Working Together: Preparing the Brief
Chapter 10: Briefs
Briefs
Lesson 1 of 7
Communication is the most important part of any design project, and that starts with a good brief.
How you communicate your needs can not only make or break the success of a project, but can also save or waste a lot of your time. There are many ways to prepare and share your creative requests, and choosing the right method, and knowing what to include, is key to setting your project off on the right foot, making sure everybody involved knows exactly what to expect, making sure your designer knows everything they need to get the job done, and making sure you feel confident in your team’s ability to deliver a product that perfectly meets your goals.
A thorough understanding of briefs is essential to ensuring…
You know what kind of brief to send.
You communicate exactly what you need to your designer or team.
You know exactly what information to include.
Your designer has the assets and information they need to get the job done.
Your expectations are clearly communicated and understood.
You find the right designer for the job, if you don’t have one yet.
You save time on simple requests, while still communicating the information you need.
Sending a request without this understanding can mean…
The brief doesn’t match the project scale.
A brief that’s missing essential information.
Requests that get lost or overlooked.
Final results that don’t match your expectations.
Miscommunication, or misaligned expectations, between you and your team.
Difficulty finding a team you can trust to get the job done.
A lot of wasted time.