Introducing the Cypriot startup Design Inspiration Group

Architectural teams grapple with an assortment of issues during the design phase of a project, from deciphering the elusive language of a client’s desires to effectively coordinating the conveyor belt of the construction infrastructure.

All too often, the first encounter between an architect and a client leads down a path to nowhere, burdening an already laborious process with needless stress. As we know, time is synonymous with money and defining the rules of engagement that will enable an architect to develop the initial design concept based on the client’s brief is crucial for the success of the whole process. Meanwhile, effectively conveying the design vision to usually disparate teams – engineers, electricians and the like – has proven to be a source of persistent headaches.

Spyridon Tzanetos, a 25-year-old entrepreneur hailing from a lineage anchored in the trade, as his family owns a construction business in Greece, contends that simple solutions can promptly address these issues. He is the co-founder of Design Inspiration Group, a startup designed to streamline the relationship between architects, clients and collaborators. The startup, comprising two founders, an architect, a strategy advisor, a marketing specialist and a design engineer (elements that tend to make for an excellent team), expects to release a beta version in both Cyprus and Greece by autumn 2023, with a list of potential clients already in hand.

“When we bring the platform to an architectural office, we are often asked the same question: ‘Why has nobody done this before?’ But I believe this is the right time for these tools. The architecture and construction business is one of the last industries to digitise, so it stands to reason that we need to take small steps for now,” Tzanetos says, adding that, “Design Inspiration Group is the first platform to digitise the architectural design process.”

The platform will enable a client to gather all their ideas and stylistic preferences, providing recommendations for the carbon footprint and cost of materials. Based on this brief, the architect can share 3D design models for the client to choose. According to Tzanetos, who is currently in the final stretch of his Master’s in Structural Analysis and Earthquake Engineering at the University of Cyprus, doing this groundwork via the platform is estimated to cut some 40% of the time needed to reach an agreement between client and architect on how to proceed with the project. Add to that some 200 integrations with communication tools like Zoom and Slag that can help reduce misunderstandings between architects and clients.

In the design phase, the platform offers the architect a project management tool to track critical information – budgets, timelines and draft designs – that the client and other collaborators will be privy to. “It basically connects the entire architectural design process,” he says. Going a step further, the platform will offer a simple yet effective monitoring tool to track and manage the project’s progress. Put together, these three core tools remove the most common causes of project failure from the equation – unrealistic deadlines, poor communication and a lack of accountability.

In the future, Design Inspiration Group plans to empower architects by automatically generating 3D floorplan models based on user preferences. While Tzanetos appears slightly apprehensive as he contemplates the delicate balance between a profession widely revered as an art form and the impending technological force that might strip away its very essence, generative design tools are intertwined within the startup’s mission. In his own words, “We want to simplify the architectural design phase while empowering architects to collaborate with their clients and other teams to create stunning designs.”

Founders: Spyridon Tzanetos (CEO), Nikolas Iordanou (CFO).

What is it?: A technology-driven platform providing advanced architectural design management solutions, facilitating architect-client collaboration and optimising the design process.

Stage: Pre-Seed.

What it aspires to do: To revolutionise the architectural industry by providing innovative design management solutions and empowering the creation of sustainable and visionary architectural projects.

Funds received: €60,000 from IDEACy.

Funds needed: €150,000.

This article first appeared in the July edition of GOLD magazine. Click here to view it.