This standard identifies the competences you need to establish a design brief for engineering products or processes, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to gather information from a number of sources to develop the design brief, whilst establishing the application, function and constraints. You will also be required to discuss and communicate the proposals with the client and all other relevant people.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for ensuring the successful production of the design brief, and to report any problems that you cannot personally resolve to the relevant authority. You will be expected to work unsupervised, either on your own or as part of a team, which you may lead or direct, taking full responsibility for your actions and, possibly, for the work of colleagues or subordinates.

Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of general and discipline-specific engineering principles and processes. You will be fully conversant with organisational procedures and systems. You will understand engineering design principles, patent, copyright and intellectual property issues, and will know about project planning and resource management techniques, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required standard.

You will be fully aware of any health, safety and environmental requirements, and the appropriate legislative and regulatory frameworks applicable to your area of responsibility. You will be required to ensure that safe working practices are maintained throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.

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1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
2. obtain the correct details of the specification for the engineering product or process
3. identify clearly any design constraints
4. incorporate all necessary details into the design brief
5. produce a design brief that effectively encapsulates the requirements of the client
6. ensure that the design brief complies with all relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
7. clarify and agree the design brief with the client
8. confirm that all participants in the design process are aware of the design brief
9. record the design brief in the appropriate information systems

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1. the specific health, safety and environmental requirements that apply to the product or process to be designed
2. how to obtain details of the specification of the product or process to be designed
3. the types of design constraint that should be considered
4. the different types of design brief that could be required
5. the types of information and level of detail that should be included in a design brief
6. the regulations, directives and guidelines that are relevant
7. how to obtain information on regulations, directives and guidelines
8. when a client should be consulted on a design brief
9. who should be informed and consulted on the various aspects of a design brief
10. the company systems for recording design information
11. the importance of using the company information systems
12. the limits of your own authority, and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve

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1. Carry out all of the following activities to establish the design brief:

   1. identify with the client the reasons or application for the design, and establish any constraints which may affect it
   2. review the critical operational/functional requirements and quality criteria of the design
   3. clarify with relevant people any aspects of the design that are ambiguous
   4. produce the proposed design brief, and discuss any changes needed to suit the operational/functional requirements with the relevant people
   5. ensure that the design brief meets relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
   6. record the design brief in the appropriate information system and communicate it to the relevant people

2. Obtain the design requirements from one of the following types of client:

   1. external – existing client                             
   2. internal – existing organisational requirement
   3. external – potential client                            
   4. internal – new organisational opportunity

3. Establish information for the development of the design brief from two of the following sources:

   1. existing designs                 
   2. client                                      
   3. specialists/experts
   4. research                            
   5. suppliers                                
   6. engineering department
   7. tests or trials                      
   8. general or specialised media   
   9. user groups

4. Establish the design brief constraints, considering four of the following:

   1. customer acceptability                   
   2. departmental
   3. available technologies
   4. environmental/sustainability
   5. delivery schedule                              
   6. legal
   7. logistical
   8. financial                           
   9. international/national standards or directives
   10. safety
   11. capacity 
   12. capability                                      
   13. copyright
   14. commercial/branding

5. Incorporate specifications for three of the following in the design brief:

   1. manufacturing requirements
   2. aesthetics 
   3. materials                                  
   4. technology
   5. characteristics                          
   6. performance/capability                            
   7. components/systems
   8. fit, form or function                                  
   9. costs                                         
   10. life cycles
   11. monitoring/servicing/maintenance requirements
   12. timescales
   13. inspection/testing

6. Record and communicate design briefs to the appropriate people, using:

   1. a verbal report

plus one from the following:
2. electronic mail
3. computer-based presentation
4. computer generated report
5. specific company document
6. other appropriate media

7. Ensure that the design briefs comply with three of the following:

   1. organisational guidelines and codes of practice       
   2. recognised compliance agency/body's standards
   3. equipment manufacturer's operating specification/range                                                                        
   4. customer standards and requirements
   5. British, European or International standards or directives
   6. health, safety and environmental requirements

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​Additional Information

You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:

• strong work ethic
• positive attitude
• team player
• dependability
• responsibility
• honesty
• integrity
• motivation
• commitment

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3

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2020

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Current

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Original

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Semta

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SEMEM4-07

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Corporate Managers and Senior Officials, Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Functional Managers

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1121

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Engineering; leading; design; process; maintenance; quality; customer; function; features; objectives; manufacturing; installation; commissioning; testing; carrying out; problems; specifications; quality; research; brief

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