The answer to getting the design that you want and envision in your head is the design brief.

One of the most critical factors in ensuring that your project is successful is writing an effective design brief, and it doesn’t matter whether you are a client or a designer.

In the next article, we’ll try to tell you how to write an effective design brief that will be beneficial to the client and the designer.

Note: We’ll be writing from the client’s perspective.

First: What Is A Design Brief?

You’ve probably asked yourself before: what is a design brief? From the sound of it, it is something that’s very important to any design project as it is like a guideline for the designer to use to exceed your expectations.

In a design brief, one focuses on the results and outcomes of the design and the business objectives of the design project. You as a client do not need to worry about how it’ll look, that’s the responsibility of the designer. From client’s point of view, the design brief will allow you to focus on exactly what you want to achieve out of the commissioned design project. Writing a good design brief will help and make sure that your project is of high quality and meets all your needs – given that you’ve chosen the right designer.

Second: How To Write An Effective Design Brief?

By answering questions below in detail and ordered manner will only get your design brief up to about 90%, the other 10% of the questions will come from the designer. Answering questions doesn’t mean one line answers, give as much information as possible.

• What does your business do? (Don’t assume that designer knows anything and/or everything about your company. Be clear.)
• What does your company / organization do? What is your company’s history?
• What are the goals? Why? What is the overall goal of the new design project? What are you trying to communicate and why? Are you trying to sell more products or get awareness of your product / service? How do you differ from your competitors? Do you want to completely reinvent yourself or are you simply updating your promotional material?

If you got any marketing material from your company, provide it to the designer.

Who is the target market?

What’s your main audience’s demographic, i.e. profile of your clients? Got multiple audiences that you’re trying to get, rank them in importance.

What content is needed, i.e. text and pictures?

• What do you want to see in the design?
• Who’s providing the content?

As a client, you must clearly state who will provide the content, since dealing with pictures and text will touch the subject of copywriting, so might need to get a professional photographer and/or copywriter.

What are the specifications?

• Size of the design.
• Is it for print? Is it for web? How is it going to be used?

Do you have a point of reference for the design?

Setting a benchmark for the designer by providing relevant design work will definitely help out. Tell the designer what not to do or do and things that you do or don’t want to see in your design – that will avoid the dissatisfaction on your behalf.

What’s your budget?

Giving designer a budget to work with helps with maximizing valuable time and resources.

What’s your deadline?

When giving a schedule to the designer, set a realistic deadline. When setting a schedule, think of various stages of the project – consultation, concept design, actual production and the final delivery. Rushing the project will not help anyone and mistakes will happen. If project is on a rush, let the designer know upfront.

Hopefully after reading article above, it’ll be clear for your as to what the design brief is and will help you write a better one next time.