Design Research

Although you may not quite be at the stage of designing and drawing up plans for your project, there's plenty of design research that you can (and should) do now, earlier on in your project.

Making decisions based on the research you carry out at this stage can help by

giving your home design direction
providing guidance on home design decisions
enabling you to include the implications of the decisions you make in your budget.

Decisions you make now can be included in your goals and your design brief which in turn means they'll be represented in your design and in your home when it's built.

Time spent doing research also means that you'll be better equiped to engage with your project team and make decisions collaboratively and in line with your project budget.

In particular it's time to start researching and making decisions about...

House Styles

You may have ambitions for your home design to be very unique, or you may have your eye on a particular style for your home.

Either way, getting to know some house styles will give you a bit of a design education. You'll start to appreciate how different design elements work together to make up the style of a home.

Home Design Philosophies

In addition to your site, your project delivery strategy, and the functional and aesthetic aspects of your new home, you might also be thinking about other home design philosophies or approaches (values / qualities - wasn't sure what to call it!) for your new home such as...

Construction Methods

Many of you will be sticking with traditional wooden frame or brick homes. Others of you may be looking to build using a more unconventional construction method. Now's the time to start learning a bit more about how your home will be built, particularly if you might need a specialty builder.

Home Systems

Here's a list of systems to start researching (in no particular order)...

HVAC
Fireplaces
Plumbing
Air Quality
Ventilation
Water filtration
Water conservation
Internet and wi-fi
Security systems
Detetectors

TV - cable / satellite
Home theater
Sound system
Land line phone
Lighting controls
Central vacuum
Outdoor irrigation]
Pool
Electricty - production and storage

Building Science

Building science isn't a topic you'll see raised very often in the likes of decorating magazines. HousePlansHelper has always been about the design under the decoration. You want your home to be comfortable, at the right temperature, not damp and free of drafts or with a lovely breeze depending on your climate.

Learning a bit about air and moisture control might seem a bit like going back to high school, but believe me, if you say just a few knowledgable words about it to your contractor, they'll think twice before short changing you on membranes or insulation knowing that you're on the ball.

Keep a record

When you're gonig through your research, make notes. Take a look back at Getting Organized for advice on good research apps for note taking and keeping.
Is any decision you've made big enough that you need to go back and amend your goals?
It's very likely that you've made some decisions that should be included in your design brief.
Do any decisions that you've made during this design research step have implications for your role on the project, your team or choosing your design professional? Getting the right people with knowledge in any specialist construction methods, design philosophies, home systems etc is key.