A chief of staff for an ultra-high-net-worth principal was handed a 25-page PDF filled with technical furniture specs, swatches, and dense product descriptions. They were also asked to secure four more hours of the principal’s time to make decisions. It was overwhelming, inefficient, and guaranteed to create friction.
The request wasn't just time-consuming. It was misaligned with how the principal preferred to engage. It created decision fatigue and unnecessary complexity, and it risked slowing down the entire renovation process.
The request wasn't just
time-consuming,
it created decision fatigue and unnecessary complexity.
At the core, the firm didn’t need approvals. They needed preferences. So we asked a better question: What’s the easiest way for the principal to express those preferences clearly and quickly?
We replaced the static PDF with an elegant, interactive digital survey. It was designed to feel like a game, not a task. Accessible by phone, the experience guided the principal through visual choices, capturing design instincts without requiring long meetings or focused reading.
What once took hours to decode now took three minutes to complete.
The principal loved the experience and immediately asked that this become the standard for future decisions. The chief of staff not only completed the task, but also gained lasting insight into the principal’s design preferences—style, palette, and aesthetic. Within months, the same tool was being used for additional decisions, streamlining communication and preserving valuable time and energy.
In high-trust, high-pressure environments, clarity is everything. This project proved that a well-designed digital experience can replace noise with precision and help estate teams operate at the level their principals expect.