Determine design briefs
Overview
This standard is about reaching full agreement and shared understanding of the brief and to ensure it is practicable and achievable. It may involve working from or refining a predefined brief or it may involve creating one. It is an iterative process that may involve many versions. Some of the working methods and techniques that you use will vary according to your design specialism.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
**Clarify client expectations
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- gather valid and reliable evidence of clients' design development expectations, preferences, preconceptions, needs and budget
- check the brief is comprehensive and contains sufficient information to produce designs that meet clients' expectations
- identify with the client any parts of the brief that are unclear or missing or which need amplification
- suggest amendments, additions or alternatives where you think they enhance the brief
**Determine feasibility of the brief
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5. identify whether the brief is technically feasible and can be achieved within constraints of budget, schedule and available materials
6. identify and analyse the nature and potential of any limitations and constraints that may affect the project and design work in general using best available information and within the constraints of the brief
7. identify and agree any modifications that may be needed to the brief
8. base your interpretation of the brief on your experience and judgment of what will be practicable whilst meeting the clients expectations
9. select suitable criteria to use to evaluate design work against the client brief and design objectives
**Confirm the brief
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10. confirm with relevant people that you have a shared understanding of the brief
11. maintain a positive attitude when confronted by changing requirements and suggest viable alternatives
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the purpose and function of design briefs and design objectives
- the individual or organisation for whom the design brief needs to be achieved and how to communicate with them
- where to obtain details of the client brief and design objectives
- how a brief is structured and the level of information it should contain
- how to frame questions to gain an insight into the favoured techniques and preferences of clients with regard to style, dimensions and materials
- how cost, time, market and environmental considerations may affect the realisation of a brief
- how to identify the cost implications and practicalities of realising a brief including materials, equipment, time and budget
- what to assess to verify the technical feasibility of a brief
- copyright, moral rights and intellectual property rights issues that may have an impact on the brief
- sources of advice on technical, legal and regulatory requirements and constraints and how to access them
- design media, techniques, technology, documents, people and professional or trade organisations from which you can obtain relevant information
- how to develop objectives about purpose, strength, aesthetics, cost and other relevant factors
- how to derive evaluation criteria against which resultant designs and objectives will be judged
- how your experience, skills, knowledge and judgment influence your creative input
- the problems that may occur and how to resolve them
- how to present your arguments in support of revisions to the brief
- communication methods and how to use them effectively to reach agreement