The design brief as carrier of client information during the construction process

Abstract

Drawing on a literature review and an explorative case study of the interaction between parties during the production phase, this paper traces the potential of design brief documents to act as information carriers during the design and production phases in construction. Background and driving forces, as well as observations during project meetings are examined. Focus is on the decision-making process and the formulation of requirements that led to the brief, which then is compared with the client’s satisfaction with the outcome of the building process. It is concluded that expectations of the parties about how a brief document should be formulated to encourage innovation and change are significant aspects in the development of design briefs.