The programming phase is the initial information-gathering and analysis stage of the design process. Its primary purpose is to thoroughly understand and document the client's goals, functional requirements, and project constraints. The final deliverable of this phase is a comprehensive written document, often called the "program" or "programming report." This document synthesizes all research and serves as the foundational guide for all subsequent design phases. It explicitly describes the project's needs, including spatial adjacencies, user requirements, and project goals, before any design solutions are developed.

A. A space plan: A space plan is a design solution that is developed during the Schematic Design phase, which occurs after the programming phase is complete.

C. A client contract and scope of work: The contract and scope of work are legal and business documents established at the very beginning of the project, typically before the programming phase begins.

D. A summary of furniture and equipment needs: While a list of furniture and equipment requirements is a component of the program, it is only one part. The "description of program needs" is the all-encompassing final deliverable.

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1. Piotrowski

C. M. (2014). Professional Practice for Interior Designers (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. In Chapter 11

"The Design Process and Project Management

" the programming phase is described as the information-gathering stage

culminating in a "written program document" that summarizes all client requirements and project parameters (pp. 268-269).

2. Ballast

D. K. (2018). Interior Design Reference Manual: Everything You Need to Know to Pass the NCIDQ Exam (6th ed.). Professional Publications

Inc. Chapter 8

"Programming

" states

"The programming process should produce a written document... This document details the information gathered and the analysis and conclusions of the programmer" (p. 8-1). This document is the definitive statement of project requirements.

3. Karlen

M.

& Ben-Roth

R. (2017). Lighting for Interior Design. John Wiley & Sons. In Chapter 1

"The Design Process

" the authors outline the standard project phases

identifying Programming as the first phase where the "scope and needs of the project are identified." The outcome is a program that guides the subsequent Schematic Design phase

where space plans are created (p. 12).