I’m loving the people photos on architects’ websites these days – and by that I mean both the team photos and the photos of each person in turn. Almost gone are the posed shots with everyone at exactly the same angle and with exactly the same serious expression.
You get a real sense of the people – and often the dogs – behind the practice.* You feel as if you know them, their style, and what they’re about. So well done to them, and well done to their photographers.
And isn’t it lovely when the practice profile and bios are as honest and as interesting as the photos? Sometimes, though, it’s not like that. It’s the equivalent of a team photo where everyone’s wearing suits.**
So wouldn’t it be great if the words always matched the photos? Because if there’s nothing unprofessional about a photo where you look as if you’re comfortable in your skin and your clothes, there’s nothing unprofessional about a bio that sounds as if it’s written by a human.
*The team photo above – of George & James, with Archi the dog – is, I think, a fine example.
**If you really are all wearing suits and ties in your photos, then that’s fine. Please do start your practice profile with the words ‘Established in 1979’. That’s obviously who you are, and there’s nothing wrong with that.