Design Checking - Sole Director/Designer 5

[Wiseel]

Hi guys,

I'm a design engineer, planning a design consultancy start-up business where i would be the sole director/designer.

My question is about design checking. Coming from a design team, where a colleague would check work before being issued to a client, my question is, how does anyone else in a similar situation operate when you don't have any colleagues to check your work?

I'm familiar with BS 59 75 which outlines the different levels of check, and the relationship between designer and checker for various levels of complexity. According to this, even the most very basic of design should be checked by someone else... so, based on this, i couldn't really issue only self-checked work?

If so, should i assume that all my work needs to be checked by another designer (which would have to be a hird party), and automatically make an allowance for this in my prices?

Or, could i put the responsibiltiy and onus for the check on to the client? Although this would mean issuing work 'unchecked' (which i would never do), or, issuing it as checked by myself.

Might be a silly question. I'm sure there are other sole-designers out there, would love to hear how y'all manage.

Thanks

Wiseel

 

[Aesur]

Not familiar with I assume England? In the US many sole practitioners check and release their own work.

 

[Lomarandil]

The most important pieces: know your limitations, and sleep on everything.

You will likely be pressured to accept work outside your area of truest expertise. We can take small steps into new areas (it's how we learn), but at some point you'll have to say no and defer the client to another engineer. That's hard for most of us.

And never, never send something rushed or at the end of a day. I've put projects aside for a week just to clear my head and make sure I could review more objectively.

----
just call me Lo.

 

[NorthCivil]

And never, never send something rushed or at the end of a day. I've put projects aside for a week just to clear my head and make sure I could review more objectively.

this is a great one. I always format big deliverables, get them ready to send out. Then put it aside for the day, and have a last look at it the next morning before i send it out.

its all about headspace. when you are cranking out a design, your mind is racing. the next morning, i will start the day calmly. thats the best time to review.

 

[skeletron]

I think the external check should be reflected in the prices somehow. Whether this external check is sending it to your reviewer, or you perform a documented self-check, it is still time that should be accounted for via fee. Probably a lot of variables and discretion at play depending on your background and scope of work.

 

[rowingengineer]

We support a few smaller guys, when things get a bit complex they sent them our way for a secondary check, generally we follow the NZ PS2 setup for this service and how we document it, even if the job is in Aust. We generally have a set percent of design fee they work out, that they can add at the start of the project to the fee proposal they submit.

 

[Ussuri]

BS 5975 is the falsework design code?

 

[SnTMan]

Or, could i put the responsibiltiy and onus for the check on to the client?

Absolutely not.

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[Joe591]

I think it depends on the size of the job and the consequences of failure. If loss of life is a likely consequence of failure and it is a very complex job it might be better to send it to a third party for a "Design Review". It does cost money though.