# Design Phases

**URL:** <https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/design-phases/3345>\
**Category:** Project Management\
**Created:** [July 22, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/design-phases/3345 "2021-07-22T19:17:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mspencer](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/24.png) [@mspencer](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/mspencer)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/design-phases/3345/1 "2021-07-22T19:17:04Z")

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What are referred to as the ‘Design Phases’?  
On the Black Spectacles flashcard #122, says it does not include Bidding & Negotiation or CA, but when it references ‘Design Phases’ in AHPP page 661, those are (as I read it) included. This difference is crucial to know during this exam (I have failed once already).

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**Author:** ![coachdarionziegler](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/community.blackspectacles.com/coachdarionziegler/32/1272_2.png) [@coachdarionziegler](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/coachdarionziegler)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/design-phases/3345/2 "2021-07-26T17:48:42Z")

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Hi @mspencer ,

I’ll do my best to help clear this up!  
What the handbook says is, “it legally describes a design process that moves through a series of five established project phases…”

It’s calling SD, DD, CD, B&N, & CA ‘project phases’.  
You can read where the AHPP specifically calls SD, DD, & CD ‘design phases’ on page 515 in the ‘design sequence’ box.

We call SD, DD, & CD ‘design phases’ because this is when the building is still on paper. Only the idea of the building exists. Then, during bidding & negotiation (for Design-bid-build) a constructor is chosen. Ideally the design is complete by this point. After the constructor is chosen the project enters the “construction phase”.

Hope this helps!  
-Darion