[primoupnorth]

Any good video tutorials or write-ups on:
1) design basics?
2) ideas on how to walk the customer through so many options?
3) software (20-20) tutorials?

I got thrown into a position I wasn't quite prepared for. My background is in sales and marketing with some of that being in remodeling.

 

[Rio]

Depends on your focus but a good design book is Home By Design by Sarah Susanka. All of her books are good.

 

[duburban]

Do you see yourself in this situation again? Find a good designer/ young architect. You and the customer can be given pro grade drAwings and construction documents while getting a project somebody has been trained to design.

If its just you for the duration you'll need to learn sketchup. You can very quickly get an idea of general massing and then go into some details without pulling your hair out.

Always start with the site. Sun path, access, views etc...

 

[primoupnorth]

Do you see yourself in this situation again? Find a good designer/ young architect. You and the customer can be given pro grade drAwings and construction documents while getting a project somebody has been trained to design.

If its just you for the duration you'll need to learn sketchup. You can very quickly get an idea of general massing and then go into some details without pulling your hair out.

Always start with the site. Sun path, access, views etc...

Where I said I was thrown into a position I meant I was given a new permanent job. I threw together a kitchen on 20-20 today for practice using materials the company I work for carries and feel pretty good about that.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I've got two weeks before I take over this location and I need a quick and dirty crash course for dummies. The guy I'm taking over for was a carpenter that was thrown into it himself several years ago and while he is not much of a designer he knows how to build stuff. There will be a couple designers at the main store if I need support.

 

[OKMrazor]

Sounds like you're looking at the kitchen-specific side of design.

I made you're same jump (carpenter to designer) a few years ago and it has worked out great. I read lots of books and they didn't help much, except in the general aesthetic department.

Without a doubt the best book for learning the little intricacies you'll want to know is Kelly's Kitchen Sync by Kelly Morisseau (sp?). It is the only book I've read about kitchens that breaks the boundaries between aesthetics and practical job-specific detailing - how, why, and what troubles to avoid so the cabinetry on-paper works and can be installed as it is intended.

It came out after I made my job change and when I read it I read it my first thought was how helpful this would have been back then. Pretty much every page has lots of useful info.

No single book will get you where you're heading without your own trial and error, but KKS would be the first book I handed to a new kitchen designer.

 

[Live_oak]

Yeah, that's a great book for learning. I also like Don Silver's book.http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Kitchen-Design-Cooking/dp/0932767095 If a kitchen doesn't work well for it's primary use, then it doesn't work. Even in this day and age of dueling microwaves for meal preparation, looking at the whole as distinct zones is very helpful.

Also, nothing beats having a mentor in the field to help you. If you don't have that on the job, you've got a hard road ahead. 20/20 isn't that friendly, and it crashes. They do have training courses in it available, and I would insist on having your employer pay for one of them. Also, talk to your cabinet company reps. Many of them are former designers and can give you plenty of tips and tricks once you've got a working knowledge of how to lay out a floor plan.

Join the NKBA. If your employer is a member, it's only $50. If you have to join as a sole member, it's worth it for the contacts. Attend meetings and network. Use the streaming training they have on site. They have lots of courses that you can pay for that will help you. Study the NKBA guidelines and memorize them. Buy the books and bore yourself to sleep every night reading a couple of chapters.

Read online forums in your "spare" time until your eyes bleed. The best kitchen forum on the web is at GardenWeb. It's consumer based, so you'll learn a lot about what your customer expect from you. But, for someone who needs a quick course in kitchen design, it will really help you if you can soak it up.

Don't be afraid to learn from your mistakes! We all did, and still do, if we're honest. There's always something new to know, either because of something we've missed in our education over the years, or because a cabinet line is trying something new. If you aren't someone who's excited about having the opportunity to always reach to more and more, then you've entered the wrong field!