Email: create@emoceanstudios.com.au
Phone: 1800 912 029
Any design can only be as good as the brief it was developed from. Too general and the design runs the risk of missing the mark, too complicated and it wont allow the design to be open enough to inspire ideas and explore opportunities.
This is why writing an awesome creative brief is super important, not only for the designer but also for you, our clients! It allows you to get the most value for money from our services and ensure that the end design is something that fulfils your goal.
To help organise everything you need to know, and pass onto your designer for your project, we’ve put together a template design brief. This will help articulate your ideas and also draw attention to the things you may not have thought about previously.
+ To get the most out of what you’re about to learn, be sure to check out the Free Downloads at the end of this article.
While this is self-explanatory, the project title is important as it allows the designer to easily recall your project, especially if you have multiple active projects in the mix. Something brief yet specific is great, e.g. 2017 A5 Tour Flyers.
This is also straightforward, but vital, as it allows your designer to start forming ideas about how the project will take shape and also consider the constraints of the medium. Specifying the type of project is important for projects that have multiple components e.g. a flyer design that also requires printing and distribution.
Above all, this is the most important point to consider when putting together your brief. Without a goal, there is no clear purpose to the project. A goal will help to dictate important components of the design such as, the hierarchy of information, call to action, placement of content, image choices etc.
The best goals can be measured in order to see if they have been reached and, ultimately, determine if your project has been successful. An example of a good measurable goal for your project may be “To increase online sales by 30% within the next 6 months” for a website redesign project.
This is a solid goal as it outlines a value and a designated timeline to the goal. Once the timeframe is up, the goal can then be measured as successful/unsuccessful. You can learn from this experience and review the campaign in order to improve it next time.
+ Learn how to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R more achievable goals.
Now this is where you need to get creative and spill the beans with as much detail as possible. The more information you include here the better understanding your agency will have of your project you require. Below is a list of ideas to get you started with the Project Details section of your design brief….
This is often the part of a project that many clients are concerned about, as to how long it will take from initial concept to completion. Timeframes are important, as a project may be required for a certain deadline whether it be an event, magazine or product launch etc.
Firstly, ensure that you’re familiar with any deadlines that you need to adhere to and let the designer know upfront. It is always best to make this clear at the beginning, rather than letting them know halfway through that you now ‘need it by tomorrow!.’
Your agency will always do their best to accommodate your deadline, however sometimes it is just not possible to move a project through to 100% completion in very short amounts of time. For example, there is a lot of testing and calibrating of colours which occurs once an annual report has been designed. While the report may appear to be finished, proof reading is essential, to avoid any printed errors.
Another benefit of adding your deadline is that it helps your agency keep you on track. All design agencies understand that you’re super busy, and you’re only human, so part of our job as your design agency is to keep you on track as well. So if a project becomes less important or is placed on hold throughout the design process – just let your designer or project manager know, most of the time they’re be happy to update deadlines for you.
Over the page you’ll find an electronic version the Emocean Studios Design Brief to use for your next design project in order to get the most out of it.
