We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allyson West. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allyson below.

Allyson, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.

Hi there, and thanks for having me!
I completely fell into doing what I do, completely organic and with zero expectations of ANY of this turning into a full-time business. At the time (about 13 years ago), I was the Visual Manager for a department store and was asked if I wanted to freelance at Northtown Mall. I really had no idea what to expect and was quite nervous about starting. I’m an introvert by nature and meeting new contacts is something I’m always working on improving. My contact at the mall was lovely and walked me through everything. I attempted to not be awkward and the rest is (almost) history.

Are you familiar with the carts at malls? That was my starting point. FUN FACT: Their official name is RMU, or Retail Merchandising Unit. If they aren’t rented to a tenant, they are used as advertising/promotional displays for existing tenants.

After gaining experience with smaller projects, I was given larger opportunities, including window displays, working with stores within the mall to help them with store setup and merchandising. Anytime a client asks “Is this something you can do?”, my answer is always YES. I love a challenge and I love learning something new. Doing what I do, creating and improving a space gives me such an incredible high. I’ve often wondered how other creatives experience this, but for me it’s so satisfying and I just…well I love it.

By this time, Rosedale Center had noticed my work at Northtown Mall and asked for my contact information. Soon, I started working with Rosedale Center as well. After collaborating with Rosedale, Eden Prairie Center reached out and I began freelancing with them. I loved the variety of projects, the challenges, the collaboration with mall staff. I truly enjoy working with small business owners, elevating their spaces to attract more customers. This is ALWAYS my goal. Anything I do for store owners or commercial spaces is to create more success for that owner.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We love solving problems for our clients. Our mission is to provide relief to business owners that are unsure of how to elevate their spaces. Let’s break that down and talk about what that truly means, because honestly that was a whole lot of buzz words (give it 110%, dig deep, touchbase and circle back.) For a retailer, they might not know how to organize their merchandise, what fixtures they need, what mannequins are the best and what the point of purchase space might need in order to function well. For an office, how does the traffic flow, where are the sight lines? What information, as a guest, do I need once I walk in? Perhaps a client needs a window display, something that attracts people walking by and gets them into your store. We figure out what is needed at each space and then bring it to life.

West Design will tackle any commercial space be it, retail, malls, conference rooms, offices or waiting rooms. We love bringing this with a personal touch. Something that feels like YOU. Something that beckons your clients and encourages them to spend at your establishment, or feel comfortable being in your place of business. It’s truly all about the feeling you get when you enter that space, isn’t it? Do you feel good, does it make you feel inspired? Does it make you laugh? Is it visually beautiful? Does it smell good? Is it comfortable? These are all questions we ask ourselves and our client before beginning a project.

And how does the client want to be represented? What is the essence of their brand? What is the end use of what they are selling? Is it fun? Urban? Rock and roll? Boho? Artistic? Irreverent? Formal? Classic? This is the journey we go on when we start the process. It is so incredibly important to understand what each client wants, as well as how THEIR client will perceive it. What does their client need to feel good about being in their establishment?

We love providing inspired design work, keeping in close contact with our clients every step of the way. It’s cliche at this point, isn’t it? But I live it, I breathe it every day. I feel the most success when clients feel absolutely wonderful about their decision to work with us. It’s critical to have that trust between client and contractor.

Did you know we provide most of the installation, as well? Once we complete renderings, we submit an estimate to provide the work. We are a one stop shop and clients love this. They do not need to chase down contractors for estimates. One of our taglines is “From concept to completion” and we are with our clients every step of the way.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I wish I could tell you I have a super special secret sauce, but it’s really been about feeling my way through. My core values (and although it’s going to sound corny as hell, it’s true) are honesty, connection, communication, and treating people with respect (both clients and employees). It’s critical to treat people as people, not a number, and taking care of my clients is something I feel very deeply. Not only will we bring you this fabulous design and installation experience, but we communicate, we collaborate, and we cheer on our clients.

The connection doesn’t end after work is complete. I love following up with clients after we complete a project to hear about the positive effects on their lives and business. We recently completed work for a food hall concept and he shared that his business is up 25%. This…THIS is what I live for, knowing the work we provide makes a difference in people’s lives.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I can’t speak for all creative people, but I can certainly share that I get bogged down by endless brainstorms (because I love ideas), perfectionist tendencies (because I care about quality), and endless distractions, (because it’s hard to turn my brain off).

With the sheer amount of content out there, it can feel like everything has already been done. Been there, done that, seen it before. It takes a lot to impress people. Our goal is to provide a wow factor, but it can be challenging depending on the budget, the constraints of the space and if we are on a tight timeline. However, we always strive for that, regardless of the obstacles.

The simplest things are what help me the most with staying creative. Practice, practice and more practice. It’s something that needs to be done often, staying in the flow, in the mindset. Conversely, it’s just as important to carve out down time. If I am spending a lot of time in the concept and creation zone, I need a good amount of time for my brain to rest. It’s non-negotiable. Some days creativity flows effortlessly, other days I try to get out of my car with the seatbelt still on.

Collaboration is critical. When I started this career path, I was on my own. As projects became more involved, it was more and more challenging to stay the course, especially once estimates, invoicing and taxes became involved. All of those tasks are the opposite of creative (creative people, you know what I mean.) But now,  I love the collaboration I have with my team, bouncing ideas off of each other, sharing the workload, creating incredible things with incredible people. (And as always, digging deep and giving it 110%.)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.westdesign.agency/
• Instagram: @_west_design
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellowestdesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/westdesignagency/

Image Credits
Allyson West Marie McKowen