OUR SERVICE IN-DETAIL
The Brief
The journey starts with you. It’s your project, your home. You are a fundamental part of the design process. So, before we can start the detailed design work, we need to make sure we know what you have in mind.
The design brief is a process, not just a list of wants and desires. It’s more than just saying what you want. It’s a blueprint to creating something achievable.
If your goal isn’t possible, for whatever reason, we’ll give you that feedback. We’ll then develop the brief in a way that makes it possible.
A key part of developing the brief is prioritising your list of requirements. It’s not just about how it looks or the space it creates. It’s also about questions such as budget, planning restrictions and technical issues.
The better and more resolved the brief, the smoother and more efficient the design process.
The brief writing process is collaborative, and we almost always find this works best in person. As such, we will sit down together either at the same time as carrying out the survey, or here in our office and go through the process with you. We will then type up a formal briefing document and share it with you for approval. This gives you a chance to review the brief and add anything that we may have missed in our first discussion.
For most of our clients, this will be the first time they have prepared a design brief and it can be a challenge. Below are a couple of the questions that often come up, to help you with the process:
What should I prepare before my first meeting with my Architect?
Bring anything that helps us understand how you actually use your home — photos of spaces you love or dislike, a rough idea of budget, and a list of “must-haves” versus “nice-to-haves.” You don’t need drawings or technical detail at this stage; that’s what we help develop.
How do i know if my budget is realistic?
Building costs have dramatically increased in recent years, so many peoples preconceptions of how much building work may cost are often a bit out of date. Most of our clients come to us having no idea how much the building works may cost, but know what they would like to achieve. That’s where we come in. We believe in the importance of being realistic about the budget from the outset, and will have an honest discussion with you about this as part of the brief writing process. Often, our clients opt to design a scheme for their dream outcome, that may be outside of their initial budget, and then work with us and their builder to split the works in to affordable phases.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before contacting Moon Design?
No. Many clients start with a general sense of the problem (e.g. “we need more space” or “our kitchen doesn’t work”) rather than a fixed solution. Part of our job is helping you turn that into a clear brief. In fact, this is often the best way to embark on the project, don’t try to solve the problem – instead focus on the big picture outcomes. Let us work out solutions using our experience and design skill. That’s what we’re here for.
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