The role of a graphic designer is to turn ideas into effective visual communication solutions.
This process varies depending on the design brief and can affect cost, production time and project success. The design brief is the most important part of the whole design process.
So, what can you do to make sure your design brief is as good as it can be? A well prepared design brief can save you time and money!
Why would my design brief save me money?
Simple, by giving your designer a clear understanding of what the project is about, the less work the designer needs to spend on trying to work out what you’re after. This reduction in time means big cost savings and a quicker turnaround.
What should my design brief include?
Keep your design brief simple and consider the following suggestions.
1. What is the new design needing to achieve?
2. Who will be the audience?
3. What is the overall style and look?
4. What’s your budget and time frame?
5. What are your personal “Don’t Do’s”?
6. Supply examples.
7. Supply a brief history of your business.
1. What is the project needing to achieve?
Let’s start off by clearly outlining the purpose and reason for the project. Nailing down the goals of the project will give provide clear focus on what needs to happen to get to the end result.
2. Who will be the audience?
Be clear about who will be your target audience. Different demographics engage and respond differently to different styling approaches. Identifying who your audience is, early in the project development, helps develop the styling needed to connect and communicate your project successfully.
3. What is the overall style and look?
Have a clear idea of how you’d like to see your project styled. Are you wanting something bright and colourful, or something elegant or corporate. Having a style direction will help your designer offer qualified feedback and advise on how to best approach your project and styling choice.
4. What’s your budget and time frame?
Anything is possible, but “possible” is limited by budget and time frame. A lot of clients don’t like to divulge their budget in fear that it makes them vulnerable to being ripped off. Far from the case. If a budget is clearly establish up front, the designer knows exactly what resources they can allocate to the job. Don’t be afraid to talk price. It’s helpful to all parties involved.
Timelines and deadlines also dictate what is possible. Having a realistic deadline is fundamental to having a stress free and enjoyable experience. Asking the earth and not allowing any time to get the job done equals stress and tension. If you have an event or deadline looming, try to allow plenty of time for delays and unforeseen interruptions.
5. What are your personal “Don’t Do’s”?
If you absolutely hate a certain colour, or loathe a new design trend, let your designer know. Being upfront about things you don’t like will speed up the proofing process and reflect in design options that you’ll find more appealing and to your taste. Your designer needs to learn about who you are and take this information to the drawing board.
6. Supply examples.
The easiest way to communicate what you’re hoping to achieve is to find samples of like solutions that work for you. Providing these to your designer gives them an insight into how they can approach the project. Under no circumstance should any sample be used as a template and be copied. You want your interpretation to be unique and tailored to your business.
7. Supply a brief history of your business.
To help your designer connect with you and your business even more, give them a brief history of your business and how you have gotten to where you are. Distinct facets of your business can help your designer explore unique approaches to the design styling. Design works as an extension of the message, make it connect to your business.
Following these steps will help you communicate better with your design resulting in a clear picture of the project and the desired outcome. You’ll be happy that you’ve got some awesome designs and that the designer knew exactly what you meant and needed. The designer will be grateful for having a client with a clear understanding of the process and who is easy to work with. Win Win.
If you still are lost preparing a brief, don’t worry. If you go to a “good” designer they’ll quickly pull all of this information out of you without you even realizing it.
