How To Write A Great Design Brief

Written by: Satpal Juttla

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A design brief could make or break a project. Don’t leave it to chance with evokeu’s easy-to-follow actions.

Satpal Juttla, Co-founder and Technical Director from evokeu, London’s leading boutique digital marketing and branding agency, discusses the importance of a strong design brief and how to create a document that will guarantee your project stays on track.

A design brief is a document that outlines the scope and aspirations of a project. It’s developed by both the client and contractor so that both parties are clear on the input that’s required, as well as the end goal. However, rather than viewing a briefing document as a contract, it’s better to look at it as a bonding exercise which will lead to a stronger and more trusting relationship. A well-written design brief can be the difference between a successful or failed project. To get the most from your design brief, whether you’re approaching the task as a client or service provider, follow these simple steps and your project will have a solid foundation from which to start.

Be clear on the objectives

Every design brief should begin with an overview of the project and the reasons and purpose it is being carried out. It should be apparent from the first couple of pages the value this project will add to the client’s business and what the desired outcome looks like. It’s also worth clarifying how a good result will be measured; if it’s a PR campaign will the client want to see coverage in certain titles, for a web design project perhaps the focus will be on the number of visits the site receives in the first three months. These key performance indicators or KPIs need to be decided by the client and the agency or freelancer, as the latter will be able to ascertain whether it’s feasible for the project to achieve the sought-after conclusion.

Keep it brief

A briefing document doesn’t need to include your life story. Dependent on the size of the project, a design brief could be several pages long or it might fit neatly on one side. What’s important is that the document has all the necessary information and is clear and concise in its delivery. It should include a short overview or executive summary of the project, the objectives, the KPIs and supporting information, from existing designs to background data about a product. If you’re the client, the agency or freelancer that you’re working with will be able to flag if there’s content missing that could impact their ability to complete the project. As mentioned previously, the exercise of putting together a design brief is the responsibility of both parties and should be seen as a relationship-building exercise. Through back-and-forth conversations, the document may go through many evolutions before a finalised brief is signed off by the client and contractor. Approving the document before the project begins is an important step, which will make sure that everyone involved is happy with the plan and avoids any disagreements further down the line.

Complement with a conversation

To speed up the task of crafting a design brief, it might be worth organising a face-to-face meeting or a virtual call. It can sometimes be easier to verbalise what you’re hoping to achieve so that a discussion can take place about the practicality of the project before too much time is dedicated to drafting a brief. This should mean that you find a solution more quickly and avoid numerous rounds of amends. Having a chat to back-up your brief also ensures that there isn’t any misinterpretation from either side and that both parties fully understand what will happen and what needs to take place.

Evokeu offers numerous design services to support your business, from design to copywriting and project management. The experienced team are also on hand to help with the entire process from creating a design brief to launching a new product or brand.

If you’d like to find out more about Satpal and evokeu, please visit https://www.evokeu.com/. You can also follow Satpal on LinkedIn, where you’ll find the latest agency updates and further content to motivate you and your business.

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Satpal Juttla is the Co-founder and Technical Director of boutique digital marketing and branding agency, evokeu. Satpal is an expert at web building and supports the skilled team with crafting superior sites, every time. Evokeu works with big and small brands across many sectors to help clients capture customer attention and create growth. Evokeu also has a vertical brand called Graphic Kitchen, which specialises in the hospitality sector.