Here's how you can understand and empathize with your clients' needs as an architect.

To understand and empathize with your clients' needs as an architect, focus on immersing yourself in their world. Spend time in their environment to grasp their daily challenges and preferences. Build strong relationships through regular, open communication to gain deeper insights into their vision and expectations. Tailor your approach to reflect their unique lifestyle and aspirations, ensuring your designs resonate with their personal experiences and desires.

Understanding and empathizing with your clients' needs as an architect: Active Listening: Pay close attention to your clients' words, tone, and body language. Ask Questions: Clarify their needs and preferences by asking insightful questions. Observe Behavior: Notice clients' reactions and interactions with their spaces. Emotional Insight: Recognize and validate their feelings and concerns. Reflective Feedback: Paraphrase their thoughts to ensure understanding and show you value their input. Cultivate Empathy: Put yourself in your clients' shoes to better grasp their perspective.

Yesterday I am asking a client what is your budget, he gave an interesting answer: "Well I need your price to see what you can offer. Like you buy a toy, you ask the staff how much is it, and the staff say, what is your budget? Does that means the retail price is based on customer's budget? No. I need the answer is it is 25 dollars, with acrylic material, bright color of surface finishing, and smooth edge processing. And the shape is good enough to amaze kids. Well that's reasonable to me. " Effect and budget is always a dilemma. We do need ask questions, but asking it smartly and with more empathy, that is more important.

Asking for the "right" questions is key. Focusing on trying to find out what hurts them, to then offer your help and exceed their expectations.

Clients don't tell the truth but their behaviour does. Observe how they act, what they do, how they dress, which are their habits, rather than only noting what they say. You may get to know them better than themselves by observation and analysis.

Especially when they seems make unrational decisions and refuse to let you know what happend, there must be something that is not satisfying. One important thing of observing behaviour is that is it logical and match their job position, brand, and the project management. Are all their actions based on their inquiries? Critical thinking is needed

Understanding and empathizing with your clients' needs as an architect involves gaining emotional insights through active listening and observation. Start by building rapport and creating a comfortable environment for open communication. Listen attentively to their concerns, desires, and goals for the project, and ask probing questions to delve deeper into their emotional and functional requirements. Show empathy by putting yourself in their shoes, considering their perspectives, and demonstrating genuine care for their vision and aspirations. By developing a deep understanding of your clients' needs, you can tailor your architectural solutions to better meet their expectations and enhance overall satisfaction.

I think of the saying about chipping away marble to reach the statue within. This applies to my relationship with clients: they have an idea but doesn’t know what it means. As a designer, it is our job to chisel out the details to reveal what the statue is for the client.