GOBRADIMET is a design process framework used primarily in permaculture to help practitioners move from idea to implementation in a structured, reflective, and iterative way.
It stands for:
Goals – Observation – Boundaries – Resources – Analysis – Design – Implementation – Maintenance – Evaluation – Tweaking.
Like other frameworks such as SADIM (Survey, Analyse, Design, Implement, Maintain) or OBREDIM (Observation, Boundaries, Resources, Evaluation, Design, Implementation, Maintenance), GOBRADIMET provides a sequence of thinking steps that guide a designer through the whole design cycle, ensuring that decisions are informed by ethics, context, and feedback.
Historical Background
The GOBRADIMET framework emerged from the evolution of permaculture design education in the UK and Europe during the 1990s and 2000s.
While Bill Mollison and David Holmgren originally taught a simpler, landscape focused process (for example, OBREDIM), teachers such as Andy Goldring, Looby Macnamara, and Graham Bell began adapting and expanding these frameworks to make them more holistic, flexible, and applicable to people based and organisational systems.
- OBREDIM was one of the earliest structured design frameworks, developed by Bill Mollison and used in the Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) curriculum.
- GOBRADIMET appeared later, integrating both goal setting and evaluation and tweaking more explicitly.
- It is often taught alongside Looby Macnamara’s Design Web (from People and Permaculture) and is used by Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design students in the UK and Europe because of its comprehensive and iterative nature.
It reflects permaculture’s evolution from land based design towards social permaculture, micro enterprise, and community development applications.
Step by Step Breakdown
1. Goals
Define the vision and purpose of the design.
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What would success look like?
- How does it align with permaculture ethics (Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share)?
Example:
A community garden group might set goals such as “increase local food sovereignty,” “create a safe gathering space,” or “educate youth about soil regeneration.”
2. Observation
Immerse yourself in the context. Notice patterns, relationships, and dynamics both visible and invisible.
- Physical: soil, water, sunlight, microclimates, existing plants.
- Social: relationships, skills, time availability, motivations.
- Economic: budgets, potential yields, stakeholders.
Example:
Spending a season watching where frost settles in a garden, or noticing how community members use a space and at what times of day.
3. Boundaries
Identify constraints and limitations.
- Physical: size of land, climate, topography.
- Social: permissions, regulations, time, people’s capacity.
- Ethical: what is or is not appropriate in this context.
Example:
A land lease may prohibit permanent structures. A volunteer group might only meet monthly, limiting implementation speed.
4. Resources
Catalogue what is available to you.
- Tangible: land, tools, seeds, finances.
- Intangible: skills, community connections, enthusiasm, knowledge.
Example:
A group might have free compost from the local municipality, or a volunteer who is an experienced carpenter.
5. Analysis
Examine the relationships between goals, observations, resources, and boundaries. Identify leverage points and priorities.
- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
- Sector and zone analysis
- Input and output mapping
- Needs and yields analysis
Example:
Mapping how kitchen waste (input) can become compost (output) that supports vegetable beds, which in turn feed the volunteers.
6. Design
Synthesize everything into a coherent plan.
- Create maps, patterns, or process diagrams.
- Consider function stacking, diversity, and redundancy.
- Use permaculture principles such as “Integrate rather than segregate” and “Use small and slow solutions.”
Example:
Designing a food forest layout, or an organisational structure for a community cooperative that ensures fair work distribution.
7. Implementation
Turn the design into reality. Start small, observe, and adapt.
- Create an action plan or phased timeline.
- Allocate roles and responsibilities.
- Prototype before scaling.
Example:
Planting the first guild bed in the food forest as a pilot before rolling out to the full site.
8. Maintenance
Keep the system functional and resilient.
- Schedule regular check ins or maintenance tasks.
- Provide ongoing care for soil, plants, infrastructure, or people.
Example:
Monthly garden workdays, or regular team check ins in a social project.
9. Evaluation
Assess what is working and what is not.
- Gather feedback from stakeholders.
- Use observation and measurable indicators.
- Reflect on whether goals are being met.
Example:
Survey participants about garden yields, or review meeting participation rates in a community project.
10. Tweaking
Adapt and evolve based on feedback and learning.
- Apply permaculture’s iterative approach: “Observe and interact.”
- Make small, thoughtful changes rather than overhauls.
Example:
Adding a shaded seating area after noticing that people avoid the garden during hot afternoons.
Comparison with Other Frameworks
| Framework | Focus | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| OBREDIM | Landscape and site based design | Land projects, farms, gardens |
| SADIM | Simplified design process | Teaching beginners |
| GOBRADIMET | Comprehensive, integrates goal setting and reflection | Diploma projects, community or enterprise designs |
| Design Web (Looby Macnamara) | Non linear, people centered | Social permaculture, personal development |
GOBRADIMET adds explicit front end (Goals) and back end (Evaluation and Tweaking) steps, making it cyclical and ideal for long term or adaptive projects.
Practical Examples
1. Land Based Example – Forest Garden
- Goal: Create a productive, educational demonstration garden.
- Observation: Sunniest areas near the house, clay soil, irrigation available.
- Boundaries: Limited budget, local regulations on water use.
- Resources: Volunteer group, compost, access to permaculture course.
- Analysis: Needs and yields mapping, sun and water sectors.
- Design: Food forest with layered planting and paths.
- Implementation: Year 1 pioneer species, Year 2 canopy layer.
- Maintenance: Watering schedule, mulch rotation.
- Evaluation: Growth rate, species survival, engagement levels.
- Tweaking: Introduce more drought tolerant plants.
2. Social Example – Permaculture Education Collective
- Goal: Create a cooperative of local teachers to share resources and design joint courses.
- Observation: Many teachers working alone, overlapping audiences.
- Boundaries: Time constraints, differing teaching styles.
- Resources: Shared online tools, meeting space, existing mailing lists.
- Analysis: Map shared values and unique offerings.
- Design: Rotational teaching schedule and shared income model.
- Implementation: Pilot with one course series.
- Maintenance: Monthly feedback meetings.
- Evaluation: Student satisfaction, financial flow.
- Tweaking: Adjust income distribution to improve fairness.
Why It Is Valuable
GOBRADIMET reflects permaculture’s maturity and its evolution from static plans toward living systems design. It embodies the principles of feedback, adaptability, and cooperation.
It works equally well for land based, social, or economic designs, making it one of the most versatile frameworks for modern permaculture practitioners, particularly those completing the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design or leading community based initiatives.