IDIAMM

10 steps to design that every student should strive to do and be industry ready:

1. Demonstrate you understand the brief. Abstract key information about the client, the room quantities, space association with functionality, ergonomics and SQM required as well as budget impact and tiering.
2. Demonstrate a Space plan that works.
Note and justify while every room / space sits confirming both SQM that is correct for the functionality internally as well as associated rooms / spaces as well as being building regulation compliant
3. Demonstrate Tiering and budget constraints
Design with a break down of room tiers taking into account priority for user, essential for BOH and functionality while considering budgets and finishes as well as detailing required
4. Demonstrate concept to construction
Show the concept of your design from a visual detailing approach can be developed into shop drawings and consider tiering of the spaces to feed down visually and budget wise
5. Demonstrate Imagination, reality and buildability
Show your creativity in the big idea and space while turning a space into a realistic design and still having great ideas in the smaller aspects, all while actually being buildable
6. Demonstrate acoustics and IT / AV etc
Show real understanding by detailing different dB wall standards and where to better the quality of noise transfer and functionality while also incorporating IT/AV to really demonstrate first worls thinking of how the space will be used and why
7. Demonstrate how a building lives and breaths with some outline of M&E
Show you see beyond the pretty elements of design by indicating plumbing principles, sockets, switches, comms rooms, risers, etc so that your building is based on reality. Show how the building is heated and cooled as a principle, while also taking into account fire safety, travel distances, running man signage plus access panels etc where applicable
8. Demonstrate you think further down the road
Design something and really think it through. Show you have considered every aspect of your design down to the installation of key aspects of your design (you know how many pieces it needs to come in to get it through the door/stairwell) and how it will be maintained/cleaned in the future by the FM team
9. Demonstrate you can sell sell sell
Prove you can sell your abilities to land the job, land the client, sell the concept and get it built. Design is more than sketches, it’s about rapport, it’s about communicating across multiple design ability levels and more importantly it’s about landing the pitch. Prove your worth by landing the job
10. Demonstrate you are proactive, productive, problem solver and a positive thinker
Show your determination to over come challenges, see issues and resolve them via SOARs, meet the time lines via Gant charts, DTMs to show progress and time management and more…