The business of good design

When Tom Mark Henry landed its first hospitality projects more than a decade ago, the studio was not following a carefully considered commercial strategy. Restaurants simply happened to be the opportunities that came through the door.

"Our first ever projects were in the hospitality sector," says director Jade Nottage. "At our core, we were a commercial design business first."

Those early commissions arrived through family connections and referrals, but it did not take long for the work to attract wider attention. A seafood restaurant in Bondi earned award nominations and opened the door to larger opportunities, establishing a trajectory that would eventually see the practice expand into hospitality, workplace, retail, education and multi-residential design.

Today, Tom Mark Henry operates from studios in Sydney and Brisbane and works across an unusually diverse range of sectors. Yet despite the variety of projects, the studio approaches each one through the same lens: understanding what success looks like for the client before considering what the space should look like.

"I think that as a company, we don't have a clear design language that we bring to every project," says Nottage. "Our ethos is that we are brief-driven."

For the practice, this is as much a commercial strategy as a creative one. Rather than applying a recognisable aesthetic across projects, the team begins by understanding the business objectives behind them. Who is the customer? What is the market position? How will people interact with the space? What does commercial success actually look like?

In hospitality, the process often begins with a concept that needs translating into a physical environment. Sometimes that concept is little more than an idea. Other times it arrives as a detailed framework.

"Sometimes the client will just say to us, 'I've been wanting to do an Italian restaurant and I want it to feel really authentic and traditional,'" Nottage explains. "Other times they've already worked with a food and beverage consultant and there's a whole framework for the concept."

Regardless of where the concept begins, the studio's role remains the same: extending that vision into an experience that resonates with customers and supports the commercial goals of the venue.

The challenge becomes even more nuanced in multi-residential design, one of the practice's fastest-growing sectors.

"We've really had some traction up here in Brisbane for multi-res," says Nottage. "We're doing three projects on the Gold Coast, and it's become a really big part of our business."

Unlike private residential projects, where designers work closely with the future occupants, multi-residential developments require a different kind of thinking. Designers are often creating homes for people they will never meet.

"We're not designing for an end user," Nottage says. "We don't know who's buying the apartment. We might understand who they're targeting, but we don't actually know who's going to buy it."

As a result, research plays a central role in the design process. Developers typically arrive with detailed demographic information that helps establish who the project is targeting. From there, the team builds a design response around lifestyle, behaviour and market expectations.

On one current Gold Coast development aimed at retirees, that research has informed everything from apartment layouts to the selection of fixtures and fittings. Accessibility considerations influence decisions that might otherwise be viewed purely through an aesthetic lens.

The research process highlights a reality that is sometimes overlooked outside the commercial sector: design decisions are rarely made in isolation. Every choice exists within a broader framework of feasibility, budgets and market demand.

"The numbers have got to stack up," Nottage says. "There is no wiggle room like there is in residential."

For developers, the challenge is creating a product that appeals to buyers while remaining financially viable. For designers, it is identifying where investment will create the greatest value.

That might mean focusing on amenity spaces that strengthen a project's market appeal, selecting materials that deliver longevity without exceeding budgets, or developing interior schemes that broaden buyer appeal.

Tom Mark Henry frequently creates multiple palette options during the design process, allowing developers to assess different directions before committing to a final scheme. While the traditional light-versus-dark apartment offering has become less common, alternative palettes can still play an important role in market positioning.

"It's nice if there's some crossover between them such as having the same flooring," says Nottage. "It makes it much more economical for the developer, less confusing for people buying them and easier for the builder."

Throughout the process, the studio remains focused on creating spaces that feel desirable without becoming overly specific or polarising.

"Our job is to create a home, create a warmth, and hope it resonates with as many people as we can have it resonate with," Nottage says.

That balance between individuality and broad appeal extends beyond multi-residential projects. Whether designing a restaurant, workplace or education facility, the objective is not to create a portfolio piece but to deliver an outcome that genuinely serves its purpose.

"We listen to the client, advocate for the client and make sure they have a successful venue that really is what they wanted," says Nottage. "Not a portfolio piece for us."

It is a philosophy that has become increasingly important as the practice continues to grow. Current projects span hospitality venues across Sydney and Wollongong, several Gold Coast developments and an early learning centre for Ormiston College.

Across every project type, the studio understands good design and good business are not competing priorities. The most successful projects are those where the two work together, because in commercial design, a beautiful space is only part of the equation. Success is measured by how effectively it performs for the people who use it and the businesses that invest in it.