Motif, a small, agile architectural firm founded by husband-and-wife duo Casey and Rachel Johnson, has built a practice centered on efficiency and lean operations. With a background in mega projects at firms like Corgan, Jacobs, and Stantec, the couple decided to strike out on their own, forming a micro practice that is entirely virtual and highly adaptable.
When Motif was presented with an opportunity to develop a mixed-use program for the Logan Street project in Michigan, they needed to quickly assess the feasibility of the site and generate high-quality visuals.
Delivering a Winning Site & Programming Study in 3 Weeks
Motif operates as a micro-scale firm with contract-based staffing, allowing them to maintain minimal overhead. However, this approach resulted in a shortage of time and resources to get studies turned around quickly. When their developer client tasked them with delivering a rapid site study, Motif found itself competing against larger firms with dedicated planning teams.
Traditionally, such a project would involve:
- A programming phase with multiple planners
- Extensive site analysis, code, and zoning research
- Time-consuming back-and-forth with stakeholders
- Hundreds of non-billable hours—many of which might not be recoverable
Motif had only 3 weeks to deliver a compelling study, including the creation of a mass model and sketch rendering, an almost impossible timeline using conventional methods.
Traditionally, we would have gone through 120 to 160 hours easily with 3-4 team members, and still not gotten to this level. It would have been a lot of tracing paper and endless meetings just to get people in gear. But with TestFit, we got the feasibility study done in 3 weeks with just 2 people.
Zero Learning Curve with TestFit
After seeing TestFit’s capabilities on LinkedIn, Casey decided to give it a try. Motif onboarded to TestFit quickly, taking the feasibility study from concept to completion in just 3 weeks.
With TestFit’s intuitive interface and accessible learning resources, the team rapidly integrated the software into their workflow, bypassing the traditional slow learning curve with other complicated software. The speed of onboarding allowed Motif to shift their focus to real-time design work rather than learning a new software.
It's hard to charge a client time to learn something new when you're trying to get the work done. Big firms can absorb those costs, but for small firms like us, it's sink or swim. TestFit made it possible to compete.
Engaging Clients in Real-Time
One of the biggest advantages Motif experienced was the ability to engage clients in real time to win more trust and confidence. Instead of multiple meetings and back-and-forth revisions, the team was able to:
- Make instant adjustments – Clients could see different scenarios with financial data on-screen, leading to faster decision-making.
- Identify opportunities and constraints live – Instead of post-meeting follow-ups, key issues were resolved among all stakeholders on the spot.
- Win client trust through transparency – Clients witness firsthand how the feasibility study evolved, strengthening their confidence in Motif’s capabilities.
We literally brought our laptop to the client and were moving around TestFit live on the screen. They were shocked—seeing opportunities and constraints unfold in real-time.
Hitting Target Fee in Feasibility
Many architectural firms frequently conduct feasibility studies without charge, hoping to secure the project, or they invest too many billable hours and exhaust the fees early on. However, Motif successfully delivered a compelling study within the three-week deadline while maintaining their target project fee.
Without TestFit, Motif estimated they would have burned through twice their allotted project fee. Instead, the efficiency of the software allowed them to complete the study without exceeding their budgeted hours.
As firm owners, Casey and Rachel are always juggling 5-6 projects at once with no time to waste. Instead of sketching out ideas on paper, they were able to quickly test out different design options with TestFit’s rapid iteration capabilities. By completing the project efficiently, Motif preserved their profit margins without sacrificing quality.
We would've gone upside down on this project without TestFit. Instead, we hit our fee targets and delivered a product that exceeded client expectations.
Scaling Without Sacrificing Agility
Motif Architects is now exploring additional ways to integrate TestFit into their workflow, particularly in self-storage, flex buildings, and luxury garage condo projects. As smaller firms continue to take on more ambitious projects, generative design technology like TestFit offers a critical advantage, allowing them to compete with much larger firms without the overhead.
More people are starting their own firms. Tools like TestFit help us stay competitive, efficient, and profitable.
