How to Write a Creative Brief

 

A style brief, or creative brief, helps you receive more respect and be regarded as a specialist as a designer. Learn how to publish an innovative brief and how it can help not merely you but the designer-client relationship and the look process.

What Is a Creative Brief or Design Brief?

To begin, let's enter exactly what a creative brief is. It could be also referred to as a “design brief,” by the way. They're the same.

No real matter what you like to call it, an innovative brief acts like helpful information for the project, a blueprint. It's a collection of information from the client concerning the project before you receive started.

It can help both parties understand who it's you're designing for and the direction to take.

What might surprise you, though, is that although it's called a “design brief” or “creative brief,” lots of the data in it's nothing regarding the particular design itself.

It really has a great deal more regarding what the goals of the project are and the outcomes they want to achieve with the design.

Benefits of a Creative Brief

Let's speak about why, as an artist, you should utilize an innovative brief. You can find actually many reasons, and a number of them may surprise you. But employing a design brief definitely benefits you and your clients.

Guides the design and the project

One reason is that the creative brief guides the project. It states the reason for the task, who you're designing for, and the expected outcomes.

Helps designers get more respect

Another justification is a design brief helps you receive to take it more seriously. It shows the client that design is a lot more than decoration and that you're a specialist who's leading the process.

It's especially helpful to utilize a brief with a fresh client to simply help set the tone for the partnership from the beginning.

Positions designers as an expert

Since the look brief is centered on the outcomes the client is looking to reach as opposed to the look of the look, then your client perceives you as more of the expert, rather than an order taker.

I've held my place in both positions. It took me some time to appreciate the difference.

A professional is an artist who takes the data about what's needed and decides how the look should look to allow for that.

An order taker is an artist who asks the client what they “want” and then complies with those requests, without much thought concerning if that is the greatest solution for what they're attempting to achieve.

Each time a client sees you because the expert, they're well informed about working together with you and what you should create. They'll trust you more.

Puts the focus on the goals and outcomes

A style brief also helps graphic designers understand the goals of the work.

I used to believe, well, I'm going to accomplish my best work no real matter what, so just why would I need to find out about their goals?

But to be honest you might do your absolute best design work and still not achieve their goals.

As an example, you might develop a beautiful design that attracts the client's personal tastes that they're thrilled with but that doesn't appeal to their target audience.

For instance, maybe the client likes blue and script typefaces. But maybe the audience would really be drawn to warmer colors and an even more serious-looking typeface, for example.

The client could end up loving the look, however, it doesn't wind up bringing in the customers these were hoping to attract. That's because the client isn't their target market.

Here's another example. You may develop a cool design with bright colors and funky typefaces that attracts younger people but never seniors, which will be who the client was trying to attract.

You may create a style that's beautiful but not accessible to any or all people. Some individuals might not manage to read it due to the colors or typefaces you chose.

A style brief is particularly helpful whenever using a fresh client whose business you're still researching because the look brief will allow you to find out about them and the task you are going to do for them.

Ensures clear communication and sets expectations

An innovative brief ensures that the designer and all decision-makers are on a single page concerning the goals and objectives of the work. In addition, it sets expectations for the project.

The client should review the brief and acknowledge their acceptance of it before starting any work.

Again, this is much more important when using a fresh client, mainly a person who may have yet to cause a designer.

But, also, if you assist another designer or other subcontractor on the project, a style brief prevents you from being forced to repeat project info. You've already used it together within a document that then you're able to send off for them to examine too.

Keeps things objective

A style brief keeps things objective. It's not concerning the client's personal tastes or yours as it pertains to the look direction. It's what will make them reach their audience and accomplish their goals.

You can point them to the creative brief to remind them of the objectives of the project as opposed to having to attempt to convince them why their personal opinion might not matter.

Helps prevent scope creep

A style brief keeps things on course. It aids in preventing scope creep.

Scope creep is when the scope of the project isn't necessarily well defined, so it's unclear when something ought to be within the work or if it ought to be charged as well as the work.

If you never specify how many hours or rounds of revisions a consumer gets, you might be making revisions for months on end until they decide they're happy—if that ever even happens.

Maybe the client just keeps adding to the project. The thing that was a tiny brochure website, for example, has become an internet site with all sorts of additional functionality.

Preventing scope creep goes a considerable way in keeping in mind a task on course and profitable.

Helps you price the design work

A style brief will allow you to create an estimate or proposal for a client.

Gathering enough information at the start can help you realize it better but in addition the client's needs.

You could even potentially recommend something more for them to be able to make them progress results from what they initially propose doing.

Even better, you can price by the outcomes they expect to obtain, not on deliverables.

Quite simply, you can price by the worthiness, not finished it's what you're creating.

How a lot more sales will they get from having more targeted branding? Just how much are they saving insurance firms for a freelance designer than hiring someone internally to take care of almost all their design needs? Just how much time will they save updating their website due to the custom development work you did for them?

They are somewhat to think about.

Instills confidence

Creating a style brief also instills confidence in the client, as it can help you lead the procedure and the conversation. This dates back to what I was saying about positioning yourself being an expert.

Plus, whenever you go to provide your design work to the client, you can point back once again to the creative brief. If you've taken notice of that through the entire design process, you ought to be well-informed about what you've created and how they'll receive it.

Everyone already consented to the look brief by that time, so nothing should be described as a surprise.

What to Include in a Design Brief

It is additionally vital to reference the look briefly at first of the project, while you're designing, and also before presenting the task to the client.

So how will you write an innovative brief?

A customer may give a creative brief, but it might not include most of the necessary information. So I will suggest that you create one from the beginning of the process. And also this puts you in the driver's seat—not them.

That lets you have a discussion, and it features a more personal feel. It entails the client can't just use it off like they can with an application or email. When you have an ending up in them, it'll just get done.

Client goals

Range from the client's goals. Quite simply, what's the main reason behind this design? What do they need it to accomplish? Just how do they wish to encounter?

Scope

Range from the scope of the project. You never necessarily want to get right down to the nitty-gritty with page count so much, but you ought to have recommended for the size and complexity of the project.

Target audience

Include facts about the audience such as for instance their age, gender, educational level, income, likes and dislikes, and geographic area. That is so you understand who you're designing for.

Positioning

Include facts about the client's position in the marketplace. What's their brand about? How are they distinctive from their competitors?

Budget and timeframe

What're the budget and timeframe for the project?

Preferences or limitations

The client could have certain preferences for how something should look such as for instance it ought to be by their brand or it will look cohesive with a particular pair of marketing materials for something line.

Maybe they do not want to make use of stock illustrations and want to make use of only photos. Maybe they do not want any stock imagery at all.

Maybe they need a certain website platform to be utilized or they've specific apps they've to integrate with.