Preparing a commission brief

Writing a short description before adding images

A short written description tests whether a reference collection communicates a coherent idea.

Wide dining-table visualization with a blue channel, chairs and a window view — Design visualization — a reference for this discussion, not a completed project or a rendering of the proposed brief.

By RivyaLivingArt · 2 minute read

The question behind the worksheet

A short written description tests whether a reference collection communicates a coherent idea. It can reveal a missing purpose before more images are added.

Work through the observation

Write the intended use, the leading visual relationship and one unresolved question in three sentences. Then attach only the images that explain those sentences. If an image introduces a new direction, either explain it or keep it as a separate alternative.

A worked example to compare

A description of a quiet hallway focal point may not need a dramatic dining-room image unless a specific detail from it is being referenced.

Questions to put in your notes

Use these prompts to produce a short record you can revisit. Date the sheet, identify the reference you used and leave unknowns explicitly unanswered. Keep site facts, personal preferences and requests for confirmation separate.

Can the idea be understood without images?
Does every image support it?
What question should the atelier answer first?

What this exercise cannot establish

The description begins a discussion; it does not book work or replace a quotation and approved design.

Choose the next question

Keep the resulting note with your current brief. Before sending it, check that it explains one decision clearly and does not turn a preference into an agreed detail. Use the current linked page for the relevant website guidance, and bring any piece-specific uncertainty to the atelier.

Read the related guidance ↗

Begin your piece Return to the journal