Revision F, or was it G?
The designer sent the client a concept plan, then a revised layout with the pergola moved, then a planting plan, then a revised planting plan after the client's partner decided they did not like grasses. Comments came back by email, a few by WhatsApp, and some in pen on a printout that was photographed. The client said yes to something in a text message.
Three weeks later the crew starts, working from the PDF in the job folder. The steps are in the old position. The client is upset, the crew is confused, and the designer is scrolling through messages trying to prove what was agreed.
Why the wrong drawing gets built
Design and build landscaping has more back and forth than most trades. Clients need to see ideas to react to them. The problem is not the revisions. It is that there is no single place where a drawing, its comments and its approval live together.
- Drawings are sent as attachments, so every version sits in several inboxes.
- Comments arrive in different channels and refer to things like the left bit.
- Approval is a text or a reply that does not say which revision it means.
- The build folder is updated by hand and sometimes missed.
- Planting plans and hard landscaping drawings are revised separately and drift apart.
What version confusion costs
Building the wrong version means rework, which on hard landscaping is expensive and slow. Even when the right thing gets built, the designer spends hours finding and reconciling comments. Clients lose confidence when they have to repeat themselves. And when there is a disagreement about what was agreed, a messy trail makes it hard to settle fairly for either side.
The design portal we build
- Each project has a portal the client logs into. The designer uploads drawings, whether from CAD, a design package or scanned hand drawings, and each upload becomes a numbered version.
- Clients comment directly on the drawing by dropping a pin, so every comment is tied to a place and a version.
- The designer replies and marks comments as dealt with in the next revision, so nothing is forgotten.
- When the client is happy, they approve a specific version with one click, and that approval is recorded with the date.
- Approved drawings are published to the build team's job view. Older versions are clearly marked as superseded.
- If a change is needed after approval, it goes through the same route and becomes a variation if it affects the price.
| Question | Answer in the portal |
|---|---|
| Which version is current? | Latest version, clearly numbered |
| What did the client ask for? | Pinned comments on each version |
| Were the comments dealt with? | Each marked resolved in a named revision |
| What was approved? | Recorded approval against a specific version |
| What should the crew build? | Only approved drawings appear in the job view |
What designers and crews notice
The designer stops being an archivist. Clients comment on the drawing, not about it, which makes their comments clearer. The crew leader opens the job and sees the approved set, and nothing else. If anyone asks what was agreed, the answer is one click away and not a matter of memory. That is fairer on the client too.
Is this your design process?
- Clients send comments through several channels.
- You have had to hunt for which drawing was approved.
- A crew has built from an out of date drawing.
- Planting and hard landscaping plans get out of step.
- Approval is usually a text message saying looks great.