21 Nov Could You Benefit from a National Design Program?

A beautifully designed model apartment is the strongest sales tool you have.

Your model is the most important space prospects see when they tour your community—and a model designed with ROI in mind can help you meet your occupancy targets. So when one of your communities needs a new or refreshed model, you want that space ready for showing as quickly as possible.

One option is to leave model design and installation to your managers at the community level. The concern is that while some managers may be extremely capable, others may not have the time, resources, or expertise to deliver a thoughtfully designed, well-executed model. It’s also exceptionally difficult to maintain brand standards with each community-level manager handling the models on their own properties.

Of course, if you’re managing dozens of properties nationwide, overseeing all models at the corporate level isn’t feasible either. You can’t waste time starting the design process from scratch with every new model or dealing with the details of shipping, delivery, and installation.

There is a better, simpler alternative.

Imagine how much more efficient your process would be if you had a pre-approved design ready whenever you needed a new model. If you could partner with an all-in-one commercial interior design firm and logistics company to get your model sourced, shipped, delivered, and installed—in any location across the country. We’re talking sourced, shipped, delivered, and installed—in any location across the country. Model55’s national design programs were created for exactly this reason: to manage the entire model apartment design and installation process for you.

Ready to cut your design time in half and get your model apartments up and running as soon as possible?

How Model55’s National Programs Work

Our national programs allow multi-family and senior living community owners and operators to expedite the process of model apartment design, cutting design time by as much as 50%. Our programs also frequently include custom process development, in which our team acts as liaisons between the corporate office and community managers.

Part 1: Model Apartment Design

Every national program begins with creating one or more model concept designs. The purpose of the concept design is to develop an agreed-upon aesthetic for your models that can be implemented quickly. Once a concept design is in place, we can order products and begin planning for delivery and installation as soon as we receive a request for a new model.

During the initial design phase, client involvement can vary according to your preferences. You can collaborate with our design team to select and approve every accessory in a concept design, or you can simply sign off on the key furnishings and let our team handle the finishing touches.

A national program may contain just one model apartment design, or it can contain several pre-approved options. When we develop multiple concepts, the key factors are usually timeline, budget, and aesthetic:

Timeline

One of the best ways to ensure you get a model apartment staged according to your timeline is to create a design with a turnaround time in mind. Many of our programs include one concept design built around in-stock items to expedite delivery and installation, with a second design that can be used when the timeline is more flexible.

Budget

For maximum ROI, the budget for your model should be determined by the price point of its community. The best models are designed so that the furnishings sit in the sweet spot between aspirational and affordable for prospective residents. If your portfolio spans value and luxury communities, you’ll want concept designs at appropriate price points for each.

Aesthetic

Concept designs can also be customized based on regional differentiation (adding some coastal flair in New England or a rustic feel in the Pacific Northwest) and other aesthetic factors. Having multiple concepts readily available ensures that you always have an appropriate design to match the resident persona of a given community.

Part 2: Custom Process Development

After concept design, the second phase of a national program is typically developing custom processes for your organization. Putting together a new model requires a significant amount of coordination between corporate and individual communities. To streamline communication and speed up timelines, we use our logistic expertise to develop a unique workflow based on your preferences.

Once we understand how you like to work, we’ll build a process that incorporates all the necessary introductions, approvals, and coordination that should occur for each new model. The goal is to make this process simple and easy to follow. Once the process has been approved, we’ll go through an initial ramp-up period with your team to make sure the workflow runs smoothly.

After that, you’ll be able to confidently hand over the entire workflow to the Model55 team. We support you by filtering communication between the corporate office and local community managers. We’ll manage the logistics and let you know exactly when your approval or input is needed.

National Programs Deliver Consistency

Our clients share that one of the things they value most about our national programs is the consistency of the experience. We understand that consistency builds trust, and that trust allows you to confidently hand off your model apartments—and focus on other priorities instead.

Consistency in design helps you maintain clear brand identity across all of your locations, ensuring that you get a quality model every time. We can even work with you to incorporate custom items, such as branded bathrobes, that add an extra layer of personalization to every model.

Consistency in logistics eliminates the headache of partnering with multiple vendors and managing different processes and workflows for every new model. You’ll also have a timeline you can rely on, which is especially valuable amid ongoing post-pandemic supply chain disruptions.

Consistency in billing starts with our flat-rate design fee, which is based on design and product and is not dependent on the location of your model. Your budget will go equally far in San Francisco or San Antonio. And since we consolidate the work of multiple vendors, you won’t have to keep track of multiple contracts or payment terms either.

Do I Need a National Design Program?

So is a national program right for you?

A national design program is a great choice for companies with a multi-state or national network of communities and an ongoing need for model apartment design and installation. It provides an opportunity for owners and operators to invest in their long-term success by establishing a standardized process for creating model apartments.

National programs do require an upfront investment of time and dollars. Because we integrate with your team, some internal training may be necessary to get your new processes up and running. If you require multiple models per year and are comfortable with concept designs, you’ll see significant savings on time and energy with a national program.

On the other hand, if you rarely need a new model or prefer to have an original design each time, a national program may not be the perfect fit. In that case, we’re more than happy to work with you to design and install custom models for your communities.

The ability to quickly stage a model apartment is vital to the success of your organization, so you need a furnishing solution that delivers. Our national programs alleviate both corporate and community-level burdens to simplify the process of creating a model and attracting new residents. There are so many ways to develop a program that meets your needs. Contact us today for a model apartment anytime, anywhere!