Keeping it brief – three things to share before a project starts

Design briefs come in many forms. A project might start with a conversation where we take notes and respond with an initial proposal. At the other end of the spectrum, we might be provided with an extensive document that already includes the full background, the expected outcomes and the contractual terms. Because of this disparity, we begin most projects with writing or clarifying a brief with our clients. And during a project, we often further distil the aims, objectives and context into a few key sentences that cut to the heart of what we need to achieve. That is what we might call a ‘creative’ brief. But before we get there (and for reasons we fully appreciate), many of our briefs, particularly with on-going clients, begin with the opening line… “We need [this stuff] quite quickly. Could you send over some ideas and a sense of costs?”.

Most of the people who send us those type of requests are already aware that this is not a good brief. Busy schedules and delivery pressures necessitate a quick email to get the ball rolling – we get it. But a good design brief is at the heart of a successful design project. Without it, things can get missed, assumptions get made, and time gets wasted on chasing around. The ultimate risk is that cost and speed win-out over the critical importance of quality, creativity, and impact.

We certainly don’t expect, or suggest, that all our clients take days out of their schedules to develop an entire business report or fully detailed proposal before we’ll engage. But we would encourage anyone about to email their design agency to pause and take a little step back. Along with a sense of timings, budgets, and initial ideas about ‘the stuff’ that might be needed, I find sending a one-pager with these three insights so we can align with clients from the beginning can really help:??

The why

What’s the big reason for this project? Yes, you might want a new set of posters or some refreshed packaging, but why? What is driving the need? Is the competition hotting-up? Is this part of your new strategy to boost innovation? Are you moving into a new market? Tell us more about the real purpose and strategic direction. This gives us something to get excited about and gives us room to bring our creative brains to the table. Don’t panic – we’ll ask you more before we get carried away, but this gives us some room to play.?

The measures of success

Once this project is delivered, what are you looking for in terms of measurable outcomes? More sales? Social media traffic? Something else? It might be an internal reaction, which can be harder to measure, but equally rewarding. A recent client commented on receiving a high number of very positive unsolicited comments – far more than they had received for other recent campaigns – which helped shift thinking internally about messaging and campaign approach. Understanding your measures of success gives us a practical focus for what needs to be achieved. It also helps us understand what metrics are important to you and your company.?

The audience

We want happy clients, but any successful design must work for the intended audience. Tell us who this is for and, most importantly, what reaction do you want – what do you want them to think, or do, or feel? It’s also helpful to understand how much you already know about that audience. You don’t necessarily need to send market reports or personas over in the first instance, but it’s useful if we know those things will follow. Without valid insights into the people you want to engage, assumptions can creep in and jeopardise success. And if the knowledge about the audience isn’t yet clear, we can propose to work on that with you before it’s too late.?