Are you looking for a robust and adaptable plant to elevate your garden or landscape design?
Designing for Your Clients: Landscape Industry Psychographics
Are you a landscape architect or designer looking to improve client satisfaction?
Many designers fail to consider how their clients think, their values, interests and worldview. This article explores the concept of psychographics, its importance in marketing as well as achieving client satisfaction, and how it applies to different client groups within the landscape industry.

Understanding Psychographics
Psychographics is a term used to describe the study and classification of individuals based on their psychological characteristics. Unlike demographics, which are quantitative, psychographics provide insights into the qualitative aspects that drive consumer behaviour.
These include values, interests, personality traits, and lifestyle choices, which are crucial for understanding what motivates clients and how they perceive your services.
Understanding the psychology of your clients enables you to tailor your strategies to resonate with their core values and worldview, hopefully leading to return business and word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied clients.
For example, psychographic factors might reveal a client’s preference for sustainability, prompting a focus on eco-friendly designs in landscape projects. Or, it may reveal that your client probably just wants the best-looking outcome for the cheapest price.
Either way, understanding how your clients think can help you serve them better.
Psychographics and Demographics: What’s the Difference?
Psychographics and demographics are both tools in understanding client behaviour, but they focus on different aspects of the audience. Demographics refer to the quantifiable characteristics of a population, including age, gender, income, education level, and ethnicity.
These factors provide a statistical overview of a group and are useful for identifying broad segments within a market.
In contrast, psychographics delve into the qualitative attributes that influence individual behaviours and attitudes. This approach examines psychological characteristics such as values, interests, personality traits, and lifestyle preferences.
Psychographics aim to understand the underlying motivations and emotional drivers behind consumer decisions, offering insights into why people make certain choices and how they perceive brands, organisations, products and services.
For example, while demographics might tell you that a local council target audience consists primarily of middle-aged council decision-makers of a particular ethnicity, psychographics would reveal that this group values sustainability and research-backed approaches, preferring to work with organisations that align with eco-friendly and sustainable solutions with certainty around the long-term cost.
This deeper understanding allows landscape architects and designers to tailor their strategies and messages to resonate more effectively with their audience.

Psychographic Profiles of Landscape Architecture Clients
Local Government
Local government clients typically prioritise sustainability, community development, and environmental stewardship. Their projects often aim to enhance public spaces for the betterment of community well-being and ecological balance.
Lifestyle considerations might include promoting outdoor activities and ensuring accessibility. These psychographic factors drive them to favour projects that align with social benefits and regulatory frameworks.
Like all clients, they are concerned with budgets and they sometimes have a tendency to underestimate maintenance costs leading to mal-pruning, weed invasions and underperforming landscapes.
Property Developers
Property developers are motivated by aesthetics, functionality, and return on investment. Their interests lie in creating landscapes that elevate property appeal and cater to market trends.
Developers value innovation and efficiency, often focusing on features that attract buyers or tenants, such as modern design and sustainable living options. These factors lead them to prioritise projects that optimise land use and enhance property value.
They generally do not express a passion for horticulture; instead, they will go for the best-looking option at the cheapest price, with little regard for how gardens will look in years to come.
My mother is a property developer, while I’m a horticulturist, and we often like to argue about whether or not Philodendron xanadu is the best plant in the world (she thinks it is because it always looks green and gives immediate impact, while I find it over-done and boring).
Commercial Projects
Clients in commercial projects often emphasise brand image, customer experience, and competitive positioning. Some commercial clients value corporate responsibility and sustainability, seeking landscapes that reflect these commitments.
Interests in creating functional and inviting spaces for customers and employees guide their decisions. These psychographic insights influence projects that enhance brand perception and foster a positive cultural environment.
A wise person once asked me, “Would you go to a restaurant with dirty windows? Imagine how dirty the kitchen must be!” The same principle applies in commercial landscape design and maintenance; a company that can manage an attractive garden is more trustworthy than a company that can’t even keep their gardens under control.
The General Public
This group is characterised by diverse values and interests, ranging from environmental awareness to aesthetic preferences. Their lifestyle considerations often revolve around personal well-being, community interaction, and recreational needs.
The public’s psychographic factors shape their desire for accessible and beautiful outdoor environments that enhance their quality of life. They support projects that offer enjoyment, promote health, and reflect communal values.
Most design and architecture clients will be home-owners; it’s rare for a renter to invest so heavily in a property they don’t own. Their garden is more than just a place to relax; it’s a reflection of their personality and lifestyle. Some home gardeners want a biodiverse native experience, while others want the perfect turf with the stripes in it.
The Nuances of Psychographics
Of course, all of the psychographic information for the four types of clients above are complete generalisations. There are obviously clients that fall into each category that have a totally different worldview to their peers.
The generalisations can help your firm target certain client groups, but you’ll find every client has their own unique take on things. It’s your job as a professional to understand each client, what their requirements are, and how to satisfy them.
Initial consultations are the time for you to ask questions such as, “What are your priorities for this project?” “Who will be using the space, and how will they be using it?” “What level of ongoing maintenance are you able to commit to?” “Are you hoping to attract wildlife, or deter it?”
Daniel’s Wrap
Understanding the psychographics of various client groups within the landscape industry is essential for creating designs that are both functional and meaningful for your clients.
By recognising the unique values, interests, and lifestyle considerations of local governments, property developers, commercial projects, and the general public, landscape architects and designers can tailor their services to meet specific needs and expectations.
As the landscape industry continues to evolve, integrating psychographic insights will remain a cornerstone of effective client engagement and innovative design.
This material is protected by copyright. Except for use in landscape plans and fair dealing for private study, criticism, or review under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Direct enquiries to Ozbreed Green Life Pty Ltd.
The views expressed may be personal and not official policy. Plants are natural products and may die for various reasons. Ozbreed believes the information is correct at publishing but does not guarantee accuracy or accept liability for inaccuracies or photo colour discrepancies. Images are illustrative and may not reflect the actual product’s size, colour, or appearance.
All information is for general guidance and not a substitute for professional advice. Ozbreed makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the fitness or suitability of any plant or product for a particular purpose. Plant performance may vary based on regional climate, soil type, and other conditions. Users should independently verify the suitability of plants, products, and advice, consulting local experts to determine the best choices for their location.
Some plants may cause allergic reactions or require specific care. Users should research potential allergies, toxicity, or safety concerns before selecting or planting products. Review technical specifications to ensure products or plants meet your requirements. Ozbreed is not liable for how information is used.
Ozbreed is not responsible for the content or accuracy of third-party websites or resources linked on this site. Links are for convenience only and do not imply endorsement. Information is subject to change without notice. Ozbreed reserves the right to update or modify content as new information becomes available.
This Post Has 0 Comments