What process involves creating a detailed description of the design problem?

The process that involves creating a detailed description of the design problem is programming. In the context of architecture and design, programming is the first step in the design process where the needs, goals, and constraints of a project are gathered and articulated. This typically includes a comprehensive assessment of requirements including functional relationships, spatial relationships, and user expectations.

Effective programming sets the stage for the rest of the design process by ensuring that the design team fully understands the issues and challenges that the project must address. It often entails gathering information from clients, stakeholders, and site analyses, which play a crucial role in formulating a clear and actionable design brief.

Other processes, such as analysis, evaluation, and specification, follow different objectives. Analysis refers to breaking down complex information to understand the components, evaluation typically involves assessing designs against certain criteria after they are created, and specification outlines the specific details or criteria that materials and processes must meet, rather than describing the overall design problem itself.