Many designers feel that brands speak to them "next door": they send unnecessary messages, invite them to events that don't match the realities of their work, and product materials are often unreadable, outdated or of little use in the design process. Brands, in turn, complain that they don't know how to reach architects, that their outreach is ineffective, and that loyalty is increasingly hard to come by. It is difficult to have good cooperation without real knowledge of the other party's needs. That's why the first survey in Poland "Let's design it together. Architects on Cooperation with Brands," which gives a voice to architects and a tool for brands to work with.
Architects are increasingly open about what frustrates them: the lack of 3D solids, the need to pay for sample books, or training meetings that focus on marketing and sales instead of showing concrete solutions. Brands, on the other hand, often admit themselves that they don't do anything for architects - because they don't know where to start - or they invest in events, contests or campaigns that miss the mark and don't produce results.
It's a tiresome and repetitive situation for both sides: architects accuse brands of a lack of professionalism, and brands accuse architects of a demanding attitude. The problem is that rarely does either side take the trouble to really ask about the needs of the other. Architects often don't say directly what bothers them - and when something works well, they don't make a habit of communicating it. And yet, at the heart of every good collaboration is.... relationships. And it is these that need to be redesigned today.
The first study that gives architects a voice has been created
Out of the need to put this relationship in order, the first study in Poland - "Let's design it together. Architects on Cooperation with Brands," conducted by Magda Skibka-Matusiak, an interior brand communication expert who has been working with architects and interior design brands for years. Partners of the survey are the AQForm, BLUM and WOODECO brands.
The aim of the survey is to collect reliable data: how architects want to cooperate with brands, what forms of contact are effective, whether and how they use promotional materials, what events they consider valuable, whether they count on commission systems and in what form - and what makes them choose the product of one brand and reject another.
This is not a study about how architects buy. It's a study about how they think, how they work and what they expect. If brands want to build lasting relationships with designers, they must first start listening to them
- Magda Skibka-Matusiak, author of the survey and owner of PR agency PLN Design Group.
The survey is anonymous, open to all architects and interior designers in Poland - regardless of the scale of their business. Its completion takes just 8 minutes.
The survey will last until September 30, 2025. A report with the results will be published in the fall. Take part in the survey: https://badanie.wspolpracazarchitektami.pl
This is the moment when architects can make a real difference in the quality of their collaboration with brands. It is worth taking advantage of it.
