything can be found and used intuitively. (It has to be clear how to open something, turn on the light, or where the most used features are.) The design is usually neutral and fits the charter locations. Designers choose the interior style to be acceptable for all the passengers, whatever their affinities are.
However, the situation is different if clients plan to use the boat themselves. Interior design should meet their needs, wishes, and lifestyle. We mentioned that the maintenance of all the materials on the yacht should be easy. But, this rule is not so strict when we do the interior design for clients. That means elements that require special attention are allowed. Fewer people will use the boat daily, so more fabrics and materials can be part of the interior. That is why handmade woolen carpets may find their place inside private vessels.
2. Will the team deliver only the conceptual design or follow it through the elaboration? Can your designer prepare technical attachments? If so, which ones should you expect?
If you need more than nice renders appropriate for marketing, let your designer know that at the very beginning. What exactly do you want as a result – only visualizations or detailed technical drawings as a plus? It is ok if you only need a conceptual project at the beginning for promotion purposes. However, it’s good to know whether you can count on the same team for the elaboration later or if you should find someone else for this part of the job. If it is agreed to get technical drawings only, define what kind of drawings you need. Will you get specifications of all the elements from the project? If you realize on time which areas your partners have experience with, all the chances are the cooperation will run smoothly and without surprises.
3. How much can a conceptual design differ from the main one?
Many phenomenal eye-catching visualizations of vessels and their interior designs are on the Internet. However, if you scratch below the surface, you will see it’s not everything perfect. They don’t fully correspond to the conditions at sea. Does a designer think about the final use of the space? Does he have consultations with other engineers during the work? A good team of designers will understand the engineering part of the job enough to include your requests in the initial design. That way, there won’t be so many changes and surprises later. Design should look well, but it has to be functional, even on a rough sea while the crew work and guests enjoy. Does your designer take care of interior construction, procurement of materials, and coordination of constructors? On the other hand, his job might cover only delivered drawings.
4. Does your yacht interior designer have a network of people for collaboration? Is their work included in the price agreed, or should you pay them additionally?
Many professionals work together to build the vessel. The same happens with the yacht interior design – an expert always needs some people from other areas for cooperation. How many of them? It depends on the project’s complexity. Be on the same page with your interior designer about hiring the right people. Who will search for them? Who will check whether the selected lights are sufficient for proper lighting? Does the designer already cooperate with somebody who will choose and design audio and video equipment, or will you be the one finding this professional? Who will be in charge of kitchen technology and align it with the kitchen chef’s needs and wishes? Is there already a gym space expert in a designer’s team, or should you find and hire the one afterward? Are all the fabrics ready-made? Maybe some should be designed especially for this vessel? Did you plan some art pieces for the boat? If so, who will choose the appropriate ones? One by one, go through all the potential collaborations together with your designer.
5. Where will the yacht sail, and is there a need for detailed calculations of the yacht’s interior?
Define the register you will follow during the process of designing the yacht. Each has its requirements to be met. The easiest option is to follow the criteria from the very beginning. Registers request different certifications for materials used in the interior. The interior doesn’t need to be only beautiful but aligned with the vessel in terms of weight. Is the actual weight of the interior equal to the planned one? Checking the mass of each interior element is a time-consuming process. If you don’t want to waste time, define timely who will do the weight calculations. Speaking from our own experience, it is best if the interior designer does this part of the job and delivers the final numbers to you.
Designing the yacht is a long and detailed process. Don’t prolong and complicate it by making imprecise agreements with interior designers. You will save your time, energy, and money by following this list.
