by Jan Rutgers
When people ask me why I founded VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN, I have a simple answer.
“To train and mentor people passionate about the Kitchen Design Industry.”
To excel at anything you need to be constantly learning.
The Kitchen Design Industry is very complicated and initial training plus ongoing learning is what will set you apart and take you to the top of your career.
I constantly observe mistakes by kitchen sales people that could have been avoided with some basic knowledge and training.
This VESTA blog highlights the importance of on going training for the professional kitchen designer.
Why should training be part of a Kitchen Designers work life?
Here are the top reasons why on going training should be part of your kitchen design career.
1. To Avoid Mistakes
Mistakes in Kitchen Design are costly and designers cannot afford to make them in the traditional “learn on the job” manner. Or as I have heard managers describe as “Sink or Swim”!
A big source of mistakes is interpreting appliance specifications. I am often approached by Kitchen Designers of all levels on how to understand appliance specifications.
Spoiler alert! I have a great mini course called Tips, Tricks & Traps for Reading Appliance Specifications you can download for FREE to help you learn more about working with appliance specifications.
As a beginner, you will want to master Kitchen Design theories, guidelines, and clearances to give yourself a strong foundation to begin tackling Kitchen Design projects.
You can get started with this by enrolling in Vestabul School of Design’s Beginners Guide to Kitchen Design. to learn or revisit the basics.
And as you gain experience you will want to continue your training, allowing yourself to tackle more complicated projects.
2. To Show Your Professionalism
By taking targeted Kitchen Design courses you enhance your general knowledge showing how committed you are to your profession.
Participating in supplier product knowledge sessions is another way to gain useful knowledge about the kitchen industry. (I myself attended a lux appliance training session a few weeks ago!)
More knowledge also gives you the edge on the competition be it for a new employment position or a new client. People want to work with people in the know!
What will become evident is that you are a true design professional, that is not following the pack, who brings new ideas and new solutions to the table.
3. To Keep Your Designs Fresh & You Motivated
It is easy to fall into a design rut if you are not being stimulated by new things.
Ongoing training introduces you to new ideas and different ways of approaching things.
When you are taking an inspiring Kitchen Design course you will get excited about what you are learning and you will want to implement the new concepts and solutions you are learning into your client’s designs.
Vestabul School of Design’s Icon Courses are great for this. These just-in-time courses can be just the inspiration you need.
If you are ever feeling blah about your Kitchen Design work, it is probably time to learn something new about your profession.
Successful Kitchen Designers invest in their careers by searching out and paying for their personal training.
Why should training be part of the Employer offering?
Some employers believe that if they train designers they will leave and go somewhere else. Making their investment a waste of money. I disagree!
If employers do not train their designers, more mistakes will happen, designers will become frustrated and eventually leave due to a lack of support.
The “Sink or Swim” mentality is a loose-loose for both the designer and the employer.
In the long run, untrained design staff will cost the employer much more than training their Kitchen Designers and occasionally loosing an employee.
Let’s have a look at some additional reasons why employers should train their Kitchen Designers.
1. To Attract & Keep Professionals
If a Kitchen Designer knows that ongoing training is one of the perks of employment at a firm, it is a motivator for them to work and stay there.
Individuals who are committed to their profession want to learn and will often become very loyal to employers that offer training.
2. To Motivate & Increase Productivity
There is less chance that a “newbie” to the Kitchen Design profession who receives great in-house training will make basic mistakes.
Even small mistakes are very demoralizing and will often chase new designers out of the profession.
Providing training to avoid these at the beginning of employment will build confident, productive Kitchen Designers.
Knowing that more advanced training is available will motivate the new designer to take on more complicated and profitable projects.
Offering courses that appeal to the experienced kitchen designer in a firm are also very motivating.
Vestabul School of Design’s Pillar courses are designed for the experienced kitchen designer, helping them take their design career to the next level.
The ability to take a Designer to the next level of their career is rewarding for both the employee and the employer.
3. To Allow Promotions from Within
Many firms have passionate support staff that could become ideal Kitchen Designers with the right training.
This strategy is great because the employer already knows the employee’s strengths and can train accordingly.
This could be a much longer approach with a new unknown employee.
4. To Put All Designers on the Same Page
When the employer provides training for Design Staff, the team will all be speaking the same language.
Without training there is a tendency for each Kitchen Designer to forge their own path. This can be very confusing for clients and support staff.
For example if a past client referred a friend to a firm and they happen to get a different designer along with a radically different experience it could affect the firms reputation.
Having design staff all employing the same processes and knowledgeable on the products they represent, is the best way to grow a business.
Once you or your firm realize the benefits of training are important the next step is to decide how the training should be delivered.
How should Kitchen Design Training be Delivered?
Different people prefer different approaches to training.
Some like classroom training with an instructor up front, while others like to get their knowledge from reading books.
Some like to approach career training with a dedicated program that they undertake fulltime while others want to train on their own schedule, fitting it in between work and family responsibilities.
A growing number of people are turning to the internet for training in their chosen career.
Both full-time programs and student led programs are available.
On-line courses, webinars, podcasts, coaching and written articles are all options for on-line learning.
Before launching VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN, I found aspiring designers, kitchen designers and design firms were all motivated by the cost of training.
Even though colleges and associations were moving their training online, the high cost of tuition fees and association dues to enroll in courses is cost prohibited to many designers.
I asked Designers:
“How would you like to receive Kitchen Design training?”
The answer:
“Online – at an affordable price!”
How does VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN deliver training for Kitchen Designers?
VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN has been organized around a variety of on-line courses for aspiring and practicing Kitchen Designers.
Courses are offered at a variety of levels under different categories. With new courses being added all the time.
FREE COURSES
FREE courses are offered by VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN for subscribers with new topics always in the works.
The popular “Common Errors in Kitchen Design” course highlights mistakes that can derail a kitchen design with solutions for a better design.
A great course to check out to test your Kitchen Design Knowledge!
CORNERSTONE COURSES
CORNERSTONE courses provide fundamental learning which is the foundation of the Kitchen Designer’s work.
“A Beginners Guide to Kitchen Design” is the first course that any aspiring Kitchen Designer should enroll in, plus it offers practicing Kitchen Designers a great reference tool.
This course introduces VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN’s philosophy that a well rounded Kitchen Designer needs to understand the Art, the Science and the Business of Kitchen Design to be successful.
My follow up to this course is in the works and if you want to be one of the first to know when it is launched, subscribe to my email list.
PILLAR COURSES
PILLAR courses have been developed for Kitchen Designers with some experience that would like to take their design careers to the next level.
“Interior Finishings for Kitchen Designers” is a great example. This course introduces the Kitchen Designer to the world of mouldings, trim, interior doors, ceiling treatments, wall treatments, stairway systems and posts & columns, providing them a detailed guide to how to integrate this category into their practice.
The experienced Kitchen Designer will find new sources of income through the knowledge they learn enrolling in PILLAR courses.
ICON COURSES
ICON courses offer quick learns for Kitchen Designers at every level.
They cover a variety of topics that the designer can learn and implement immediately.
If you are working with a client that loves to bake, “Kitchen Design: Solutions for Bakers” is the ideal course for you.
With many homeowners living in condos or apartments, “Big Ideas for Small Kitchens” would show you how to stretch the usable space in your client’s kitchen.
ICON courses are the perfect way to sneak some learnings into your day over a lunch hour or coffee break.
The goal of VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN is to bring relevant training to the Kitchen Design community at an affordable price that can be easily fit into the designer or the design firms schedule.
To receive all of our updates, free offers and new course offerings please subscribe to our email list.
I look forward to having you join me on your Kitchen Design journey!
If you have any questions regarding training, please comment below and I will respond.
Jan Rutgers is a Professional Kitchen Designer with more than 25 years experience. During her career she has designed over 1000 kitchens learning valuable skills with each one! She is the founder of VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN where she educates and mentors people passionate about the Kitchen Design Industry.
