3 steps to a foolproof creative brief

Which colours to combine? Which shapes to use? How to assert your image through your communication choices? What are the latest trends? The art of graphic creation is a discipline in its own right and is not within everyone's reach. Beyond the techniques of execution, a graphic designer brings their creative mind and professional approach to bear on your projects.

What is a brief?

For a project to succeed and have maximum impact, it is important to let the chosen graphic designer know what information needs to be communicated and what your preferences are. Simple on paper, but far less so in practice. Drawing up a detailed, comprehensive brief will allow you to anticipate any risk of shortcomings and/or disappointment. There are indeed many elements to take into account in this creative process.

A brief is a document containing all the information needed to understand, define, and develop your projects. Properly constructed, the brief will simplify the designer's work — they will be all the more effective because they will have understood your problem and your challenges as fully as possible. And it is worth remembering that the more precise your foundational document, the less time you will waste (on clarifications, back-and-forth, multiple proposals, and so on) and therefore the less money you will spend.

The elements of the brief must therefore be thought through in advance to ensure you have the most relevant information for the graphic designer. The designer, thanks to their professional eye, will then be able to ask the right questions to guide you or supplement this "database". Trust them, and even if you have very precise ideas in mind, trying to impose them will likely be counterproductive and you will lose the added value of their expertise.

Step 1 – Talk about yourself

For an appropriate outcome, it is essential that the designer in charge of your project can immerse themselves in your identity. They will then be able to bring out the essentials and your message.

Talk about your company

• The reasons it was created
  What is the origin story of your company? What problem(s) does it solve?
• Your sector of activity
• Your products / services
  Do not hesitate to provide as much information as possible about what you offer. The names of products/services, a quick description, their prices, sales volumes… anything that helps convey the importance and scope of your activity.
• Your exact name and strapline
  These are useful for understanding your positioning. If the length of your strapline allows and if you wish, it can be incorporated into the project. Do not forget to mention whether certain letters should appear in upper case, for example, or if there are any particular conventions to respect.

Talk about your target audience

• Your main and potential customers
  Who are your products/services aimed at? What audience do you want to reach?
• Your customers' habits
  Gender, age, location, consumption habits, etc.

Talk about your competition

• Your most important competitors
  Knowing your competitors is important in a graphic design process, as it provides an idea of what is already on offer and how to stand out while remaining consistent.
• Your positioning
  How do you position yourself in the market relative to your competitors (competitive pricing, premium, etc.)?

Talk about your project

• The nature of the project
  The designer's work and the project's messages will not be the same depending on whether it is for creating a logo, developing your brand guidelines, promoting an event, and so on.
• The project's objective
  The objective will depend on the nature of the project. Is it to build brand awareness, to inform, to present a new product/service, to produce display advertising…?

Step 2 – Share your preferences

This moment dedicated to your project is also an opportunity to share your preferences — what elements you particularly appreciate in terms of design, and conversely, those you do not want to see on the final deliverable. This will avoid fruitless attempts on the designer's part.

• Colours
  There is no accounting for taste, and you may not share the same ones as the creative. Let them know which colours you particularly like, and they will either use them or steer you towards wiser choices that are more closely aligned with your activity.
• Design
  Design says a great deal about your company and must reflect the way you work. Do you prefer restrained or extravagant designs, formal or lighter ones, with specific inspirations (vintage, minimalist, etc.)?
• Inspiration
  If you have the opportunity, gather various elements that share characteristics you would like to see in your project. This document will resemble a "moodboard". You can include an advertising board you spotted, a website you like, a competitor's logo you admire…
• Your previous and other communications materials
  If they exist, it is also useful to use these as a basis for guiding future work, by explaining what you would like to retain, what you have previously been complimented on, or conversely, what you no longer want to see or what did not have the desired effect.

Step 3 – Set the parameters of your collaboration

Finally, for the most efficient and pleasant collaboration with your graphic designer, it is best to agree on the terms of your working relationship.

• Timescales
  Creating a logo, brand guidelines, a poster, or any other graphic material requires thought and experimentation. After gathering the information, the professional will explore several avenues and make multiple attempts with the various indications at their disposal. Drawing up a back-planning schedule is sometimes worth considering for larger projects.
• Budget
  This is the important point to clarify in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Agree on the fees or the rates proposed, the number of document versions you will be able to review, the number of revision rounds you are entitled to, and so on. And remember that a good brief will save you time and therefore money! A 30% deposit is generally requested before any work begins.
• Deliverables
  Several creative elements will likely come out of your project, and the transfer of rights to those elements is very important. To avoid finding yourself unable to use part of the work, draw up a list with the designer. Depending on the nature of the files, the budget may change accordingly.
• Points of contact
  We do not think about this enough, but determining exactly which people will be responsible for following the project is essential. It allows the designer to have a single point of contact or several well-defined ones, which will avoid multiple, conflicting opinions on ideas and revisions to be made.

In summary

You now have all the tools you need to draw up a quality creative brief with the elements necessary to achieve a usable result. This brief makes for greater comfort both for the client and for the graphic designer. A visual identity is fundamental to a communication strategy, so the professional will be able to guide you in your choices and suggest the most appropriate methods for your profile (typography, colours, layouts…), but it is your responsibility to provide them with all the necessary information.