Although many people seem to think the first step in designing something is a plan, it should actually be the program from which the plan is generated. I don’t mean the CAD program that will be used to draw the plan, but rather the set of “rules” that the new design should follow. For example, the intended uses (including “visual”) should be laid out. How public/private should the new spaces be? How large should the entertainment zones be? How many people will be using them at once and how often?
All these things form the basis for a design that responds to the client’s needs – before a plan is even started.