Writing a Design or Creative Brief

A design or creative brief is a written explanation outlining the job that you are wanting done. Here are some tips and ideas on how to write an effective brief for commisioning artwork or design. The better the communication of ideas, the better the chance of a successful end result.

Creative briefs are usually written in Word or PDF documents, but may also be written as an email if need be.

1. Your Company Profile

Tell me what some information about your company. Be sure to include:

The name of your company or business
The nature of the business
How big your company is (ie. how many staff are employed)

2. Objectives and Target Audience

It is important to give a general overview of the job and the projected outcome.

What is the project?
What are you expecting this art or design to achieve for your business?
Who is going to see the finished product?
Who are you trying to attract?

3. Deliverables

Exactly what artwork are you needing?

For example:

One (1) full colour character design
Three (3) full colour poses with no background
One (1) detailed illustration (A4 size) of the character driving a car in the countryside
Etc.

4. Budget and Timing

It is best if you let me know how much you have allotted to spend on the project. This allows me the option to find a art or design solution that will fit your budget.

If there is a specific deadline that needs to be met, I will need to be informed.

5. Reference Images

It is very important that you show me images that incorporate the ideas or 'look' that you are after. Feel free to send over images that I have produced, as well as others that you may have found online.

Please note that I will not copy other artists' work. I always assume that you are approaching me to create a unique piece of art or design, tailored for your business.

6. Creative Ideas

While it is my job to bring artistic ideas to the table, it can help if you present your initial ideas at the outset. This way we can talk about the possibilities without too much trial and error later. Such things may be:

Colours
Style of the art or design
Positioning of characters or images
Typefaces - modern, traditional, serif, sans-serif etc.
Look and feel

7. Technical Requirements

Please list the file format(s) you require. Generally, if the work is for print, the standard formats are:

EPS*
TIFF
PDF
JPG

* Some artwork does not reproduce easily as EPS, especially if it is very detailed, and hand drawn. In these cases 'raster' art such as TIFF or JPG at high resolution is recommended

If the work is solely for a website, or screen resolution, then the most common formats are:

It is always best to check with your printer or web developer to determine what the required format will need to be.

Well, that's the basic gist of it. Just try to keep it clear and concise. You may want to also read this article for more information.

If you have any questions regarding the design brief process, feel free to contact me.

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