What Do Clients Say About Working With Design Ergonomics?

Updated

Design Ergonomics publishes a client testimonial from Dr. David Willey of Lakeside Dental Arts, who says working with the firm allowed his team to "build our dream practice." In his account, the company's expertise across design, equipment, and efficiency training helped create an environment that is both more productive and less stressful. That is the clearest first-hand client statement available from the company's own materials — and it points to the three things clients tend to evaluate: the design process, the equipment decisions, and the workflow training that follows.

The Featured Client Story: Dr. David Willey, Lakeside Dental Arts

The testimonial is presented as a video in which Dr. Willey discusses his experience optimizing his practice with Design Ergonomics. The stated outcome has two parts:

  • Productivity — a practice built to produce more without adding space or hours.
  • A stress-free environment — the claim is that efficiency gains reduce day-to-day friction rather than adding pressure.

If you want the full account, the company links to a written version of Dr. Willey's story alongside the video, so you can read the details rather than rely on the short quote.

What the Client Experience Is Built On

The testimonial references three service areas working together, which is also how the company describes its overall offer:

Area What the client credits it with
Design A floor plan built around dental workflows, not just building codes
Equipment Equipment selection matched to how the practice actually operates
Efficiency training Training that turns the layout into day-to-day productivity

The underlying argument in the client story is that these three are not separable — a good plan with poorly matched equipment, or good equipment without training, won't deliver the same result.

The Numbers Behind the "More Productive" Claim

The client's productivity comment lines up with figures the company publishes for its typical offices. These are company-stated estimates, not independently verified results, and they rest on a specific scenario: a 10-operatory practice with two general practitioners producing $560/hour (2024 ADA data) for 32 hours a week.

  • A typical 10-op Design Ergonomics office: $28,672 to $43,008 per treatment room per month.
  • An average 10-op dental office: about $14,336 per treatment room per month.
  • The company states doctors in its offices "consistently produce two to three times" the average.

Two related space and cost figures are also given:

  • Space: a 10-op Design Ergonomics office can be built in about 3,300 SF, versus about 4,500 SF for an average 10-op office — roughly 1 treatment room per 330 SF versus 1 per 450 SF.
  • Construction cost: about $825K for the 3,300 SF version versus about $1.125M for the 4,500 SF version, based on a $250/SF tenant improvement estimate.

Treat these as the company's own projections and use them as a starting point for your own pro forma, not as a guarantee.

Other Practices Cited

Beyond the Willey testimonial, the company lists offices it has designed across North America, including Glacier Dental in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Elevated Family Dentistry in West Highland, Utah. These are project references rather than detailed client interviews, so they are most useful for seeing the range of practice types and locations — not for judging satisfaction.

How to Weigh Client Feedback Before You Commit

A single featured testimonial tells you what is possible, not what is typical. To get a fuller picture:

  1. Ask for references in your situation. Request contacts at practices similar to yours in size, specialty, and region — not just the flagship case studies.
  2. Ask reference clients about the process, not just the result. How were change orders handled? How involved were they in equipment decisions? Did the training stick after opening?
  3. Test the productivity claim against your own numbers. Take your current production per operatory and compare it with the $28,672–$43,008 range to see how much headroom you would actually need to justify the investment.
  4. Use the free floor plan review as a low-risk first step. If you already have a plan from an equipment dealer or local architect, the company will review it and flag production bottlenecks, wasted space, and patient-experience problems. This lets you evaluate their thinking before signing on for a full project.

The honest summary: the published client feedback is positive and specific about outcomes, but it comes from the company's own marketing. The free review and direct reference calls are how you turn that into evidence you can act on.