Shut-up and listen! That's one of the many lessons I have learned while working with people the last few years. Just because I am supposed to be an "expert" in a certain area doesn't mean that the customer wants to continually hear my voice regurgitating kitchen information and jargon. Cetainly the customer has come to our place of business for expert advice, and maybe even our opinion on a particular challenge...but my job as a designer is to not only to answer their questions, but to carefully listen to what they really want. It's not my house that is up for discussion....it's their house. There will be certain aspects of many projects where the customer will be looking to me for a great solution. But my solution can be totally out in left field if I have not been paying close attention to the customers situation, their family size, dynamics, the household's traffic patterns, bungalow or 2-storey, pets or no pets, live-in parents, age of family members, health and mobility of family members, and also their likes and dislikes....and possibly even their hobbies, and also particular views from kitchen related windows (See Moira McCreadie's video on "sight lines"). Wow....I just now realized that's quite a long list. I think I had better stop....and listen.
Kevin Klassen