Briefing may appear like a simple exercise involving sitting down with the client and making a note of what he or she wants from the project. And it can indeed be that simple in small projects, or even in large projects with professional clients who know exactly they want. But most projects are not like that. In most projects, clients start out with vague ideas and a limited understanding of the challenges that lie ahead. Before being able to formulate a clear brief, they need time to familiarize themselves with the projects possibilities and limitations and their role in it. They will also need time to develop their ideas for the project by looking at other projects, thinking about future developments, examining their own organization, talking to experts, and chewing over their ideas prior to formalizing them. Furthermore, time will be needed to engage with the projects stakeholders. The larger projects often involve a diversity of stakeholderstop decision makers, project sponsors, various kinds of end users, special interest groups. All these groups will want to have a say about the project, and they will not necessarily agree with one other. Time will be needed for dialogue, getting to know the stakeholders concerns, managing their expectations, and creating a shared vision for the project. All this makes the briefing process more than just a matter of producing a list of requirements. It is a gradual and iterative development process, with a strong social component, that needs explicit management. Putting time and effort into this process will be worthwhile, because it will result in a more settled and mature brief, which reduces the risk of miscommunication and unwelcome surprises during the design process.In this chapter, we further elucidate the nature of the briefing process by viewing it successively as:-a stakeholder process-a decision-making process-a learning process-a research process-a change process-a communication process 13