Sounds Like Design

Sounds Like Design Sounds Like Design is a business development and marketing consultancy for architects.

Is there hidden treasure in your Dropbox?I talk to a lot of architects who've had their projects photographed, but they ...
26/05/2026

Is there hidden treasure in your Dropbox?

I talk to a lot of architects who've had their projects photographed, but they think they aren't suitable for publication...

And I usually have a different slant on that, especially if you have a new and different story to tell about architecture...

Why should you dig out those photos and get your work published?

Publishing is a great way to get your work seen by thousands - maybe even millions - of people.

And the more people who see your work, the more future clients you'll reach.

It's even possible to use publishing to generate tangible results in your new client pipeline.

Results like:

> more enquiries,
> more leads, and
> more new clients.

I've been writing stories about architecture for 25 years - and helping architects to get their work published for 10 years - so I know how to tell stories that connect with your future clients.

I'm running an interactive CPD workshop for architects this Friday, to share this insider knowledge.

I ran this training last year - and the feedback was excellent - and it's expanded and updated for 2026, so it's even more useful...

You can enrol now via the link in bio, and come to the live session on Fri 29 May at 1pm Eastern standard time.

And feel free to DM me if you have questions - I'm happy to help.





When you’re running an architecture firm, you can’t be successful without some form of Business Development and Marketin...
21/05/2026

When you’re running an architecture firm, you can’t be successful without some form of Business Development and Marketing.

Every time you write, post, pitch, publish, enter awards, and present your work, you’re doing Business Development and Marketing.

You can either do it intentionally, or you can piece it together on the fly.

When you apply intention and consistency for the first time, the results might shock you.

More enquiries.
More referrals.
More leads.
More requests for fee proposals or EOIs.
More aligned clients.
More and better projects.
More attention.
More publicity.
More word-of-mouth.
More money (fees and salaries).
More creative freedom.
More discernment and choice.
More client satisfaction.
More joy, delight and purpose.

When you get intentional about how you position your architecture work, firm and unique approach, everything changes.

If you’re ready to stop settling for bad marketing, get in touch.

I have services - from quick CPD workshops to a longer course to a 1:1 consulting package - to help you get really good at it.

And not just so you can get good at business development and marketing, but so you can get good at architecture.

Because more and better clients and projects = more and better architecture.

You create the future for your clients.

Are you ready to design your own?

DM me and let’s chat...





You may not know this about me... .. but writing stories about architecture is one of my favourite things to do.I relish...
18/05/2026

You may not know this about me...
.. but writing stories about architecture is one of my favourite things to do.

I relish every chance I get to talk about architecture projects with architects, and then take all of that complexity and turn it into a story.

I'm trying to craft a narrative that is both interesting to read and easy to understand, especially for non-architects.

And - despite years of practice - it's still challenging and fun to distil different perspectives and competing problems into a short and legible article.

Years of architectural thinking and collaborative work get reduced to about 800 words, or even less in some cases.

It's a bit like trying to wrangle all of the constraints in any given architecture project into an elegant design solution, albeit on a much smaller scale.

This particular story was especially challenging, because the word count was just 350 words. (Although, admittedly, I stretched it out to about 400 words!)

It's actually harder to write a short story than a long one, as the famous quote from Mark Twain attests.

So I was so glad to receive this positive feedback from Andrew Boyne, after the story was published.

I'd spent several hours discussing the house with him and the clients onsite.

And then it took me many more hours - over several days - to whittle down everything we'd discussed into three succinct ideas.

The story also benefitted from some excellent editing from , which I'm grateful for as well.

So thanks Andrew for sending me your feedback (and for permission to share it).

And if you'd like to learn how to tell great stories, come along to my next CPD training, "Get Published for architects".

I'll be sharing my best tips, because I want all architects to amplify their stories about the joy and wonder of good design.

You can find the workshop details in my bio.

And I'll share the link for this article in my Stories (and the "Get Published" highlight), in case you'd like to read it.

Feel free to let me know what you think?





S M A L L, A N D B I G E N O U G H This new home at Witchcliffe - south of Margaret River - has a really interesting...
16/05/2026

S M A L L, A N D B I G E N O U G H

This new home at Witchcliffe - south of Margaret River - has a really interesting back story.

I wrote about it for Sanctuary magazine, and was intrigued to discover how the clients did their research before moving "Down South".

> Firstly, they found a free architect-designed plan - from the government's Your Home website - that suited their needs.

> Then they engaged local designers - Michael and Susan from .au - to help them adapt that plan for their rural site, and work with local builders and trades and bring it to life.

This is a really great story about how good design is accessible and affordable, and how Michael and Susan adapted their standard processes to achieve a great outcome for their clients.

Michael said:

“I love the fact that they’ve built a
smaller house and highlighted what’s
really important to them, so it feels so very
much like them. I love that
together we proved that you can take an
existing design and really personalise it.”

Let me know if you'd like a PDF of this article, and I can send it to you.

And if you want to tell an interesting and intriguing story about one of your projects, I'm sharing my best journo tips in an CPD workshop later this month.

You can find all the details in my bio.

Design: .au
Photography:
Feature article: 74

Institute Members have shared their views about what needs to change when it comes to architecture advocacy.They want le...
15/05/2026

Institute Members have shared their views about what needs to change when it comes to architecture advocacy.

They want less focus on "glossy", high-end and iconic buildings

And more examples of ALL THE WAYS that architects contribute to a better world.

This is great news!

And it means that architects need to find better ways to tell NEW and DIFFERENT stories about:

> what architecture is,
> who architecture is for,
> how regular people can access good design services, and
> why EVERYONE deserves to enjoy well-designed spaces and places.

As an architecture journalist, this has been my mission for 25 years!

So I'm excited to be sharing insider knowledge of publishing and the media with architects, in my next CPD workshop.

Get Published for architects is happening on Fri 29 May via Zoom.

So if you're keen to find out how to get your work seen by thousands - to attract more of the clients you love working with...

And you also want to reframe tired and outdated narratives around architecture, to make it more accessible to more people...

I hope you'll join me.

Enrolments are open now.

DM me the words "PublishCPD" and I'll send you the link to sign up.

And if you have questions - DM me, or ask them in the comments. I'm happy to help.












There is a major communications chasm between many architects and their future clients.And this chasm can often be expla...
13/05/2026

There is a major communications chasm between many architects and their future clients.

And this chasm can often be explained by the Dunning-Kruger effect.

If you're not familiar with that term, Dunning-Kruger describes a cognitive bias whereby non-experts often overestimate their skills and knowledge, and experts tend to downplay their knowledge and skills.*

This article from the ARBV unpacks how it impacts client-architect relationships.

And once you understand that, you can start to bridge the gap.

So how do you build that bridge?

It's probably a bit complex for an Instagram post!

But I provided more details in today's newsletter - so if you're not yet on the list...

- and you'd like to read it -

just DM me your email address, and I'll forward it to you.

And if you want to subscribe to receive future issues, DM me the word "Newsletter" to sign up.





How can we turn the tables?How can we make architecture more accessible to more people?Architects face a lot of uphill b...
07/05/2026

How can we turn the tables?

How can we make architecture more accessible to more people?

Architects face a lot of uphill battles.

One of the most significant is the commonly-held belief that architecture is only for a privileged few.

But it's just not true.

Architecture is for everybody.

And it's becoming increasingly apparent that access to good design is an equity issue...

Plenty of architects are doing impactful and meaningful work for people who aren't well off, or privileged, or what we might think of as "typical" architecture clients.

But these stories are rare in the media.

So it's time to reframe the dominant narrative.

If you're keen to create and share new and different stories about architecture, come to my next CPD workshop.

Get Published for architects is an interactive session that I'm running at the end of May.

Attendees can send me their project photos and some brief text ahead of the live session, and I'll help to draw out the key story - or the "hook" - for your pitch to editors.

Make sure you're on my newsletter list for the workshop details - DM me the word "Newsletter" to sign up....

And if you have questions, get in touch... I'm happy to help.





I loved writing an article for HOUSES about this Camphor Sidings house by Andrew Boyne, of .I visited Andrew and his cli...
05/05/2026

I loved writing an article for HOUSES about this Camphor Sidings house by Andrew Boyne, of .

I visited Andrew and his clients Greg and Mel in Shenton Park, and I was surprised by what I found there.

Even though I'd visited Andrew's own house - Celilo Springs - and seen the photos of this one, they didn't prepare me for what it actually felt like to be inside.

> The bedrooms at the front feel traditional and modern at the same time.

> And the soaring space at the back is one of the three unexpected design moves Andrew used to deliver contemporary comfort and amenity in a traditional exterior.

You can read more about this project on the website.

Or feel free to DM me if you need the link...

(Also, I'm running an interactive CPD workshop on getting your work published soon, so Follow me if you're not already, to get the details when I share them...)

Architecture by:
Photography by:

Are you crystal clear on how to define and describe your secret sauce?Or does it feel hard to pin down?Or maybe you resi...
04/05/2026

Are you crystal clear on how to define and describe your secret sauce?

Or does it feel hard to pin down?

Or maybe you resist “specialising”, because you want to do everything?

To be fair, it can be hard to get clarity around your own secret sauce.

Often you’re too close to your own systems and processes to see how they amazing they are.

And you might not have enough knowledge of other firms, to appreciate just how special, different and appealing your unique approach is.

Luckily, I’m a secret sauce spotter.

And I specialise in helping architects to get this clarity.

Because when you can easily explain what makes your services unique, you can win more of the clients and projects you really want…

Want to test my secret sauce spotting skills?

Take my Quiz and I’ll send you a link for a free 30-minute call.

We can chat and I’ll share my initial impressions.

You might be surprised about what we uncover…

DM me the word Quiz to get started.





Is your new client pipeline flowing well?Do you have a steady stream of good enquiries and leads, and a tap you can turn...
30/04/2026

Is your new client pipeline flowing well?

Do you have a steady stream of good enquiries and leads, and a tap you can turn off and on?

Or maybe it’s leaky, or blocked!

Architects can take inspiration from the amazing fountains in Rome…

Because those ancient Romans really knew how to control the flow of springwater, to where it was needed!

There are fountains and taps all over the ancient city, fed by 2000-year old acqueducts, viaducts and pipelines.

So they provide a great analogy for architecture’s new client pipelines.

I’ve unpacked the similarities in my latest blog post, called:

“Does architecture have a pipeline problem (or three pipeline problems?)”

You can read it now, here

https://www.soundslikedesign.com.au/blog/what-are-architectures-pipeline-problems

and I’d love to hear your thoughts…

Does this fountain analogy work for you, when you think about your new client pipeline?

Image 1: Trevi Fountain by Gabriella Clare Marino via Unsplash.

Images 2-4: photos taken by me when we stayed in Via Margutta, where the 1920s Fontana degli Artisti (Fountain of the Artists) is located.





Your architecture firm does great work.Your past and current clients love you.But you're not attracting enough leads, or...
28/04/2026

Your architecture firm does great work.

Your past and current clients love you.

But you're not attracting enough leads, or the right types of prospective clients.

And you don't know where the problem lies?

That's where I can help.

Did you know that I offer Architecture Marketing Scorecards?

It's a private review of your entire digital footprint - website, social media profiles, awards, published articles - the lot...
.. and 5 competitors' websites, as well.

That way, you can see what's working, and what needs tweaking.

And once you know what to do, and what order to do it in, you can make the changes and reap the rewards.

Ready to get started?

DM me the word "Scorecard" and I'll send you the link to purchase.

Once I have your payment and intake form, I'll deliver your video and Scorecard in 3 business days.





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