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Simplifying Life Through Technology
SoundVision LLC is a lifestyle technology company located in Mooresville, North Carolina. We interview vendors, clients and staff with the purpose of demystifying the capabilties of new technologies for your home or business and sometimes highlighting local content that is important to our community.
Simplifying Life Through Technology
Design Engineer: Eric Bassingthwaite
On this episode of Simplifying Life Through Technology "Tech Talks,” Andrew sits down with our Design Engineer at SoundVision Eric Bassingthwaite.
We pull back the curtain on the critical yet often overlooked role of a design engineer in smart home projects. With nearly two decades of hands-on installation experience, Eric now plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between sales promises and real-world execution.
With nearly two decades of hands-on experience as an installer, Eric brings a unique, field perspective to the design process. He crafts meticulously detailed documentation, translating customer needs into precise technical layouts that simplify even the most complex projects. His dual documentation approach ensures that clients receive clear visual representations, while installers get the straightforward instructions they need to execute projects flawlessly.
Beyond design, Eric’s role is about quality control and problem prevention. By acting as a second set of eyes, he ensures that every system is not only functional but also future-proofed, considering secondary wiring needs and potential upgrades. His position has become an indispensable asset at SoundVision—a role he’s long advocated for in the industry.
Beyond the technology itself, we discuss how SoundVision prioritizes long-term relationships over one-time transactions. Whether clients start with just a few smart features or a whole-home system, our team ensure that every project is designed for future expansion and long-term satisfaction.
How does a dedicated design engineer impact the success of your smart home project? Tune in as Eric shares his expertise, insights, and why this role is essential for integration companies looking to elevate their process. Contact us today to start the conversation about how we can bring your vision to life - with documentation so clear and comprehensive that everyone involved understands exactly what to expect.
To learn more about SoundVision:
https://www.svavnc.com/
Check out our Instagram to see our recent projects:
https://www.instagram.com/soundvisionllc/
To listen to more “Simplifying Life Through Technology” podcasts:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7fIkJuLZ7lZ8xbafz62muQ
Contact Us Today: (704) 696-2792 Ext. 1 | Info@svavnc.com | soundvisionlkn.com
so joining me in the podcast studio. Today we have our design engineer, eric bassing weight hello, thanks for having me welcome, eric.
Speaker 2:I'm glad to have you in here that's ridiculous and it doesn't make any sense the man behind the soundboard. I try.
Speaker 1:So today's episode we're going to be focusing on your role as our design engineer at SoundVision and kind of what that means. So why don't you give us a little brief description on what exactly a design engineer means at SoundVision?
Speaker 2:So a design engineer is basically someone who takes the vision of the designers and turns it into a reality, basically turns it into all the paperwork, so the designers will sell it to the customer, get all the information and I will turn all that information into basically drawings, proposals and all that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you're part of the process from the beginning, from consultation to when it starts getting deployed, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, it depends on the specific customer, but we have what's called a design intake form, and so if I'm not available, then the designers will just fill out this form with all the information and basically they could just hand it to me and I could do the whole thing with very minimal questions. But if I am available, then I like to be in the meetings as well, so I can get the information firsthand, as opposed to trying to read someone's notes.
Speaker 1:Right, makes sense. Well, you actually didn't start as a design engineer here. You had a different role when you came on to SoundVision's team.
Speaker 2:Yes, honestly, when I first got here, I was hired as the installation manager because prior to that, I had been an installer for probably close to two decades and, to be quite honest, my management style didn't really work out Well really. I'm a I'm a little bit older, I'm a gen X, I'm a little, I'm a little harder. But the company realized that as well as myself. It was a mutual agreed that it really just wasn't the best fit for me. So I went back into the field, but the whole time I was sort of working behind the scenes to try to get this position to fruition, because it didn't exist yet and this, honestly, is a position I've been trying to get to in multiple companies, because not a lot of companies have this position and it's so vital and so important. So finally they got it together here, and so I've been the design engineer for just over a year now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's what's really great about sound vision is that, especially our leadership team it's really. They help try to find where people really can benefit in the company, where our strengths and I definitely think that this is a role that has been so beneficial to everyone in the company, especially the designers.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, and, like I said, it's something I've been trying to get going at multiple companies. The issue with our business is you get a lot of people wearing a lot of hats, and that's. You cannot focus on one thing if you're trying to do seven, and so this company is really good at having people do what they're supposed to do and not having not doing a lot of cross. You know whatever you want to call it. But yeah, the designers are there to sell and design Like they're there to make phone calls, emails, texts, like stay involved, where, once they get that proposal, they can hand that off. They don't need to, you know, as Mark likes to say, our owner dive into the minutia of the stuff they need to sell. I do the paperwork Right.
Speaker 1:Do all the help. The designing, yes. So how has your hands-on experience in the field help you as a design engineer?
Speaker 2:I think it's very important. I can tell you again, doing this lots of times, you get a lot of salespeople in this business who were never installers. So, yes, a salesperson can sell, but if you don't know how it all goes together, that creates problems. So one of the things here is both of our designers were in the field before, so they clearly have the knowledge. But it's also another set of eyes to look at and go, okay, no, that's not going to work, those are not the right parts, so we need to. Or here it's a simple thing Like we just we miss this thing. So you know, make sure we have the right parts. So that's what a design engineer is really there for again, to take this stuff off the designer's plate, but also to be a double check to make sure that we have the appropriate amount of power, the appropriate amount of network jacks, you know to make sure the stuff will actually work when put together.
Speaker 1:Exactly so it's.
Speaker 2:It's a checks and balance, and that's another good thing that sound vision does really well is just multiple people having their hands on it as a backup to make sure that you know everybody makes mistakes, for all humans, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's important, like you said, having that extra set of eyes, especially with someone with your experience, because, like you said, we all do make mistakes, but you know these products, you're familiar with these products, you've deployed these products Right Super helpful I can.
Speaker 2:I can sort of visualize what's happening in the field and I can see myself standing there going what kind of questions am I? What I have as a lead technician that I can fix prior to it, even getting there. Because kind of like the intake form, if I've given the installers the correct information, they should have no questions. So it's so much easier to do your job if you get your information. In my case it's the intake form for the installers, it's the scope of work. If they can look at that thing and do their job without having a question, then I've done my job Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think your role just goes along with one of our core values, which is process oriented, and I think that just really helps the process to make an efficient project.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So what have been some of the challenges you have faced transitioning to this role?
Speaker 2:There's been a couple honestly. One is that I am truly a field guy and so sitting at a desk is really a bit of a struggle. It's something that I've definitely I've grown into. It's something that's easier for me, but in the beginning it was really a struggle to sit behind a desk, you know for so many hours yeah.
Speaker 2:And you're like I just need to get away from this desk. But the good thing about this position is that I can go out and do job walks and stuff like that, so it's not a 100%. Every single day is behind a desk. There are times where you can sort of get away. The other thing that's been a little bit of a challenge is working with two designers. They don't like it the same way, and the other problem was that is I then like it a different way than the two of them. So the question is what way is it done? Is it done my way? Is it done their way? So it's been kind of this weird. I've been trying to okay, I know that Marshall likes it done this way, so that's the way I do it when I'm doing his proposals. I know Zach likes it done this way, so I'll do it that way. But then sometimes I get a little. I get a little mixed up and like then they'll come to me and be like oh, can you do it this way? And I'm like okay.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's right, it was you. Why are we doing?
Speaker 2:this three different ways, but then the problem is whose design wins. Neither one of them is wrong. It's the way they like it. So the problem is when someone else is doing something, but now I have to remember who likes it what way.
Speaker 1:And make sure it works for them. Yes, how do you see these, this role, evolving over time, because it is fairly new? Do you see more responsibilities, or just you think that it's just going to help, continue helping our project flow?
Speaker 2:There's always ways it can go, but right now it's um, honestly, don't see it evolving that much, cause right now. One thing we've already done to evolve it is lighting design. When I first started doing this, we were using one certain software to do the lighting design, which it wasn't really that good. So I found a new software to use. So our lighting design has not to pat myself on the back, but it's come leaps and bounds from what it was a year ago to what it is now. And even if you look at one of the first ones that I did with the new software to the ones that I do now, it's even grown leaps and bounds. So it's it's finding different softwares, finding different ways to present this information to the customer. Um, and that's one of the other great things is like I myself am a very visual person. So if you were to hand me a proposal with a bunch of part numbers and a bunch of prices, it's like I don't, I don't, that's what do you want me to do with that?
Speaker 2:I don't know what any of this stuff is. Great, it's on this paper, but I don't know what it does. So that's one of the great things that I do is I do something called a system survey so it shows you, you know, with within you know a little bit cause plans are always a little weird where that product is going to go, what it is, what it does like. We have different colors, we have different shapes, so it's like you know exactly what's there, what's supposed to be there. That's also great for the installers because it's a visual reference, as opposed if you're trying to pre-wire a house and you have a list of things you have to do, like you know where exactly does that go, right, right. So that and then lighting design is very. It shows you how many lights there are, what fixtures they are, you know where they run to, how many there are, how many key pads there are. You know we have lighting spreadsheets to give to the electrician, so they know how to wire it to our specs. So I think that's where it can evolve is always finding you know a different software or another way to make it more efficient, or to you know.
Speaker 2:Ultimately it's the end product for the customer. What are they looking at? Do they understand it? How much do we have to explain it? You know it's again, it's all that. Can I hand you something and do you understand it? That's the whole goal of what I'm trying to do is you should have minimal questions based upon the information that I give you.
Speaker 1:Right Cause. What you're creating ultimately is what you're going to present to the customers, to show it all laid out Once they've discussed everything, they've planned it with our designers, you're showing them. Here is everything we talked about. Is this what you're looking for? Yes, so you talked about even helping the technicians in the field. Do you feel that your role has helped them make it more of an efficient process when they go out there? Because you do create this like incredibly detailed, straightforward document for them?
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. It's definitely been a smoother transition for them, because one of the other things that you know I like to do is sometimes the way of times it's written very, you know, very customer facing, where it's like there's a lot. Ooh, it does. It has 15 Watts per chip, Like the big words yes, make it sound fancy the techs don't care about that and it doesn't matter to them.
Speaker 2:So what we've tried to do is sort of create it's like a. It's like a split scope. So half of the scope is customer facing, where it's all the jargon and everything and stuff to make you feel happy about your purchase. The other thing is the tech facing, where it's all you know. It's technical, it's plain and simple. This is how it's plugged in. They don't care about what's per channel, they don't care about any of that stuff. They just care where it goes, how it gets plugged in and also, to that same point, I'm not trying to tell the techs how to do their job. I'm just trying to help them do their job. So I'm never like this is where it goes, this is how you plug them, this is how it's done. It's like you get paid to be here to do your job, so I hope you can do your job.
Speaker 2:I'm just giving you the guidelines of. This is the product. This is what it's for.
Speaker 1:Put it where it needs to go yeah, and I think that, again, having your experience in the field, it would, I could imagine. It's very easy to lay it out where you know that they're going to be able to understand, because you've worked with them right by their side. So, yeah, with them right by their side. So, yeah, some challenges. Let's get into some design trends. So, since you've been designing systems as a design engineer, what are you seeing at the forefront of what people are asking for?
Speaker 2:lighting, lighting 100, it's lighting um. We are now not only putting in light switches um, but we're also doing panelized lighting systems, and the great thing about panelized lighting systems is houses. Nowadays. If you walk into them and you go into the kitchen or the foyer, there's six light switches on that wall. That's ugly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's be real.
Speaker 2:So the thing about a panelized lighting system is I've now taken those six light switches and turned them into one keypad, so you're decreasing wall clutter by doing a panelized system. Now, not everybody wants panelized. Not everybody can do panelized. If you're already in an existing house, in order to do panelized, you'd have to rewire the whole house. That just doesn't work Right. We can do a wireless lighting system system which accomplishes the same goal. As far as control, we don't decrease wall clutter because we can't. We just replace all the existing switches with our new smart switches and we can still control everything, do scenes and everything like that. Um, and sometimes we'll also do a hybrid system where we do panelize for the main areas but don't do them for pantries. You know, bathrooms, guest bedrooms, but then later on that room gets changed to an office and the customer goes. I really would like to control that room. Now the panelize is done, the house is done, we can't. So again, we'll just change those switches for smart switches and now it's a hybrid. Panelized is done, the house is done, we can't. So again, we'll just change those switches for smart switches and now it's a hybrid panelized wireless system. You know that they can still control everything.
Speaker 2:Uh, and the other thing that we're starting to get into now is also doing the fixtures. Before it was just yeah, we control the fixtures, but the problem with that is you. You only have control of 50% of the outcome. I'm selling you the product to control those lights, but an electrician or a builder is selling you the actual fixtures, the recessed cans, the floodlights, the whatever they are. So the problem is they don't dim very well, and so we say, yes, we can dim your light bulb, but then it dims to 40%, flickers and shuts off and you're like well, I want it to dim to 20. I can't, and it's not our system, it's the light bulb or the light fixture. So we're trying to alleviate that by selling the fixtures as well.
Speaker 2:Now, we don't sell decorative fixtures. We don't sell sconces. We don't sell decorative fixtures. We don't sell sconces. We don't sell chandeliers, stuff like that. That's the, that's the. You know interior designers, we don't want to. We're not trying to step on toes, we're trying to work with people. So they still sell all that. But we will verify it, look at the specs and go okay, we can't dim this.
Speaker 1:So either a.
Speaker 2:You love this fixture so much and we're just going to put on a switch. You can turn it on and off, but if it has to dim then you need to change the fixture and we will tell people that.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So, honestly, don't remember what the question was to start this.
Speaker 1:No, that was pretty good.
Speaker 2:No, it was, it was trends Lighting is a trend, so we're trying to control as much of the process as we possibly can. The more we control, the better the outcome is going to be, because, again, if you have an electrician selling a two dollar light fixture and we're selling a six thousand dollar control system, they're not really going to work together hand in hand.
Speaker 1:No, so with like panelized lighting? Um, are you seeing in? I know our designers push to hey, let's prep your space now because in the future you have the ability to add on. You know what I mean. So are you seeing an increase in us pushing for that? Um, so that way again, that master closet or that pantry down the line. I didn't want, want it back then, but wow, I've really seen how nice it is in the rest of the house. If you already have that in place, you can do that without having to do a form of hybrid.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You can do no lighting. To start with, let's say they were building a house and they're like I don't understand this whole panelized thing. It seems crazy to me, I don't want to do any part of it. Understand this whole panelized thing? It seems crazy to me, I don't want to do any part of it. You know, and then they're living in the house and their neighbor is one of our customers and they go over to their neighbor's house and they're like oh my God, you can do all this stuff with your lighting. What's up with that? You know, and then they call us and go okay, I really I I missed the ball on this one. I really want to do some lighting. It's fine, we can do the lighting. We just we can't again.
Speaker 2:We can't decrease the wall clutter, but we can still do your lighting so you can get and that's one thing about sound vision is like we don't care what you do in the beginning, as long as the infrastructure is there, like you don't need to do lighting in your entire house. Uh, our designers call it the Pareto rule. I believe it's the 80, 20. So your main areas living room, kitchen, stuff like that that you're in all the time let's do those rooms, let's make those panelized so those are your most viewed areas. You're going to have less wall clutter. Okay, yeah, still have switches in your closets, have switches in the guest bedrooms, in the bathrooms, it doesn't matter, you know. But again, you can do it in phases. We'll do those main areas and then you can go okay, yeah, you know what I really wish I had done this room again. We can do it. So we were not forcing you to do the whole house Bottom line.
Speaker 2:As long as you have a control four processor in the house, you're good. I can do it now or I can do it later. Right, if we do it now and we do it right, we can decrease the wall clutter. If we do it later, that option's off the table, but we can still do it. You can still have the scenes, you can still control the lighting, you can still, you know, do all that stuff. So there's so much stuff now that we we don't have to do it right now. We're fine with doing phases. Like, you know what we're going to move into this house. You know the finances are not where we thought they were going to be, so we're going to do phase one is going to be a, B and C, right, and then we're going to come back for phase two, which is going to be D, e and F. Perfectly fine, you know, we want you to be a customer for years, not for one job.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I was just going to say that in a perfect world, we want clients to be with us for years and we want to grow with you. Um, like you said, maybe you're starting off with just a lighting plan and maybe a couple shades. Then you get settled. A year and a half half later let's move on to the outdoor. Those are perfect clients for us.
Speaker 1:We love those clients absolutely all right, let's see anything else we can get into. Um, so is there anything else you think is important for our listeners to know about the incredible job that you do here?
Speaker 2:I can tell you if other uh companies come across this uh. One thing I can tidbit I can give you uh, if you are going to have a design engineer, make sure that you know it's better if they were a tech previously, because one of the other things of a design engineer is they are kind of the bridge between the designer and the installers. And again, designers make fun of me because I talk about how long I was an installer, but it's relevant information. I did it for a very long time across multiple States and multiple companies, so I've seen it all. Um, they're always.
Speaker 2:In every company I've worked for, there's always been a disconnect between the installers and the salespeople. There's there's always this rift, there's always this divide. Um, that you know, salespeople are just selling. They want to get that bottom dollar, so they don't care what they're selling, they just sell, sell, sell and it's the installer's job to make it work. That's not the way it works and I've worked for companies that way. It doesn't work, I can tell you. So again, here are designers really try hard to not have again, they're not working on this bottom dollar. They want you to have a system that works, because if you have a system that works and it was a good process. Again, you'll be that customer for 50 years. We'll see your child grow up and graduate from college and we will send you a card. Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2:So we're not trying to sell you this massive job right away and then we forget about you. We would love to do a hundred projects for you. Yeah, long time relationships. So again it's our salespeople are not like I've got to sell everything and I'm going to sell you stuff you don't need because I want to make that money. It's nothing to do with that.
Speaker 2:But where I come in is that there is still, no matter how much the designers try, there is still that you know sort of a little bit of you know, running at the mouth in a meeting and, oh yeah, you can do that, oh yeah, you can do that, and not really thinking about it. So I'm there to bridge that gap, to go okay, this is not going to work that way. Here's what we can do to fix it. Or there's that you know, it seems like the salespeople don't care. No, we do care. That is why I'm changing the scope to be tech facing. That is why you know we no longer sell this product because it's a real pain to install. Like, it may be a great product, but if it's a pain to install, then it's not worth it.
Speaker 1:No, because it's going to affect the outcome. Yeah.
Speaker 2:As the designers like to say, the juice is not worth the squeeze. That's right. So this position is not only a technical position, it's also kind of a people position where you're just you're trying to again, you're trying to bridge that gap, to make the islands of design and installation just a little bit closer.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:There's always going to be that, you know, that sort of back and forth. But you know, I think it's good. But again, I'm trying to minimize the animosity between installation and design.
Speaker 1:Well, I think you have done a fantastic job so far. I know the work that you're producing has been incredible and I know our designers and installers are so grateful to have you in this position. I'm glad I can help and we love having you in the office, Alright, well, thank you for joining me, Eric.
Speaker 2:No problem, it was a pleasure.
Speaker 1:I'll probably do some outro later. Okay Well, until do some outro later. Okay Well, until next time.
Speaker 2:Keep us out. That's ridiculous and it doesn't make any sense. I haven't said that.
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