It is important to brand yourself as “multi-faceted” but not to the extent of being a “Jack of all trades and a master of none.” When showcasing the various diverse areas you are proficient in, it is important to draw parallels between your basic s…

I'm smitten by the rainwater catchment and see-through fireplace.

Although these would not meet your retrofit criteria, I do have an idea for a product design which I could demo to you on an image of your house (using photoshop); back & sides please;-). BTW ~The Bank-On-Rain website and focus is for developing (I don’t like the term third world) countries, and the repurposed fish totes would not be acceptable to you or your neighbours..! FYI we are moving forward with two projects in Rwanda, including a girls school, which will collect & store rainwater for a dormitory, and be used for teaching the girls; anticipating they will bring the practical knowledge of rain collection & storage back to their villages. We need to create this same kind of viral dissemination in your neighborhood:-) Let’s continue this discussion.

Aliwan, thank you for a great comment, and for the addition of “Positioning” to my post. We have used Feng Shui concepts in our planning (and I know just enough to impress everyone!), and we consult with a Feng Shui Master or specialist when a client requires it. What is really interesting is so often Feng Shui dictates a design layout (positioning) I am already marketing to a client. Often I find the colors I select for a particular client & house are the ones the Feng Shui expert says are the most appropriate.

Designing for resale as such is not my choice usually; designing for added value is more my focus, though the latter can really increase the resale value. People can get so fixated on resale that they delete much of the enjoyment value they might have while they live in a house. Many times in the past when I used to help real estate agents by helping their clients do a quick fix prior to selling, they would say “if only I had done this before and had years of enjoyment from it, instead of fixing it up for someone else!” Sad but true. I would really enjoy collaborating with you again, either on a house or a start-up company!!

I would like to add a magic number seven(7) to the P list, P=“Positioning” . I consider this one of the most important marketing elements. In any project, whether a house, a new company or a product introduction, clear positioning before planning is crucial for success; clear global positioning can provide a realistic picture of who the target audience is and enable one to develop a thorough workable plan for deliverables. In the past 10 years many large multinational companies entered the Asia market, especially China and Japan without clear positioning and an understanding of the cultural differences in the market, causing failure and the loss of millions & millions of dollars.

From my personal experience, positioning a house in its location on the ground would seem to be equally or more important. Feng Shui is often the prime consideration for this, however with emphasis on energy savings there have to be a whole list of environmental considerations in how a house should be positioned. In colder areas you would want to be exposed to more sunlight, and in areas where you want to keep your house cool you would want to locate your house just the opposite.

You make reference to the “resale” word lurking in the background, so this makes me think that in a renovation the design and related implementation costs do require clear positioning based on the final price range and target audience (the next buyer) as well as all the planning you cover in your post. The challenge of finding a designer who can deliver design and investment value would be an extremely crucial part of any renovation or build from scratch plan. I have to admit that INCLINEDESIGN has done an outstanding job for me combining lifestyle enjoyment and investment success Thank you.

It is up to us to implement ideas like these and to invite our neighbors over to see how they, too, would realize value from them. We could wait and wait and wait forever for the politicians to plan rainwater catchments across the southwest (no doubt to compliment the raft of solar arrays), or we could look to ways to do it ourselves.

I really like this idea. I know we’re on a tangent, but I wonder if there isn’t more information on DIY catchment considerations on the BankOnRain site. If there isn’t, perhaps there could be? Not everyone wants a row of blue barrels and PVC cluttering their yard, so how might one who is (wait for it) inclined to design implement smaller scale systems which are neither expensive, nor ugly?

Make it look good. Make it easy. Make it valuable. Got viral?

Chris, I am really interested in continuing the dialog with you about “marketing minimalism,” or differently put, “marketing embracing minimalism,” either here or in another venue. I do this obviously with my residential design clients; I mentor Rainbank.info, a start up business I created for a fellow islander; I am involved with Bank-On-Rain at the lower end, designing grassroots water solutions for remote locations of the planet. It comes down to converting people to thinking “indoor plumbing” rather than ‘outhouse’ at the upper end, and thinking “a better life” in the third world scenario, where life has not changed much in hundreds, even thousands of years. Thanks for the dialog, I really appreciate it.

Karen, great to meet you on #brandchat today. You summarized in just about three lines, what it took me (I hate to admit it!) over 2000 words, to write. Excellent summary in every respect. Thanks for commenting on Inclined To Design, we are really pleased to have you as part of our community.

Darnoc, thanks for adding the “desire for success” ingredient into the Start-up scenario. When I see the flip side: “fear of failure” in anyone I mentor, I know that my chance of success of helping that particular entrepreneur is greatly reduced. And I might add; problems should be fun, defining them and then solving even more fun……add into that the “desire for success” and you are winning all the time. Thanks Alex, for your contribution.