'Problem solve first - design later'
A design brief is something that is vital to any design project as it will provide the designer with all the information needed to exceed your expectations.
A design brief should primarily focus on the results and outcomes of the design and the business objectives of the design project. It should not attempt to deal with the aesthetics of design - That is the responsibility of the designer. A thorough and articulate design brief is a critical part of the design process. It helps develop trust and understanding between the client and designer, and serves as an essential point of reference for both parties.
The design brief also allows you (the client) to focus on exactly what you want to achieve before any work starts on the project.
A good design brief will ensure that you get a high quality design that meets your needs, providing you have chosen the right designer.
Above all, the design brief ensures that important design issues are considered and questioned before the designer starts work.
Company profile
Start your design brief with a short, honest overview of your organisation or company. Don't take this information for granted, and do not assume that the designer will know everything about your industry sector.
Tell your designer:
What your organisation does.
How long you have been established and how many staff you employ.
What your niche market is.
Where you fit in to your industry and market sector.
Who your main competitors are.
Your aims
Good design can have a huge influence on the success of a company's marketing strategy - but in order for success to be ensured, clear goals must be set.
For example, do you want to:
Generate or increase sales?
Encourage enquiries?
Launch your company or product?
Re-launch your company or product?
Obtain information from your audience?
Provide information to your audience?
Generate interest?
If your aims and objectives are not this clear, then your design brief has already helped you learn something. One of most rewarding parts of actually sitting down and writing a design brief is that it helps to clarify your thoughts and can indirectly help to find flaws in what you initially thought was a solid idea.
Your target audience
Detail your primary, secondary and tertiary audiences. Explain if you are looking to consolidate and retain your existing client-base or appeal to new markets.
Detail any demographic information about your audience. These may include:
Age Group, Gender, Income, Occupation, Mindset, Location, Culture.
Your budget and timeframe
Even if you can only provide an approximate budget, this will give the designer a good idea of the type of solution they will realistically be able to provide. Time frame is also an important consideration - so let your designer know if there are any specific deadlines to be met. A commitment from the client to adhere and respond to the schedule throughout the project is important to the project's successful delivery by the designer. Equally as creative partner, the designer will support the client organisation all the way.
Language
Whilst you should write in clear, concise way - there is no reason why you cannot use emotive language to emphasise exactly what you are trying to achieve. The most important thing is to convey exactly what you as client want, no matter how unorthodox the means.
Design examples
Providing examples of what you consider to be effective or relevant design can be a help in writing a design brief. Also examples of what you don't like are valuable in building a picture, and include samples of your company's current design collateral, even if they only serve to show what you don't want from the new project.
If there is something you've seen that you particularly like or dislike - then cover that in the brief. If you're not quite sure why you like a certain example, then good pointers include:
Colour, Imagery, Quantity and quality of text, Typography, Mood
You don't have to stay within the medium that you are designing for when giving examples of inspiration and influences. Anything can trigger a style or mood you like such as a TV advert or product you see in a shop, a car, a song! The more clues you give about your design tastes, the more likely the designer will be able to produce something close to your aims and expectations.
Remember that the designer will not seek to copy or emulate the examples you send them, but will use them as points of reference for the design process.
But also remember, and ignore at your peril, that that most important person that this new design must work for is not you the client, not us as designers, but the intended target audience - your customer!