Your design brief
Setting Out · Phase 02 — First contact and the brief
Who uses the garden, and how
One row per person or animal. Not "family of four" — how old the kids are now, whether the dog digs, who does the maintenance, where you actually sit in January versus July.
| Who | How they use the garden |
|---|---|
The must-haves
One line each, with what it is for. "Shade over the western end of the alfresco, because it is unusable after 3pm from November to March" is briefable. "Pergola" is not.
The explicit exclusions
What you are deliberately NOT doing. No pool, no water feature, no synthetic turf, verge out of scope this stage. Every one you write down is an argument you do not have to have later.
The budget for the brief
The total number, contingency included. Carry it across from the money conversation rather than picking a fresh one here.
The staging
If the money will not cover everything, which stage each element sits in and what has to be built first so later stages do not require demolition.
The maintenance level you will realistically sustain
Hours per month, not adjectives. "Two hours a fortnight, no hedge trimming, no seasonal replanting" is a constraint. "Low maintenance" is not.
The style direction
Name it in language a landscaper will recognise — "coastal, not cottage" — and say what you like about it, plus any materials you will not accept.
The three things that would make you call the project a failure
Three specific outcomes, written so someone standing in the garden in two years can answer yes or no.