The design process begins with a product Brief. The brief is expected to be concise and clear. The brief makes it known available resources to the designer as to what infrastructure is available and the expected product cost. The brief also makes it known the constraints within which the design must be carried out. For example, the designer should know whether the work could include both Fabrication and Forming or should it be limited to either one of them. The designer should know for whom the product is aimed at so that design thinking can be narrowed down to fewer variables.

Design Brief is expected to clarify all that is to be clarified about the product. To name a few:

• Industrial Product or Consumer Product
• Batch production or mass production
• Life expectancy
• Standards to follow

These have bearings on the type of materials and processes to be chosen and the cost of production.