Turning a Design Brief into Something Special

One of the most important aspects that can make or break a design project is the briefing process – this is where the foundation is laid, expectations are clarified, and the vision is translated into actionable steps that guide the entire creative journey.

Poor briefing has a significant impact on us as a design agency. A bad brief can lead to wasted time, effort, resources, and the client's money. When the initial brief lacks clarity, we often have to guess the client's true intentions, leading to multiple revisions and unnecessary back-and-forth. This not only delays the project but also causes frustration for both the client and the design team.?

Getting it right at the beginning and being clear can save hours of wasted time and costs on developing and designing concepts that are off-brief. A well-constructed brief serves as a roadmap, providing the design team with a clear understanding of the client's goals, target audience, key messages, and any specific requirements or constraints. It helps make sure that everyone involved is on the same page, so to speak.

Even more importantly, a comprehensive brief can inspire creativity by setting clear parameters within which the design team can innovate. It encourages thoughtful exploration and experimentation, leading to more refined and targeted design solutions. Ultimately, the briefing process is crucial for setting the tone of the entire project. It helps build a collaborative and efficient working relationship between the client and the design agency, paving the way for successful outcomes that meet the client's expectations.

How do you create effective design briefs, and why are they important??

As designers, our role is to bring all the client's ideas together to create the final product. However, we can only do this if we have enough context to make informed visual decisions and interpretations. A good brief provides clear, defined instructions that are specific without being too restrictive. The more contextual detail, the better.

So, how do you write the perfect brief, and why is it so important? First, it's useful to understand our process when we receive a brief.

• First, we read it, then re-read it, and read it again.
• We highlight the key points that seem most important.
• From this, we brainstorm and conduct our own visual research, often using Pinterest to capture ideas and themes we find, and then we start working on initial concepts.
• Our goal is to quickly understand what the client is asking for so we can spend as much time as possible creatively developing the concept. That’s where we add the most value.
• Depending on how concise the brief is, we may share our initial research with the client to refine the direction if the brief is too open.
• At this stage, a face-to-face meeting to discuss the brief can be very valuable.
• Depending on the budget, we may have a few designers work independently on the brief to see the different ideas we come up with before refining them into final concepts.
• With any creative project, there are usually several different outputs that can meet the same brief, so we often work on multiple concepts that all meet the brief but provide the client with options for further development.

With this approach, we can fully understand the client's needs and create designs that truly reflect their vision, leading to a successful and satisfying project for everyone involved.

What should be included in a brief??

There are certain things that need to be included in a brief to assure the project gets off to a roaring start.

1.? Product/Title Use: First and foremost, understanding the use of the product or title is crucial. Without this information, establishing a cohesive brand becomes challenging. It's essential to know the purpose behind the product, as it guides the design process and ensures that the final output aligns with the brand's identity and objectives. Similarly, identifying key markets is vital. Including pertinent market research and focus group reports can provide valuable insights into the target audience's preferences and behaviours.

2. Target Audience: Another critical component is knowing who the product is aimed at. Information about the sector, age groups, and end-user profiles helps tailor the design to meet the needs and expectations of the intended audience. Understanding how the end-user will interact with the product and the overall vision for the outcomes are equally important. This context allows designers to create solutions that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and user-centric.

3. Market Trends and Competition: Including trends within the key markets in which the product will be used can significantly influence the design direction. Awareness of current design, fashion, and media trends helps in creating a relevant and contemporary product. Additionally, identifying competing titles and products and their strengths and weaknesses can provide a benchmark for quality and innovation. It's especially useful to focus on the look and feel of these competitors, as it helps in positioning the new product effectively.

4. ? Visual Preferences: Providing examples of designs and visual stimuli that the client likes or dislikes can further refine the design process. This feedback helps designers understand the client's vision and avoid styles that do not resonate with the end-user. It's important to avoid personal preferences and instead focus on what appeals to the target audience, possibly using focus groups for additional insights.

5. Financial Parameters: Knowing the financial parameters of the project is also crucial. Whether the product is a high-investment flagship or a quick market reaction, the budget influences the level of detail and iterations possible at the concept stage. If the budget allows, investing in multiple iterations can be beneficial for refining the design.

Ultimately, a comprehensive brief should provide clear answers rather than raise questions. It should equip designers with all the necessary information to creatively interpret the client's needs. However, if the brief lacks sufficient detail, designers should not hesitate to get the clarification they need from the client before starting the design process. Collaboration is key during the design process. This approach will ensure that the final product meets or exceeds expectations, reflecting the client's vision and the target audience's needs.

The most common problems with publishing briefs?

There are three common problems we see time and time again with a briefs:

1.? Vagueness: Sometimes, clients will say, "We're not sure what we want; just have a go and see what you come up with." This lack of direction makes it challenging to deliver a satisfactory result because we're essentially guessing at what might work.

2. Open Briefs: Open briefs are particularly difficult because they require us to spend a lot of time conducting our own market research to try to second-guess the client's needs. This approach can quickly eat into the budget. We believe most clients have a good idea of what they want but may hesitate to share these ideas, fearing they might limit the designer's creativity. In reality, more detail is always better. Designers can provide valuable feedback without worrying about hurting feelings, and it's equally important for clients to be honest about what's not working since they represent the end-user's perspective. When a brief is very open, having a call or meeting to discuss ideas can be incredibly productive, as a collaborative approach often leads to better results.

3. Forgetting the End User: Personal preferences can sometimes overshadow the needs of the end-user, especially when many stakeholders are involved in creating the brief. In these cases, it's easy to lose sight of who the end-user is if no one takes responsibility for refocusing on them. While personal preferences are important, they should not come at the expense of the target user, who often has a different perspective than the person doing the briefing.

In many ways, like most aspects of a publishing project, the process needs to be collaborative. The better the brief from the client, the better the final result by the designer.