In this series, we’ll discuss the important steps in achieving a successful office fitout. In the last post, we examined your existing space, asked your team the right questions and established your organisational priorities.

With all of this information in hand, the next step on the path to your successful new office fitout is getting your brief right.
A good brief, the design and technical instructions you’re going to give your fitout specialist, needs to be clear and comprehensive. This means nothing is left to assumptions or guesses and prevents the sometimes painful cycle of misunderstood communication.

A strong brief will serve you well throughout the fitout process as you and your fitout specialist keep coming back to it to check you’re on track.

Your brief will spell out:

1. Overall vision and objectives for the new space.
   
2. Needs and expectations of the new space.
   
3. Brand values: how will your space characterise your brand and how will your space align with your company beliefs? This will also shape design, or ‘look and feel’.
   
4. Technology – work with your IT team to establish exactly what’s required with regards to data cabling, wireless networks, servers, computers, printers etc. Do these need separate rooms in your new space? It’s also important to determine when these elements are affected as they impact the day-to-day of your employees.
   
5. Specialist requirements – are there any special considerations determined by the nature of your work that need to be considered? For example, security, access, storage or specialist on-site facilities (such as industrial kitchens or laboratories) may be impacted.
6. Environmentally friendly – amp up your green credentials by considering your energy usage, the balance of natural and artificial light, water usage, waste disposal and the kinds of materials used in any construction.
   
7. Pros and cons of your new space – are there particular features (such as the building’s heritage or open space) you’d like to highlight? Or maybe there are features you would like to downplay as much as possible?

Get it all down and be as specific as possible. With a good solid brief in place you’re ready to move on to the next stage with your office fitout specialist.