Title: Determine the scope of a simulated project.
Course: Interior Design I (19263-I) > Section: Developing a Design

Determination of the scope (also called programming) should include

- researching client needs, preferences, and goals (e.g., ascertaining client attitudes, brand image)
- differentiating client needs and preferences
- identifying the processes that can be used to pinpoint the client’s goals, preferences, and needs
- identifying adjacencies (proximities of various spaces based on the client’s needs/preferences)
- using evidence-based design
- researching the scope of the project
- summarizing ideas in writing for client approval (e.g., complete industry standard matrices to identify the client’s expressed criteria and the designer’s analysis of the needs of the design project).

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- What defines a need of a client? How do needs differ from preferences or wants?
- Why must an interior designer prioritize client needs?
- How can a proposed design plan meet a client's needs?

Communication

- What information must a designer get from a client to assess project requirements?
- How can client needs be distinguished from wants?
- How can a professional communicate to the client how the design will meet identified goals, preferences, and needs?

Leadership

- How can professionals succeed in creating designs that fully meet the needs of a client?
- If a client confuses wants with needs or if identified needs conflict with wants, how can an interior design professional help the client resolve the problem?
- How can a professional be certain that a design meets the needs of the client?

Management

- What steps must be taken to determine and document a client’s goals, preferences, and needs?
- What resources assist with determining goals, preferences, and needs?
- How can a professional confirm that a client's goals, preferences, and needs have been determined and documented accurately and completely?