How to Successfully Brief Your Graphic Designer for a Winning Design

A brief is usually a short document that defines the strategy for a creative project. It documents the goals of the project and creates a roadmap for the designer to follow to create a design aligned with your brand and messaging. Here are a few topics to cover when writing a design brief:

Company profile

Start by writing a paragraph explaining who you are and what you do. Here are a few elements to include:

Company details: Business name, size, industry, products, and services
Brand differentiator: Unique selling proposition
Core Messaging: Brand mission, vision, and values
Competitors: List of direct and indirect competitors

Project overview

Provide a detailed description of the project. Answer the following questions as a guideline:

Do you need a new design or a redesign?
What deliverables do you expect at the end of the project?
Where will the design be used? Social media, print, email, or on a website?

Goals

Goals reflect the main purpose of a project. Think about how the design will be used and how it supports the overall brand strategy and business plan. A few examples are: sell more products/services, develop brand awareness and increase website traffic.

Target market

The target market will have an influence on many decisions during the design process. Outline your target market demographics:

Age
Gender
Income
Location
Lifestyle

Also, include their psychographics:

Media consumption habits
Values
Related interests
Personality

Design requirements

Include extra details of the deliverables such as:

Dimensions, resolutions, and file formats required
Images and logos that you would like to be included in the design
Copy documents for the project
Messaging, emotions, and tone to be conveyed in the project
Brand guidelines, preferred typeface, colour palette, and style of the brand
Designs the brand is using and have used in the past
Examples of designs you like
List of colours, fonts, images, layouts that you like and dislike

Timeline

If there is more than one design required, rank the designs by the level of importance. Specify deadlines for various stages of the project such as research, concept development, production, revisions, and delivery. Include any deadlines that can not be moved such as publication deadlines.

Incorporate these tips into your next design brief so your design projects begin with a strategic start. Great design projects start with a great design brief.

CF Communications offers a full-process graphic design service, from concept to final artwork, from web to print that are truly tailored to meet your brand’s needs. We can create all the design and branding elements you need to provide your business with a professional and unique look and feel, saving you time and money, leaving you to do what you do best.

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