What A Week! | If It's Not Documented, It's Not Designed: The Design Intent Gap

This episode explores the idea behind the Design Intent Gap and why ambiguity in construction documentation continues to create confusion across the industry. The conversation centers on the premise that design intent should be treated as a clear project deliverable, not something implied through drawings and specifications. When the reasoning behind decisions is not documented, contractors, estimators, and suppliers are left to interpret the intent themselves, which can lead to inaccurate pricing, unnecessary value engineering, and misaligned expectations. The team discusses how documenting system requirements, performance criteria, and the rationale behind decisions provides transparency and keeps project teams aligned as design evolves. Ultimately, the episode calls on the industry to rethink how design intent is captured so projects can move forward with greater clarity, collaboration, and confidence. 

The Design Intent Gap initiative invites industry professionals to review the manifesto and consider how clearer documentation can improve project outcomes ➡️ Design Intent Gap

Learning Points

• Industry insight:  Ambiguity in design documentation forces contractors, estimators, and suppliers to fill in the gaps, often leading to inaccurate pricing and unnecessary project friction. 
  
• Practice takeaway:  Treat design intent as a formal deliverable that records decisions, criteria, and the reasoning behind them. 
• Process lesson:  Documenting system requirements and performance criteria early creates a transparent decision trail that prevents teams from revisiting previously resolved design questions. 
• Risk or opportunity:  When design intent is not clearly documented, projects risk redesign, delays, and budget impacts. A structured framework for capturing intent improves collaboration and supports better decision-making across the team. 
• People & Culture: Transparency around design decisions builds trust across architects, engineers, contractors, and owners, helping the entire team move forward with shared understanding.