Design Review Services

- Don Norman, The Design of Everyday Things

“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible,”

Design review is a valuable process that assists projects in meeting high-quality urban design, architectural and CPTED expectations while identifying opportunities for improvement. At The Design Partnership, we provide design review services in multiple ways, such as acting as an independent design review panel for public and private developments to review your designs.

Our expertise includes developing design guidelines, reviewing proposals to identify alignment with best-practice principles, and enforcing existing frameworks where required. As a member of three urban design review panels for local government, we bring a depth of experience in considering developments at various scales.

Design review is not just about compliance - it’s an opportunity to gain a fresh perspective, identify what’s missing, and refine a project to achieve the best possible outcome. This service can be valuable for small businesses and developers who may not have a large internal design team and may need additional expert input to strengthen their project’s design quality, safety, and functionality.

The Design Partnership Approach

At The Design Partnership, our design review services are flexible and customised to the needs of each project. We offer project-specific design reviews, so assit in developments meeting high-quality urban design and CPTED principles.

We can act as an independent design review panel, providing an objective assessment of developments against established guidelines. If there are no preexisting guidelineswe can develop tailored Design Guidelines to set a clear framework for future projects, such as the design guidelines we prepared for Magenta Shores. Alternatively, we can work within existing guidelines, ensuring proposed developments align with planning objectives and best practices, such as our role in The Ponds as the Design Review Panel.

We offer project-specific design reviews to identify opportunities, address potential issues, and improve outcomes before approval or construction. This is ideal for small businesses and developers needing expert input without a large team.

Design review is also a core part of our CPTED services. Every CPTED project we undertake includes a design review to assess risk, improve safety, and enhance usability - ensuring spaces are compliant, functional, secure, and well-integrated into their surroundings.

Design Review Experience & Expertise

Kristy Cianci is an architect and urban designer. NSW ARB. No. 9254.

Kristy Cianci sits on three Urban Design Review Panels for local government where in addition to her role as an Urban Designer and Architect, Kristy undertakes CPTED review of projects.

Kristy Cianci is an expert witness in the Land and Environment Court for CPTED related matters.