What is a design brief, and how do you create one?

Your design brief is a really important document in your project. Learn more here about why it matters, and how you can create a great design brief for your reno or new build project.

This is Episode 196, and in it, I’m going to share with you how to create a comprehensive and effective design brief for your renovation or building project.

Creating a design brief is something I get a lot of questions about, so I thought I’d use this episode to take you through the things to ponder for your project, so you can get started on creating your own design brief – and do a great job!

What is a design brief?

A brief, or a design brief, is the document that, at its simplest level, outlines and describes what you want in your future home.

This can be a list of the rooms and functions you want, but as you’ll see from this episode, great design briefs can contain more information that can be super helpful for anyone on your team to learn more about you, your family, and how you’d like to live.

As a document, it’s often written out, and may also include images as well. It’s something you can create digitally to share with others, or you may have written and scanned to send electronically.

Your design brief becomes the main point of communication of your wishes and wants for your future home, and hence it’s the tool you can use to get everyone in your team on the same page as you, and help them understand how you envisage your future home to be, plus what you want it to include.

Why does your design brief matter? And why do you need one?

Well, it’s because your design brief is this main point of communication, that it becomes such a critical document and tool in your project.

Communication generally can be a source of a lot of dramas in any project.

This can be when assumptions are made about things that aren’t communicated – or things aren’t communicated at all.

It can also be when different people have different communication styles and simply can’t convey their thoughts clearly or in a way it can be easily understood by others.

There’s many in the industry that, even though communication is a key part of their everyday working life, they really struggle with communicating with their clients.

And if you don’t have a lot of experience in renovating and building, and communication isn’t something that comes naturally to you either, it can make your project experience really challenging.

Establishing good communication in any project starts with this (and this is where your design brief comes in handy!):

Figuring out what you want in your future home and all your thoughts, dreams, ideas, likes and dislikes about it …

And then extracting it out of your head and heart, and into a format others can read, interpret and use.

Unfortunately not all designers or builders have the process of extraction built into their working methodologies.

So, when you know how to do this, and then make sure you do it, you will set up your project start FAR better.

Your design brief, and creating a good quality one, really matters in your project success overall.

How do you create a design brief?

It’s pretty simple: you start documenting your thoughts around your future home, and how you want it to help you live.

This will include the rooms and functionality, and it can also expand into other areas as well, so anyone who is working with you gets an insight into how you and your family like to spend your time, the kinds of people you are, and how your home will need to best support your lifestyle.

There’s lots more that can be included to make your design brief comprehensive, and a great communication tool for your project.

Listen to the episode, as I take you through, step-by-step, the specific things to think about and document in your design brief.

Plus, I also share some key things to know about using it in your project, and some specific mistakes to avoid as well.

RESOURCES:

Access my free online workshop “Your Project Plan” >>> FREE WORKSHOP

What should be in an architect’s quote | Top 10 Tips and your design quote checklist >>> GRAB THE CHECKLIST HERE

What’s the most important thing when designing a home? Season 1 of the podcast >>> LEARN WHAT IT IS HERE

How to Design a Home | Season 2 of the podcast >>> START LISTENING HERE

Home Design Masterclass >>> LEARN MORE HERE