Creat a "Design Brief" Template to supply to your potential future clients.
It should include:
1. Your company name, and information.
2. Your logo.
3. Questions listed in previous Design Brief post.
August 30, 2009
Design Brief
A design brief is a document used by creative professionals and agencies to develop creative deliverables: visual design, copy, advertising, web sites, etc. The document is usually developed by the requester/client (in most cases a marketing team member) and approved by the creative team of designers, writers, and project managers. In some cases, the project's design brief may need creative director approval before work will commence.
The design brief, consisting of a series of simple questions asked by the creative team and answered by the requester/client, becomes the guidepost for the development of the creative deliverable. As with many strategic documents, if the project goes off track referring back to this mutually agreed upon document to see where the divergence began is helpful.
Design briefs can come in many formats and are usually tailored to the agency or group that is developing the creative deliverable. They know which questions (and answers) are of paramount importance to them in order to deliver a high-quality creative execution.
Your design can only be as good as the brief you worked from. The best projects are borne from briefs that are open enough to inspire ideas, while being specific enough to feel workable.
Picture the scene. You've just landed a new client, who hurries a brief to you for a marketing brochure. There are a few holes in the brief, but instead of asking for constant clarification, you get to work. Later you’re told the design “isn't quite right”. Before you know it, the client is refusing to pay.
This is a common scenario for many freelance designers. Ambiguous design briefs are infuriating. What’s worse, clients who set you up to fail often go away thinking you messed up.
So what can you do to avoid this?
The only way is to formalize the briefing procedure using a "Design Brief" or "Client Brief".
Unfortunately, clients who aren't familiar with the design process don’t see carefully-written briefs as a high priority. This may be because they don’t have time. Quite often, it’s because the client hasn't made fundamental decisions about the objectives of their marketing collateral.
By supplying your client with a briefing template and briefing tips, like the ones below, you can elicit the information you need from a few carefully crafted questions. You may even draw attention to the things your client hasn't thought of—like “Have I got all the artwork my designer needs?” or even in some cases “Who am I targeting with this item?”
A formal handover template gives you the opportunity to offer a few pointers, so the client learns how to get the most from your talent. It’s a frame of reference when you meet to discuss the assignment, and a point of review if your first proofs don’t pass muster.
Remind your client that a formal design brief is not unnecessary red tape. It’s there to ensure your client gets value for money from your service. The trick is to educate your clients without patronizing or victimizing them.
Maybe post the templates on your website and offer a link to them in your email correspondence. Make the templates subliminally accessible for your clients.
You should make that Design Brief a priority on every project.
Good things to include in your design brief:
1. Title of item.
2. Delivery mechanism and marketing objectives.
3. Format.
3. Budget and schedule.
4. What are you providing the designer with: Product shots, website screen shots, photographs, diagrams, etc. (Check these are high - resolution.)
5. General description of format: Describe any formatting issues you have arranged with the printer.
6. Description of target audience: Occupation, gender ratio, average age, nationality/location, psychological demographic, lifestyle preferences.
7. Message objectives: Hierarchy of copy messages, treatment of headlines, body copy, visuals, product samples, call-to-action.
8. Where to look for inspiration: Give brief examples of style / overall look you want the item to achieve. What aspects of the product or branding can be used as a starting point for the design?
What feelings or metaphors reflect the spirit of your product or company?
9. What not to do: Also give examples of what the design shouldn't include and what styles to avoid.
Tips for briefing a designer
1. Think about the message of the design. Offer guidance to help the designer marry the “look” of the item with the “voice” of the copy.
2. Don’t prescribe solutions. You are paying for the designer’s ideas, so avoid the temptation to tell the designer what to do. Instead, be clear about what the item needs to achieve, so the designer can explore ideas. This is where you need the designer’s expertise.
It’s rarely a good idea to give a designer a mocked up layout – they will simply follow your instructions which are not necessarily making the best use of the space.
3. Do your scheduling before you brief a designer. Make sure you schedule the whole project before you brief a designer, incorporating appropriate feedback and incubation stages. Ask your designer to inform you in advance if deadlines or set budgets are unrealistic.
4. Formalize design briefing. Carefully word your brief in an email or as a front page to your copy, and use this as a reference point when you meet. Always brief designers face-to-face, or on the phone for smaller projects.
The design brief, consisting of a series of simple questions asked by the creative team and answered by the requester/client, becomes the guidepost for the development of the creative deliverable. As with many strategic documents, if the project goes off track referring back to this mutually agreed upon document to see where the divergence began is helpful.
Design briefs can come in many formats and are usually tailored to the agency or group that is developing the creative deliverable. They know which questions (and answers) are of paramount importance to them in order to deliver a high-quality creative execution.
Your design can only be as good as the brief you worked from. The best projects are borne from briefs that are open enough to inspire ideas, while being specific enough to feel workable.
Picture the scene. You've just landed a new client, who hurries a brief to you for a marketing brochure. There are a few holes in the brief, but instead of asking for constant clarification, you get to work. Later you’re told the design “isn't quite right”. Before you know it, the client is refusing to pay.
This is a common scenario for many freelance designers. Ambiguous design briefs are infuriating. What’s worse, clients who set you up to fail often go away thinking you messed up.
So what can you do to avoid this?
The only way is to formalize the briefing procedure using a "Design Brief" or "Client Brief".
Unfortunately, clients who aren't familiar with the design process don’t see carefully-written briefs as a high priority. This may be because they don’t have time. Quite often, it’s because the client hasn't made fundamental decisions about the objectives of their marketing collateral.
By supplying your client with a briefing template and briefing tips, like the ones below, you can elicit the information you need from a few carefully crafted questions. You may even draw attention to the things your client hasn't thought of—like “Have I got all the artwork my designer needs?” or even in some cases “Who am I targeting with this item?”
A formal handover template gives you the opportunity to offer a few pointers, so the client learns how to get the most from your talent. It’s a frame of reference when you meet to discuss the assignment, and a point of review if your first proofs don’t pass muster.
Remind your client that a formal design brief is not unnecessary red tape. It’s there to ensure your client gets value for money from your service. The trick is to educate your clients without patronizing or victimizing them.
Maybe post the templates on your website and offer a link to them in your email correspondence. Make the templates subliminally accessible for your clients.
You should make that Design Brief a priority on every project.
Good things to include in your design brief:
1. Title of item.
2. Delivery mechanism and marketing objectives.
3. Format.
3. Budget and schedule.
4. What are you providing the designer with: Product shots, website screen shots, photographs, diagrams, etc. (Check these are high - resolution.)
5. General description of format: Describe any formatting issues you have arranged with the printer.
6. Description of target audience: Occupation, gender ratio, average age, nationality/location, psychological demographic, lifestyle preferences.
7. Message objectives: Hierarchy of copy messages, treatment of headlines, body copy, visuals, product samples, call-to-action.
8. Where to look for inspiration: Give brief examples of style / overall look you want the item to achieve. What aspects of the product or branding can be used as a starting point for the design?
What feelings or metaphors reflect the spirit of your product or company?
9. What not to do: Also give examples of what the design shouldn't include and what styles to avoid.
Tips for briefing a designer
1. Think about the message of the design. Offer guidance to help the designer marry the “look” of the item with the “voice” of the copy.
2. Don’t prescribe solutions. You are paying for the designer’s ideas, so avoid the temptation to tell the designer what to do. Instead, be clear about what the item needs to achieve, so the designer can explore ideas. This is where you need the designer’s expertise.
It’s rarely a good idea to give a designer a mocked up layout – they will simply follow your instructions which are not necessarily making the best use of the space.
3. Do your scheduling before you brief a designer. Make sure you schedule the whole project before you brief a designer, incorporating appropriate feedback and incubation stages. Ask your designer to inform you in advance if deadlines or set budgets are unrealistic.
4. Formalize design briefing. Carefully word your brief in an email or as a front page to your copy, and use this as a reference point when you meet. Always brief designers face-to-face, or on the phone for smaller projects.
Attendance Policy
It is College policy that students may be absent from no more than 10% of the class hours. For a class that meets for 15 sessions; this means no more than 1.5 absences.
Two late arrivals equal one absence.
Please refer to your Student Handbooks for additional information.
Two late arrivals equal one absence.
Please refer to your Student Handbooks for additional information.
Course Description
"Working individually or in teams, students will consult with a variety of clients on the design and production of logos, posters, advertising campaigns, brochures and other promotional materials. Students are responsible for collecting research, conducting meetings, making presentations and following client guidelines. The role of deadlines and budgets is stressed. Students are expected to be involved in all phases of production.
"We will explore the possibilities of running a freelance Design Studio, by creating a personal mission statement, and business plan for our own studios.
"We will explore the possibilities of running a freelance Design Studio, by creating a personal mission statement, and business plan for our own studios.
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