How to brief a designer properly

A good brief doesn’t need to be long.

But it does need to be honest.

We often meet clients who say things like:
“We’ve got a bathroom design” — usually meaning a plan with generic fittings and a Pinterest board.

Or:
“We don’t really have a budget.”

Both are completely understandable.

But they can make the process harder than it needs to be.

Bathrooms, for example, are often one of the most complex rooms to design. They’re compact, highly serviced, and full of small decisions that make a big difference — where controls are placed, how storage works, how materials are detailed.

These things are much easier to resolve early, rather than once work is underway.

The same applies to budget.

It doesn’t need to be exact. But having a sense of what feels comfortable — and what doesn’t — allows us to guide decisions appropriately from the start.

We’re not trying to “spend” a budget.

We’re trying to help you use it well.

The most useful briefs tend to focus less on specific items, and more on priorities.

What matters most?
What isn’t working currently?
Where do you see value?

From there, everything becomes clearer.