3 SEQUENTIAL OUTLINING OF THE DESIGN PROCESS

Sushma Goel

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    1.      Design Process

 

2.      Programming

 

i.   Occupant /Human factor

 

ii.  Site analysis

 

iii. Design considerations

 

iv.  Social aspect

 

v. Economic factor

 

vi.    Code and laws

 

Introduction

 

The initiation of any design process begins when the client approaches the interior designer for a need to design, create, renovate or refurbish a specific space. It is the foremost stage of the design process. The designer tries to understand the feasibility of the project by inquiring the details about the space to be designed from the client.

 

A formal contract or agreement takes place between the designer and the client before the start of design process which includes feasibility study, research and programming of the project. Most of the interior designers prepare this legal document so that the interior designer is paid for the services and the valuable time he has bestowed in case the client leaves the project at any stage during the design process to avail services of another designer or if the project did not fruit due to some other reason. The agreement assures that the designer will provide the client with all the design services and materials chosen by the designer or agreed upon mutually.

 

Objectives

 

  • Today this lesson is planned with the following objectives:
  • To gain knowledge on design process
  • To acquire knowledge on needs and requirements of the client
  • To get better understanding on factors influencing programming of design process

 

The Testimony/ Problem Statement– includes an underlying statement of goals to be achieved, the aim of the project work. The designer documents the type of project (for e.g. is the project that needs to be designed- a family home or a vacation house or a retail store/an office?), the needs of the clients in regards to the project, potential scope and limitations of the project.

 

The designer checks for the credibility of the project by scrutinizing the issues and concerns of the project. Most of the designers delve into the following points of feasibility-

 

i.  Site analysis is done in order to look for the likely scope and future use of the space. It is also checked for any harms or hazards to the environment or the potential occupants.

ii.  The budget of the project is checked to the scale and type of the project. The points such as- Does the place requires a makeover or needs to be designed from scratch, occupancy of space, the use of space, need to be explored before engaging in the design process. The extra costs concerned with planning and designing of the space are estimated which the occupant is likely to run into.

iii.  The considerations of the project with respect to orientation to sun and wind, environment factors- soil testing, water testing, seismic conditions, climate factors, terrain- plain/hilly/mountainous etc., sound level, and traffic- are analyzed.

iv. A summary of all the above mentioned points is prepared in the end which forms the foundation of the project by allowing entering the next stage of design process.

 

Programming– Design of the project starts to take shape when the designer tries to understand the needs and requirements of the client. This stage involves the identification of goals, demands and essentials of the project to be accomplished. Therefore, the designer collects information from the client regarding the space by undergoing extensive research and carefully planning and contemplating about space requirements, issues and problems. Therefore, the designer studies the following factors in detail:

 

1. Human factor/Space used by occupants: The needs of the ‘would-be’ occupants of the space are crucial for the designer as they would ultimately be dwelling and using that space. The occupant’s needs, lifestyle, habits, liking, preferences, gender, age group are determined in order to start planning the space for them. For e.g. – the designer understands the profile of the users for which the space would be designed. Is the space to be designed a residential home or a play school? How many members are there in the family? How many kids/children are there in the family? Are there any elderly members or disabled family members in the family as the space needs to be planned accordingly? Other factors such as the gender, their preferences for color, style of home/ furniture, cultural values, personality etc. play an important role in planning and designing a space.

 

i.   Lifestyle– The designer understands the daily routine of the occupants which helps in creating a space catering to the occupants needs and not missing out on any details. The way of living of the occupants determines their jobs, duties, activities and functions. For instance-For a family home, the designer might ask the following questions- Do the occupants enjoy cooking. What are their hobbies- Do they like sewing or painting or dancing or singing? Are they religious or spiritual? Do they like outdoor activities like playing sports? Do they like to entertain and have guests over? How do they serve and eat? What daily routine do they follow? Do they have a nuclear or extended family? What is the lifestyle of the children? What activities are they involved into apart from going to school/college?

 

All these factors are considered by the designers before planning a space. It give the designers a basic idea to work with the needs and lifestyle of each member of family-Whether to create a large kitchen with eating space or large dining area for a family which likes to entertain/ Whether or not to create an outdoor play area for children or to create a separate multipurpose room for spending time with family/ or designing hobbies room or separate puja room for family member etc. The designer understands the user’s eating, sleeping, dressing, entertaining, relaxing ways of living on basis of which the designer is able to design bedrooms, closets, furniture, layout of space etc.

 

While designing spaces the designer keeps in mind the aspect of flexibility as the needs of the family member and the stage of the family (i.e. whether the family is at beginning stage or expanding stage) always keep on changing. For e.g. a child’s nursery can be converted to a bedroom for the child when he/she grows up or a hobby room or a study.

 

The designer also tries to accommodate all the wish lists of the occupants but just in case if the space is less or the budget does not allow, the designer looks for multipurpose action in a room. For instance, a room can consist of a daybed or sofa cum bed in an office or study which can be easily converted to guest’s bedroom when they come over. The dining room can be used for entertaining when guests come over and also used for children to do their homework while mom is busy prepping for cooking in the kitchen. Puja room can be doubled for study or an office with demarcated areas with the use of partitions if needed. The living room can be used as a space for family interaction, playing games, entertaining relatives and guests, watching television or reading books.

 

The designer updates himself on all information from the clients pertaining to the rooms of the house to be designed. This allows for successful planning and designing of the spaces. The designer concentrates on questions such as the following for designing a particular space.

 

Children’s room

  • The number of children sharing the room
  • What is the age-group and gender of children?
  • What is their daily routine? Do they have extra classes for dance/painting?
  • What are their hobbies? How much storage space do they need? It depends upon the amount of book, toys, clothes, accessories, etc. they have?
  • Preference for any sport?
  • Do they require additional space in case they invite friends over for studying or staying?
  • Preferences for color, style, texture etc.
  • Do they like playing outdoors or indoors?

    Kitchen

  • Do family members enjoy cooking?
  • How many occupants use a kitchen at a time? How much storage do they need?
  • Do they like to entertain guests and cook for them?
  • Do they prefer an open kitchen concept or are a fan of enclosed kitchen? What process for cooking is followed?
  • Do they like eating inside the kitchen area- like a breakfast or dining nook or prefer separate elaborate dining room?

            Similarly, the space use and activities performed in each room are very well described and determined in order to skillfully create the space.

 

ii. Space interconnectedness: After determining the use of space, the relation between the spaces is accounted for. Juxtaposition of rooms in relation to the space use is considered by the designer while chalking out the layout. This allows for easy flow from one activity to another and is convenient for the occupant while working.

 

For instance, the pantry area consisting of large drums of grains, supplies and spices can be placed adjacent to the kitchen which allows easy access for the cook without wasting the time taken to travel in other part of house. Also, it would be relevant to plan bathroom with the bedrooms. Similarly dining rooms could be planned in proximity with kitchen or living room so that it easy to cook and then serve immediately. It ties the space together and provides a flow to the occupants from one activity to another. It enables easy function and prevents loss of time and energy by cutting on walking unnecessary steps. The needs of the occupants or the level of communication, privacy- among the family members are other factors which decide upon the relationship of areas of the house. For instance, if the kids are small, parents prefer to have master bedrooms in proximity to the nursery or kids room so that the kids feel safe. However, this is not the case when the children are all grown-up as teenagers need their privacy so their rooms could be on separate floors all together. Therefore, interrelation of space needs to be described to the designer before planning out the space for convenience and ease of use and communication by the occupants.

 

iii. Space requisite: After understanding the function and interconnectedness of spaces and before delineating the floor layout, the designer estimates the requirements of the space-as to how much space would be required for furniture use, how many members would occupy a particular space, how many guests or customers are there at a given time usually, what type of activities are involved in that particular space, for instance – if the occupant is a painting teacher and gives tuitions at home. So, the designer needs to plan the space well in advance. Also, points to consider are the space required for storage depending upon the size and type of instruments or equipments, clothing, cleaning supplies, type of products to be sold at stores, office supplies etc. for all spaces.

 

Another thing planned by the designer is the circulation space i.e. space surrounding the furniture items and electronics. The space, furniture, furnishings is measured by the designer in order to create effective circulation space for occupants and provide sufficient space to move about and work. An occupant requires not just actual space to walk about but also a perceived openness in the area which provides a sense of peace to the occupant’s mind psychologically be it by painting smaller rooms in light color or increase the ceiling height, or have extra openings such as windows or skylights for daylight and wind, using light furniture instead of bulky for smaller rooms, etc. In this way, the occupant does not feel claustrophobic or suffocated. It gives a feeling of openness and freshness.

 

2. Site analysis: One of the vital factors for consideration is the factor of environment. Environment plays a key role for the space design as contemplating it in the earliest stage would be beneficial as failing to do so could lead to design failure and may cost extra time and money at a later stage. The site should be planned and designed in accordance to the nature. It should be in coordination with the surrounding spaces and natural beauty. It should be kept in mind that that the site construction would not pose any harm to the environment and use minimal and local resources. Therefore, the following factors are critical in deciding upon the design of site:

 

i.  Climate:  The  site  should  be  planned  according  to  the  orientation  of  sun  and prevailing winds. The walls could need insulation from the cold climate in low sun areas as it would create warmth and a sense of coziness. Similarly, the designer plans to shield the harsh rays of sun where sun exposure is high through window openings in appropriate direction to sun and wind to cool the insides. The designer could plan on using materials such as wood for cold climates and mechanical equipments such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) apt for the weather conditions. For example, the designer creates an open concept restaurant in a fairly pleasant weather situation by bringing the outdoors inside, by opening up large glass doors and creating extra seating outside so that all occupants can enjoy the space. Those sitting outside can enjoy the ambience of the restaurant and those dining inside can feel the nice weather and beautiful views.

 

ii.  Site location: Beautiful views are like treasures which sell a given space if tastefully designed. The designer understands what nature has to offer in terms of daytime and/or nighttime views in relation to the space to be designed. The designer designs the space accordingly, by bringing in the colors of nature inside through the use of coordinating or complementing furnishings and wall treatments, using less light treatments if there is plenty of daylight available, use of rustic elements and a cottage feel if it’s a mountainous place. The designer highlights and accents the inside space using clear window treatments to relish the views.

 

 

Other things to consider are the soil type and gradation i.e. whether the space to be designed on plains or hilly areas or near a beach etc. In a city, however the designer considers noise and traffic as keen factors to be kept in mind while designing. A pleasant noise soothes the occupants such as that of falling water of a fountain in a restaurant or hotel lobby or calming music in a spa. But if the noise is too loud like that of the traffic, providing discomfort to the occupants, the designer has to design the space in order to create a peaceful environment for the occupants. The noise level can be subdued by installation of insulated glass and extra insulation in walls, use of thick materials for furnishings such as curtains and carpeting.

 

iii.  Sustainable design: Any design which poses less harm to the environment and community is considered as sustainable design. Implementation of green design measures is beneficial to the users and the environment also. Green design might seem to be costly initially while installing but proves to be cost beneficial over the years as it increases the life span of the designed space, uses regional and better quality materials, suiting the weather and climate of the space and can be used in the best possible shape for generations to live. For instance, use of solar water heaters where sunlight is available in plenty or adapting wind energy where wind speed is high. Green design is rewarding for the environment also as it decreases the amount of air, water and noise pollution and conserves resources and utilizes eco-friendly materials for furnishings and finishes which prove to be a good long lasting design. For instance, installation of bamboo flooring, LED lights, chemical free finishes for wall treatments (no-VOC paints), recycled materials (such as coir, recycled wood, broken glass, fly-ash, etc.) for furniture and countertop( bamboo etc.) for kitchen. Therefore, the designer adopts energy efficient and recycled techniques and uses environment-friendly materials. But sustainable design needs planning ahead of time in order to save costs and time. For instance, the designer planning for a disabled friendly space- installation of ramp in place of stairs at the entryway of home, putting up side rails in the bathroom, provision of extra circulation space so that it becomes convenient for the disabled or an elderly person.

 

3. Design considerations: The requirements of systems such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing etc. should be taken care of in the programming stage. The designer questions the client regarding the needs to put the above mentioned systems for each space and plans to lay outthe wiring for all the systems to be used whether it is lighting, or electronics like sound systems in a retail store or restaurant, installation of HVAC system, video screens at a store, television and stereo system at home etc.

 

4.  Social aspect: The design of the space has a tremendous effect on the occupant of the space. A given space might lift a person’s moods by creating a warm, cheerful, happy décor or make the ambience cold, dull and monotonous for him/her. The occupant is affected by the design in the space psychologically and emotionally. Therefore, the occupant may give his preference for the colors, texture, patterns, shape, and scale to the designer to be applied on walls, flooring, furnishings, upholstery and other things. Other factors which are considered by the designer are the following:

 

i. Privacy: Everyone needs their private space at some point of time and other times like to interact with others. Keeping in mind the concept of alone space and interactive space, the designer creates spaces which cater to both needs. For instance, living rooms, dining area, kitchen are planned for entertaining and interacting as compared to bedrooms, office, study rooms which provide privacy to the occupants.

 

ii. Security and safety: It is vital for the designer to create a space for its occupants which is safe from intruders or terror, pests and wild animals, disaster such as fire by installing in cameras for monitoring, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers and at the same time secure from natural calamities like that of earthquake, flooding or harsh weather conditions which also suits the needs of occupants like a child-friendly and elderly safe place without posing any harm or discomfort to them.

 

iii. Cultural/Family bonding: The space should speak about the personality of the occupants dwelling that space. The designer might go through their traditional and cultural items like art, accessories, their family vacation pictures and photos, memorabilia, significant items, books, furnishings for inspiration and also display them tastefully in the space which ties the family space together emotionally and physically by involving memories and shared experiences.

 

  5.      Economic factor: One of the crucial factors for designing a space is the budget allotted by the clients. The budget decides the design of the space along with the scale and time required for construction. The designer carefully allots and divides finances for each sub-project to be completed from the whole design which gives him a fair idea of where and how the money would be spent. For instance, while designing a restaurant, he might allot certain budget area wise for kitchen, for dining area, waiting and bar area, storage and pantry as each area is a small project in itself. Or he might calculate the amount of bricks, cement, concrete and supplies, finishes applied, labor costs, costs of equipment, furniture and furnishings in total of the whole project. Whatever medium the designer and occupant choose for allotment of budget, they try to keep the costs down by using local and regional materials which reduce transportation costs to bring supplies from faraway place and is also sustainable. Modular or standard building components such as doors and windows could be used instead of customizing them which may increase the cost. The designer also saves the materials such as wood, tiles, stone already used which might be in a good condition and shine on with a fresh coat of paint like using old wooden kitchen cabinets by giving them a makeover by addition of new hardware-knobs, handles and modern finishes which also saves the environment and keeps on budget. However, it is not feasible to reuse worn out materials and furniture items as they might sound expensive as they might wear off due their poor quality and their replacement becomes a must.

 

Maintenance and upkeep costs are also vital so that it is convenient and cost and time saving for the occupants who would stay there. Therefore, the designer and occupant must decide upon items which require minimal maintenance such as cleaning, polishing and finishing. For instance, use of silver furniture or accessories might be blackened after use so probably; the designer could apply rust or corrosion free finish to the furniture causing less upkeep for the occupant.

 

6.    Codes, design regulations: City and state laws, regulations and codes also need to be considered by the designer before planning. For instance, for designing any home, certain percent area should be green cover, parking space, fire and other hazard regulations need to be followed. These rules and codes need to be followed while planning any design as the government and other agencies would only approve the design which is in accordance to these rules, codes and laws.

 

Conclusion

 

Thus I conclude that, this stage is significant as it forms as a base to the whole design process since it involves extensive research by the designers to shape the space as required by the client by understanding his/her preferences and needs. The designer gathers necessary information from the clients by questioning them, surveying around and ultimately scrutinizing it for feasibility. The programming stage checks for various conditions and factors for getting a better understanding about the project which prevents backtracking and waste of time.

you can view video on SEQUENTIAL OUTLINING OF THE DESIGN PROCESS

References:

 

  • 1.  Faulkner and Faulkner (1994), Inside Today’s Home, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, NewYork.
  •  Gandotra.V, Shukul.M, and Jaiswal.N, (2011) Introduction to Interior Design and Decoration, Dominant Publishers and Distributors New Delhi.
  •   Kasu,A.A,(2005), “Interior Design”, Delhi; Asha Book Center. India.
  • Rao,P.M, (2005), “ Interior Design –Visual Presentation”, USA; John Wiley and Sons.
  • Seetharaman.P.,Paannu.P (2009) , Interior Design and Decoration, CBS Publishers and Distributers Pvt Limited., Chennai India.