Design Project Management

This is a guide to contracting and working with designers, and managing design projects proactively through to successful completion. The book provides guidance for clients on simultaneously optimizing the business outcome and the creative opportunity of a design project by getting the best from a design project team through leadership, team building, mutual understanding and good communication. It also gives professional guidance to design and architecture students, and can help design consultants to ensure that they and their clients are doing everything right. The text takes you through the whole design project from setting business objectives and design parameters, preparation of briefing documentation, short listing design consultants and evaluating concept design proposals and fees, to preparing forms of appointment and assembling in-house and "external" project teams. The author explains how best to establish and meet project objectives, select works contractors and sub-contractors, and administer tenders and contracts. Advice on balancing and monitoring costs and resources, progress and financial reporting, and change control mechanisms is also given. To highlight typical problems and their solutions the author quotes case study examples from interiors, exhibition, refurbishment and multidisciplinary projects. Public and private sector managers involved in building services, retail, leisure, exhibition and office schemes will find this book saves them time and money, whether or not they have an in-house design team.