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In the professional world of design it is a client (the person who wishes
to develop a new product) who usually writes the first design brief, sometimes
as the result of market research. The
need for a new design can be either commercial – to make a profit,
or to make people's lives better in some way. Usually design briefs given
to professional designers are a combination of the two.
The first task of a designer is usually to discuss the original design
brief with the client. Through careful and focused discussions, the designer
often helps the client to clarify his or her actual need, resulting in
a new design brief which focuses on an actual need or problem rather than
an existing solution.
In the school situation, design briefs tend to be one of three types:
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- closed design brief – this focuses on a specific product, for
example, design and make a torch for a young person
- open design brief – this kind of brief focuses on a more general
requirement rather than a specific product, for example, design and
make a portable light source
- the third type allows for either an open or a closed brief to be developed,
for example, consider the problems associated with walking home in the
dark. This could result in a brief similar to either of the above, or
in something completely different, such as a design for reflective clothing
No matter what type of brief a designer is working on, the following
aspects are essential:
- an agreed statement between the client and the designer which precisely
defines the need/problem to be solved
- an indication of the resources available, especially in terms of time
and money for the project
The design brief for the Eden Project was:
- to create a spectacular theatre in which to tell the story of human
dependence on plants
- to build a series of giant conservatories
- to be high enough to house towering rainforests trees
- to be wide enough for the sun baked landscapes of the Mediterranean
- to be handsome: an international symbol, world class architecture,
the eighth wonder of the world and place all this in a landscape bold
enough to cope
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