A Guide to Describing Your Commission

Describe the purpose in one sentence

Start with what you want the object to do in the life of the room. You might be considering a dining table for everyday family use, a desk that becomes the visual centre of a study, or a reception piece that introduces a space to visitors. A plain sentence about purpose gives the design conversation direction before you reach for a particular finish, shape or style label.

Add the practical situations that make this project different. Perhaps existing chairs must remain, the room has another use at weekends, or the piece will be seen mainly from an adjoining area. These details are not small distractions from the creative brief. They explain the context in which the eventual design needs to be assessed and help separate an essential requirement from a passing preference.

Show what is measured and what is proposed

List the measurements you actually know, with explicit units and clear labels for width, depth and height. Keep room measurements separate from proposed object dimensions. If something is an estimate, say so. A short annotated sketch can be more useful than several numbers in a message when it shows exactly which opening, wall or existing item each measurement describes.

Annotate the references you bring

Select a few references and write one reason for each. You may like the direction of a grain pattern, the quietness of a base or the balance between two surface areas. That reason is the important part of the reference. Without it, someone reading the brief may assume you want the whole object, including details you had barely noticed or would actively prefer to change.

Explain the practical context

A useful first brief identifies the general project location, intended placement and any access conditions already known. A narrow turn, a lift or a route shared with other work may raise questions that need investigation. Describe the situation rather than promising that delivery will be simple. The actual route and handling arrangements require the relevant people to assess the specific object and site.

Mention related decisions that are still in progress. Flooring, fixed joinery or room layout changes can affect what information is available and when. If an architect or interior designer is involved, identify the coordination role without assuming that one person has approved every part of the proposal. The purpose is to make dependencies visible early, so the design conversation is based on the same understanding of the project.

Give timing and budget their context

Explain any date that influences the enquiry and why it matters. An intended move, event or stage of building work is useful context, but it is not a confirmed production or delivery date. Ask what the studio needs to review before it can discuss a realistic sequence. Keep preferred timing separate from any timing that has actually been agreed through the real project process.

End with questions someone can answer

Read the brief once as if you were seeing the project for the first time. Can you identify the intended use, the known dimensions, the visual direction and the unresolved constraints? Remove repeated adjectives and retain the observations that explain them. Then write the next questions plainly: what should be measured next, which options are worth exploring and what information is needed to discuss a specification?