For many firms, establishing and publicizing the philosophical approach to their work can help establish a sense of self and distinguish them from other studios. By articulating and crafting a mission statement, firms can provide guiding principles for their work and their staff. Below, business advisers and practitioners discuss approaches to developing a mission statement.
Establish Intent
A mission statement can be a useful starting point for firms to determine and formalize their design philosophy and motivation for doing their work, says Chris Denby, CEO of the Alexandria, Va., architecture and engineering marketing consulting firm Markitecture. “Part of what a company is trying to do with a mission and vision is to set the path forward for themselves,” Denby says. “It’s a way to ask, ‘Why are we here?’ It’s short and sweet, and gives the purpose of the firm.”
However, Eric Reinholdt, Mount Desert, Maine–based designer and the author of Architect + Entrepreneur (30X40 Design Workshop Press, 2015)—a two-book set of business strategies for running an architecture firm—believes that branding is more important than a mission statement in conveying what a firm is trying to do. But he readily admits to being in the minority among business advisers. Ultimately, Denby says, crafting and following a mission statement can provide guidance for leaders and staff alike in determining a firm’s intentions.
Add in a Vision Statement
For the Seattle-based architecture firm Olson Kundig, the key to maintaining parity in its work and guiding principles was establishing a mission statement, says Gabriela Frank, director of business development and marketing. The practice regularly thinks about the design standards outlined in its mission statement and its central tenet of giving all projects a “macro to micro level of attention.” “Our mission is both an extension and evolution of our design practice,” Frank says. “It happens organically, and we tend to verbalize or capture our values as our practice shifts.”
That then becomes the basis for what Denby says is another crucial element: the vision statement. “The vision is more of the motivation and inspiration of the firm,” he says. “It’s going to be longer, and it’s going to help people envision what’s going to happen if the firm is successful in achieving its mission.”
These two statements combine to paint a picture of what a firm wants to be and how it can get there.
Be Specific But Flexible
Mission and vision statements are not merely a set of discrete business goals or vague aspirations, but also a road map for the firm’s long-term future—what it wants to be, where it wants to go, and what niche in the market it hopes to fill.
“The mission statement has to be as specific as it can be while still allowing room to grow,” Denby says. A mission statement for a four-person residential studio, he notes, will necessarily be different from that of a 400-person global firm.
He also cautions against being too vague. “Words like ‘full service,’ ‘multidisciplinary,’ ‘award-winning,’ are the same kind of jargon you can pick up on any firm’s website, and don’t belong in your mission and vision,” he says. “They undermine the actual intent. They don’t help to set [your firm] apart or to motivate people.”
Connect to Your Brand
But a mission statement can do more than just synthesize a firm’s work. Reinholdt says architects should use their mission to indicate what their brand stands for: “Too few architects are discussing or actively engaging in branding their businesses today.”
This is the approach taken by Waldon Studio Architects, a 30-person firm based in Columbia, Md. Its succinct mission statement—“We exist to create and serve”—underlines the firm’s commitment to focus on the needs of its clients while also being a firm rooted in faith. The word “serve” also ties into the firm’s focus on churches and community-centric design projects.
Like Olson Kundig, Waldon Studio regularly reviews its mission statement and priorities to make sure its work aligns with what it wants to be doing. “We make it a point not to be an ego-driven firm,” says president Ravi Waldon, AIA. “We remind ourselves that we’re looking for what’s of value to our clients.”