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British Library Centre for Conservation

London

DQI process

Starting the DQI process

The Design Quality Indicator (DQI) process was started by Drivers Jonas, the project managers, with help from Davis Langdon.  It aimed to set end user aspirations at the briefing stage and test them throughout the design development, using two mid design DQI assessments.

The same stakeholders were involved in each DQI session to ensure consistency. This group included:

  • Head of Collection Care
  • Head of Conservation Research
  • Project Sponsor
  • Conservation Manager
  • Studio Manager
  • Head of Training and Development
  • Operations Manager, Sound Archive
  • Design Manager
  • Architect
  • M & E Engineer

It was crucial that all stakeholders, especially those who had no prior experience of the design process, felt willing and able to participate in the DQI session.

Discussing everyday examples using DQI

At the briefing workshop the DQI facilitator encouraged stakeholders to think about good and bad buildings encountered in their daily lives. Stakeholders debated what makes a building successful and began to think about design and its effect on people and organisations.

Stakeholders discussed their examples in relation to the three main sections of the DQI:

  • Functionality: the arrangement, quality and the interrelationship of spaces and how the building is designed to be useful to all
  • Built quality: the engineering performance of the building, its structural stability, and the integration of safe robust systems, finishes and fittings
  • Impact: the buildings ability to create a sense of place and have a positive effect on the local community and environment

Using the DQI process to reach consensus

The DQI facilitator linked these discussions to the British Library Centre for Conservation and emphasised the need to ensure quality in all three areas.  End user consultation was emphasised as a way of ensuring that key requirements are understood and integrated into the design.

The DQI process was introduced and used to develop measurable needs and aspirations around design quality and test them throughout the project.   Stakeholders discussed DQI statements to reach consensus around priorities and aspirations.

Holding mid-design assessments

The mid design assessments included a briefing about the results of the DQI workshop and a presentation of the design by the architect.

Stakeholders were asked to evaluate this design using the DQI online questionnaire. They were encouraged to fill out the questionnaire independently to ensure that their individual perspectives were highlighted.

At the end of the session, the stakeholders discussed the results, issues, ideas and questions that were generated by the questionnaire.