5.1 Identifying and setting the client’s limits

Question 1

What is an important question to ask the client to begin identifying and setting the client’s limits?

Answer 1

An important question to ask the client to begin identifying and setting the client’s limits is the following:

Are there things or circumstances you want us to avoid?

This question might also be phrased in terms of boundaries the client does not want to be crossed, limits not be exceeded, or numbers to be treated as “hard caps”.

Question 2

Define and explain constraints.

Answer 2

Constraints

• Limits or restrictions on the design’s behaviors or attributes
• Typically framed as a binary yes-or-no choice
  
  • For example: a ladder material is a conductor or it is not.
• Any (and all) designs that violate these limits are unacceptable.
• Limit the size of a design space by forcing the exclusion of unacceptable alternatives.

Question 3

Why are constraints important to the design process?

Answer 3

Constraints are important to the design process because they limit the size of a design space by forcing the exclusion of unacceptable alternatives.

Question 4

Note an example of a list of constraints in OCFM table format.

Answer 4