What is the purpose of a design brief?

The purpose of a design brief is fundamentally to provide a clear framework for the design process, which involves identifying the problem at hand, defining criteria that the solution must meet, and outlining any constraints that could affect the design. This initial step is crucial in engineering and design as it ensures that all team members have a clear understanding of the goals and boundaries of the project. The design brief serves as a guiding document that helps to focus the efforts of the team towards creating an effective and innovative solution that addresses the specific needs of the project.

In contrast, creating a full-scale model for testing typically occurs later in the design process once a concept has been developed, thus it is not the purpose of the design brief. Documenting the chronological work of an engineer relates more to project management or documentation practices rather than the initial stages of design planning. Outlining the advantages of a completed design speaks to the evaluation phase that comes after the design has been drafted and tested, rather than the foundational purpose served by a design brief.