A design brief is a written description of what a new design project aims to achieve, what is needed to produce it, how long it will take and who the target audience are, etc. The document is focused on the desired results – not the aesthetics. An effective design brief is the single most critical factor in ensuring that a project is successful. In essence it provides the designer with all the information needed to carry out the project and exceed your expectations.
There are seven core elements you need to consider when writing a design brief:
Objectives and goals
Understanding the overall purpose of your project enables designers to develop relevant materials that will strike a chord with your target audience.
Include:
- The overall purpose of the project
- What you are trying to communicate and why it’s important
- Internal (employees) or external (potential customers)
- New design or updating existing materials
Target audience
It is impossible for a designer to develop an effective design if they do not know who your target audience is. Failure to disclose this will result in a generic design that will fail to resonate with your audience.
Include:
- Demographics (age, gender, income, geography)
- Psychographics (tastes, views, attitudes, employment, lifestyle)
Technical requirements
Distribution is vital to design, so provide information on how the product will be used (e.g. print or digital).
Include:
- Final size
- Where it will be used (posters, booklets, flyers, website, ecards)
- Other specifications (color, paper type, printer preference)
Look and Feel
Sometimes you will need your design to follow a certain style on other occasions you will need the designer to “get creative” within the bounds of your project objectives and brand guidelines. A good designer will be able to look at your brand and work with it to produce something exceptional.
Include:
- A preferred overall style/look
- Brand guidelines
- Whether the designer has full creative control
Do Not’s
It is important to separate your own personal preferences from what you’d like the project to look like, however, there are occasions where certain colour themes, image style or typography won’t suit the desired outcome. It’s important to communicate these to your designer.
Include:
- Style of images or a color that won’t suit (i.e. DON’T use clipart or the color pink)
- Layout considerations (i.e. older audience that struggles with smaller, complex font types)
Budget and Timelines
Communicating budget and timelines prevent designers wasting time and resources, helps to reduce misunderstandings and ensures that deliverables are met on time. Be honest about your timelines. Rushing design jobs can result in mistakes if a complex job is pushed through without time to review. Your designer will determine whether they can accommodate your timeframe.
Include:
- Detailed overall project schedule
- Breakdown of project milestones and timelines
Examples/required materials
Sometimes you will need a designer to work to a certain look or with a particular image library/brand font. Providing these up front will save time and ensure you get the look and style you need.
Include:
- Branding style/requirements
- Relevant previous communication materials (don’t send old logos, brochures or material not relevant to the new project)
An effective, comprehensive design brief will save your designer hours of time, which is money in your pocket. To help get you started we have provided a link to our simplified design brief. You can download it here: