The client brief

So, you’ve interviewed the client and taken notes. Now, you need to work out what is really important to the client. We’re looking for the critical points without which the client won’t “see themselves” in the design and will be unlikely to give you the go-ahead.

During the interview, you used open questions to avoid getting drawn into the specifics of the design, and our client brief is no different. We don’t want to give away what we think the design will look like. So, we’ll stay away from comments like “the design will be entirely rectilinear”, or “maple trees will be used throughout”. Even though you probably have some good ideas about what to include in the design, these may well change as you work through the design process.

Instead, we need to explain what it will do for the client (how it will solve the problems they currently face) and give them a feel for what it will be like to be in the garden.

Generally, the most important things relate to how the client wants to use the garden. Secondary to this are the conditions that need to be adjusted to make those spaces more enjoyable. 

Thirdly, it is worth noting any legal constraints that you’re aware of and acknowledging that these will be addressed through your design. This gives the client confidence in your professional abilities. 

Go back to the notes you made from the video where Chris interviewed Genevieve and use those to answer the following questions.

The client brief is written as a letter with the following key parts:

• the date
• the client’s name and address
• an introduction
• the key elements that the design needs to include
• any legal considerations
• a call to action
• the designer’s sign-off.

Established designers will usually also include a copy of their terms and conditions. 

For this programme you don’t need to mention the terms and conditions, but again reiterate to the client that this is because you’re still learning.

Sell it!

The client brief forms an agreement between the client and the designer, but it is also an opportunity to put the client “in the design”. 

Remember we talked about empathising with the client? Well now is your chance to give them a feeling of what’s to come; to really “sell” your services. 

Use emotive language that matches what they want from the design. For example, you could describe a garden room as:

• peaceful, serene, or relaxing
• a place to kick back with a glass of wine and enjoy the last rays of sunshine
• intimate, cosy, or warm
• the perfect spot to wrap up in a blanket and roast marshmallows with your grandchildren over the embers of the fire pit.

Here is a client brief template that you may like to use. Please note that we’ll talk about how to use templates in the following topic, so you may like to read ahead and then come back here to download this template: Client Brief Template.

Activity - Writing and revising a client brief

Use the above template to write a client brief for Genevieve based on your notes from the interview video. 

Come back to this a day later and reread the brief. Revise it if you think you can improve it. 

Once you’ve revised it, take a look at the client brief we developed for Genevieve, and see if you covered the same key information. You can find this at the end of this module.

Keep a copy of your interview notes as well as the client brief to refer back to later. Either store them in a folder, like a ring binder or clear file, or scan or photograph them and save them on your computer.

And now that you have the brief, you need to provide it to the client. You may choose to send it to the client by email, by post, or deliver it to them. The advantage of delivering it in person is that it’s another opportunity to connect with the client on a personal level.

Give them time, but follow up.

However you choose to deliver it, provide them with a reasonable period of time to read it and consider the brief. They may want to discuss it with other members of their whānau.

If you haven’t heard from them within a week, it’s a good idea to give them a call. If you sent the brief to them by post, it may have taken a few days to arrive, and if you did it by email it may have ended up in their junk/spam folder.

Ask them if they’ve had a chance to read the brief. If they have, ask them if it accurately reflects the key things they want in their new garden. If they want any changes made, take their feedback and revise the brief and provide them with an updated copy within a day or two.

Use the active listening techniques you’ve developed and respond appropriately and professionally.

That’s the end of this topic. By now, you'll be able to:

• Determine the key requirements that need to be included in a landscape design based on the client interview.
• Use the template provided to produce a client brief that outlines these requirements and “sells” the design aspirations.
• Communicate the brief to the client in a professional manner.

Download the sample client brief from the activity earlier in this topic. You can then compare it to what you wrote down. 

Client Brief for Genevieve.

And that’s it! We’ve reached the end of the learning materials for this module. By now, you should be ready to tackle the assessment, which involves: 

1. selecting a flat, urban/residential site that a client wants landscaped 
2. interviewing the client to determine their design requirements
3. writing up the interview notes as a client brief 
4. providing the design brief to the client for validation that it accurately reflects their requirements
5. submitting the completed client brief signed by the client.