By Mary Ann Plumlee

Designers would be surprised to walk into my workroom and find a group of us huddled around a magnifying glass and a work order. But that is exactly what happens on a regular basis. I know that the little drawing has been hastily scrawled on paper. I know that the designer probably is trying to convey a general idea. However, as a workroom, all we have to go on is what we see. Little jogs take on meaning as we try to produce the exact drawing as we see it. Meanwhile, the designer may be baffled that we wouldn’t just see the general idea and move forward from there.

The number one cause of mistakes and reworks is misinterpretation of work orders. Writing work orders varies from person to person, which means it takes a while to develop a relationship between the workroom and designer that allows for understanding. As we take on new designers, we know there is a learning curve that will take time to work through.

A recent new wholesale client for my workroom is an excellent case in point. A veteran of 20 years experience was finding that the information on her work orders was not connecting with my employees. There was too much information, and the information was not what we needed. The drawing of the entire wall, which included every possible measurement, just brought more numbers to the equation and the opportunity for picking up the wrong numbers. Her notes were valuable information to her for reasons other than decorating the windows, but to the workroom, the extra information is superfluous.

Workrooms need pared down information and clear pictures, whether that is drawings or photos. When working with photos, such as those seen in magazines, workrooms need to know exactly what it is about the photo that needs to be copied in the finished treatment. I often ask, “Now what is it about this photo that you like?” Sometimes the answer is surprising. Sometimes there is only one aspect of the image that is to be copied. When trying to copy a treatment from a photo, workrooms pull out the magnifying glass and try to copy every small detail. That may or may not be necessary based on what the designer is trying to achieve.

The absolute optimum work order should include a “before” photo of the window to be dressed. A photo tells the workroom at a glance if there are any special considerations. For example, a treatment mounted between two cabinets may need measurement confirmations. With the technology of digital cameras and email, this level of communication can easily be achieved. The treatment, either well drawn, or super imposed by software on the photo of the window, tells the entire story at a glance. We find that even with efforts to standardize names of treatments it is hard to trust communications without pictures. Designers have a lot on their plates, often dealing with all aspects of a complete project. Having to know the names of the styles of draperies and top treatments in order to communicate is a recipe for miscommunication. It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in our industry, a picture is worth more than words. It is worth dollars as well.

Comments from Debbie,

I totally agree with Mary Ann, communication between a designer and workroom is essential. From first hand experience I know what type of information is truly beneficial. Now that I subcontract all my window and bed treatments to workrooms, I send them three things; an actual photograph of the windows, a written work order with a fabric swatch(s) and a Studio rendering with dimensions pertinent to fabrication. Of course, I make sure I have a copy of everything I send the workroom. Like Mary Ann says, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

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