In the process of erecting a building, the precursory design and planning stage is of paramount importance. The foremost managing tool during this stage constitutes of the design guidelines, established by the developer. This report contains a study of how to model said guidelines to achieve a more effective way of working, without compromising the final product, produced at the request of Swedish housing developer Småa AB. The study is based on a series of interviews, where persons involved in the design and planning stage have been asked to share their experiences and opinions about the process and how it affects the end result. The study is based on a series of interviews, where persons involved in the planning and design stage have been asked to share their experiences and opinions regarding the development process and how it affects the end result. During the processing of the collected material, three distinct subject areas emerged; the importance of clear design guidelines, what the design guidelines should cover and how to ensure the quality of the product. Based on these subject areas, the authors have devised a set of recommendations to ensure an effective working method and the quality of the end result.