First step of the six-step design process?

• A. Schematic design
• B. Initial client contact
• C. Design development
• D. Programming

Answer: (B)

Beginning the process with establishing the client relationship and a basic project brief is what starts the design workflow. The initial contact is where you learn who is involved, what the goals are, the budget and timeline, site information, and any constraints. This moment sets the permission and direction to proceed, and it seeds the entire project with a shared understanding of what’s to be achieved.

After that conversation, the next phase (programming) translates those discussions into concrete space requirements, relationships, and performance criteria. Only then do you move into schematic design to explore concepts, followed by design development to refine those ideas and produce more detailed plans. Without that initial contact to define the scope and goals, you wouldn’t have a clear program or brief to base the rest of the design work on, making the early steps unreliable.