When putting together a creative brief for a designer most people are prone to coming up with an idea that they think is better than a four-day weekend and simply running with this ‘absence’ proper research – if only life was so easy! There are numerous variables to take into consideration in order to get the most out of your creative content so I’ve put together this guide to help you on your way.
Research
A good place to start is to look at what’s already out there. Analyse the market and your competitors and see what has worked and what hasn’t, and more importantly why this is. Another place to look is social media sites. Is there a good number of people who are talking about the subject, and is there a related trending topic?
Target Audience
Who is your target audience? Detail any particular demographic about your audience that could be useful to the designer. This may include:
- Age
- Sex
- Income
- Occupation
- Location
- Important Keywords
Have you found relevant influencers within the particular market or niche? Some people make the mistake of creating content and then starting the outreach after the piece is finished.
What would actually be more beneficial is if you contacted influential people before the piece has even started. This way you can get their opinion on the idea itself and gauge whether you should be focusing on a particular aspect of your idea, or maybe even something entirely different. This will help your chances of the content being a success and will instantly have the attention of some key people who already know what youre doing. This should lead to a greater chance of them linking and sharing your content to a large audience.
As well as influencers, it’s important to build up a substantial list of sites which you think would be interested. You may be able to find existing lists of quality sites within the specific market or niche online.
The Brief
Background
It’s important to outline what the company/organisation does, with a concise summary of the history. This way they will get a feel of what is appropriate.
What text (copy) is needed
The copy and pictures used in a design are crucial and you should clearly send over exactly what you want to be included.
It may be the case that it needs to be in the clients or companys brand colours. There might be specific images that need to be included, and this needs to be made clear too.
If you have a particular look or feel in mind for the piece, it is essential to make this clear from the offset. Its great to have a few examples of styles of work which you are after. This is also true of the layout of the piece.
Things to consider:
- Colour
- Imagery
- Quality and quantity of text
- Typography
- The feel that particular designs give
Don’t feel that you have to use examples exclusively in the medium they are creating.
You might also have some definite “no no’s” that you want them to avoid too. Even the most simple of doodles could get across your expectations of how you want it to be put together.
Timescale
Time scale is a very important consideration. Let them know if there is a specific deadline that has to be met and make sure it is realistic.
Specifications
What are the specifications? What size does the design need to be? This will all depend on where it is going to be hosted.
Budget
If you set your budget from the beginning it will hopefully help to prevent wasting their time and yours within the design process. It will ensure that you are worth their time and vice-versa.
Final Thought
My advice is to be as thorough as possible with both your research and your brief. If both are done to a high standard it will obviously increase the chances of success massively. I hope this covers the basics of all the information needed for a designer to start work.
Do you have any more tips for what could be in a included in a design brief? Let us know in the comments below.
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