Process
What a design brief should really say
The questions we ask before drawing anything, and why they save time.
Most briefs we receive are a list of rooms and a folder of saved images. That is a useful start, but it describes what a home should look like, not how it should work. The projects that run well begin with a different kind of brief.
Describe your days, not your style
Tell us how a weekday morning goes. Who gets up first, where the coffee is made, where the bags are dropped. A plan that fits those habits will feel right in any style. A beautiful plan that fights them never will.
The questions we ask
What do you love about where you live now, and what do you put up with?
Which room do you actually spend the most time in?
What do you own that has to come with you?
How do you want the home to feel when you walk in?
What would make this project a failure?
The last question is the most useful. People find it easier to name what they fear than what they want, and the answer usually points straight at the real priority.
A good brief is not a list of answers. It is an honest description of the problem.
Be clear about money and time
A budget is not a secret to protect. It is a design tool. Knowing the real number at the start lets us spend it where it matters and save where it does not, instead of cutting good ideas late.
The same goes for dates. If there is a fixed move-in day, say so in the first meeting.
Leave room for the answer
The best briefs set out the problem and stop there. If you already know exactly what you want, you need a builder. If you want something better than you could have described, leave the designer some room to find it.
Related articles
