A creative brief is the blueprint for any design job. It is a document given to a designer at the start of a project to lay out the requirements set by the client.
The process can vary from agency to agency, but the usual process starts with the client speaking to an account manager or marketing team member to communicate their needs. After this, timelines, budget and what is required will be agreed. All this information is then put together to make the creative brief.
Who actually writes the brief varies. The account manager themselves might do it or it could be done by a creative or art director. They may add their own thoughts or their vision for the job in the form of mood boards, scamps or sketched ideas sketched out, or they may leave this until they've had an initial discussion with the designer. However this part is done, the communication of the brief to the designer is an extremely crucial part of the process. If this information isn’t laid out correctly, or in enough detail, it can leave your designer communicating the wrong message.
The more information the designer is given, the better they are able to do their job. Does the client have brand guidelines that we must adhere to? Have they provided assets to do the job (image library, fonts, logos etc)? Have they done this before? Can we push the boundaries? These are all typical questions that a designer hopes to have answered in the brief. Briefs will vary depending on agency, and vary in size and detail depending on client or type of project, but the typical things to be found in most creative briefs are:
Background: Why is the job being done? What do we know of the client? Have we worked with them before?
Target audience: Who is the project aimed at? Should the copy/ imagery be tailored to them?
Objectives: What are we trying to accomplish? Is it a one-off event, or a year-long campaign?
Tone of voice: Serious? Light-hearted? Humorous?
The must haves: Which mandatory elements, such as client's logo, address, phone number or social media links, must be included?
Deliverables: What’s on our physical ‘shopping list’ of the print or web elements that must be submitted?
Timeline: When is the deadline?
Approval: Who needs to sign off the job?
A creative brief must be informative, directional and inspirational. A perfect creative brief leaves the designer needing to ask no questions and happy to attack the task ahead.
What is a creative brief?Jamie Ager
A creative brief is the blueprint for any design job. It is a document given to a designer at the start of a project to lay out the requirements set by the client.
The process can vary from agency to agency, but the usual process starts with the client speaking to an account manager or marketing team member to communicate their needs. After this, timelines, budget and what is required will be agreed. All this information is then put together to make the creative brief.
Who actually writes the brief varies. The account manager themselves might do it or it could be done by a creative or art director. They may add their own thoughts or their vision for the job in the form of mood boards, scamps or sketched ideas sketched out, or they may leave this until they've had an initial discussion with the designer. However this part is done, the communication of the brief to the designer is an extremely crucial part of the process. If this information isn’t laid out correctly, or in enough detail, it can leave your designer communicating the wrong message.
The more information the designer is given, the better they are able to do their job. Does the client have brand guidelines that we must adhere to? Have they provided assets to do the job (image library, fonts, logos etc)? Have they done this before? Can we push the boundaries? These are all typical questions that a designer hopes to have answered in the brief. Briefs will vary depending on agency, and vary in size and detail depending on client or type of project, but the typical things to be found in most creative briefs are:
Background: Why is the job being done? What do we know of the client? Have we worked with them before?
Target audience: Who is the project aimed at? Should the copy/ imagery be tailored to them?
Objectives: What are we trying to accomplish? Is it a one-off event, or a year-long campaign?
Tone of voice: Serious? Light-hearted? Humorous?
The must haves: Which mandatory elements, such as client's logo, address, phone number or social media links, must be included?
Deliverables: What’s on our physical ‘shopping list’ of the print or web elements that must be submitted?
Timeline: When is the deadline?
Approval: Who needs to sign off the job?
A creative brief must be informative, directional and inspirational. A perfect creative brief leaves the designer needing to ask no questions and happy to attack the task ahead.
A creative brief is the blueprint for any design job. It is a document given to a designer at the start of a project to lay out the requirements set by the client.
The process can vary from agency to agency, but the usual process starts with the client speaking to an account manager or marketing team member to communicate their needs. After this, timelines, budget and what is required will be agreed. All this information is then put together to make the creative brief.
Who actually writes the brief varies. The account manager themselves might do it or it could be done by a creative or art director. They may add their own thoughts or their vision for the job in the form of mood boards, scamps or sketched ideas sketched out, or they may leave this until they've had an initial discussion with the designer. However this part is done, the communication of the brief to the designer is an extremely crucial part of the process. If this information isn’t laid out correctly, or in enough detail, it can leave your designer communicating the wrong message.
The more information the designer is given, the better they are able to do their job. Does the client have brand guidelines that we must adhere to? Have they provided assets to do the job (image library, fonts, logos etc)? Have they done this before? Can we push the boundaries? These are all typical questions that a designer hopes to have answered in the brief. Briefs will vary depending on agency, and vary in size and detail depending on client or type of project, but the typical things to be found in most creative briefs are:
Background: Why is the job being done? What do we know of the client? Have we worked with them before?
Target audience: Who is the project aimed at? Should the copy/ imagery be tailored to them?
Objectives: What are we trying to accomplish? Is it a one-off event, or a year-long campaign?
Tone of voice: Serious? Light-hearted? Humorous?
The must haves: Which mandatory elements, such as client's logo, address, phone number or social media links, must be included?
Deliverables: What’s on our physical ‘shopping list’ of the print or web elements that must be submitted?
Timeline: When is the deadline?
Approval: Who needs to sign off the job?
A creative brief must be informative, directional and inspirational. A perfect creative brief leaves the designer needing to ask no questions and happy to attack the task ahead.
