C&I Interior Design is applauded by the SGS x ADC Interior Design Service Excellence Certificate this year. Here Chief Designer Ivan Ho shares what receiving the Certificate means for his company and how it can help consumers identify qualified practices.
It was a rigid evaluation process that Ivan Ho puts his firm through. C&I Interior Design is one of the seven companies garnering the SGS x ADC Interior Design Service Excellence Certificate this year and Ho was sure they wanted the distinction, since the scheme can assist consumers in vetting credible design firms.
“When clients reach out to designers after buying a property, they often have no understanding about the company and given that there’re many companies out there, the right specialist is hard to come by,” he says. “After all, not too many studios have gone through a formal assessment and you have to meet a whole range of requirements to get the Certificate.”
Commenting on the strength of the Certification, Ho says, “The evaluation is provided by a third party, by people outside our company. It’s not just a self-endorsement but a comprehensive assessment by a credible, international certification body that is SGS.”
“In an industry where there’s a lot of competition, it’s important to me that I do everything to stand out. I’m sure it can give our clients extra confidence in what we do, that we’re qualified to do the job,” he adds.
C&I Interior Design, which recently celebrates its 12th anniversary, specialises in bespoke commercial and residential projects and sets out to tell stories through design. Right now, the studio is focusing on “commissions that are good value for money for clients.”
Looking back at the business growth over the years, Ho says one thing that helps them stand out is the service. “Everyone at our company is passionate about design, we put our hearts into what we do and put ourselves in our customers’ shoes.”
“We develop a design that meets a client’s brief – within their brief – and see it realised. It’s not just about drawing sketches and thinking about fittings and materials, but managing costs and recommending the right people to carry out the work.”
Ho is looking to break into the mainland China market in the coming year and is confident that the Certificate will allow them to gain trust and confidence from prospective clients. “The whole application procedure is beneficial because SGS’s local expertise gave us plenty of constructive feedback. This type of recognition will continue to drive us in doing our absolute best.”