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You have a great idea for a communication project for your business and you want to find a professional to work on this project. Before you go any further in your research take some time to prepare the ground and start thinking of this idea as your project also.
To do so you need to write a creative or project brief!
The brief is where your idea turns into a project because you start seeing the first steps of your communication support. The brief helps to frame the project. It is an essential step, both for you as the client, and for the service provider. If the creative brief is well detailed, it will save you a lot of time (and money) and it's the guarantee that the final product will meet your expectations. Sometimes you might be looking for the wow effect and let the creative professional free to express his/her full creativity. This kind of approach is risky but possible when you have long collaborated with your provider very well and you are ready to test something less conventional. Or sometimes you might think that you don't have the time to sit and write it. In any case, my experience has shown me that even when the client gives you this "freedom", it's better to have a detailed brief. Good creative work comes from good partnerships and this will help deliver better results for your business in the long run.
What Should Be Included In Your Design Brief?
When there is an ongoing collaboration with your agency or freelancer, you can skip the information about the company, the brand, your market strategy, and your competitors. On the other hand, focus on the following points which generally are not covered enough in the briefs:
Why: the project context and why you think it will be beneficial for you. Is it a new project or a continuation of what has already been done? What additional support already exists within the company? What: your objectives and what is the desired result? Instead of saying "I want a nice blog", go further in defining your objectives: "I want to attract new clients (who are...) and respond to their problems which is .... ».
Who: the target you want to reach. If you have already worked on your potential buyers or personas (key elements of their profile, their needs, their expectations..) it will be easy to define the way to address your message.
The timing: “ASAP” is not an answer when talking about timescales either. Nobody likes rush jobs. If you are not sure about the timing, it’s beneficial to ask for recommendations, rather than adding restrictions.
The budget: by being clear with your budget early on, you can make sure everyone is on the same page right from the get-go. It can also be frustrating if you get a negative answer or what you might think is an unrealistic answer. But this will save everyone time (and money).
The supporting elements: the HD graphic library (not graphic elements in a PPT), texts, the brand book (brand colors, typo...)
When writing the brief, think of it as a document that sets the tone for your project. The more precise information your creative has in the brief, the more tailored and brilliant solution you will get. Yes, it's a win-win approach.
Last but not least, this is what I have included in my brief template, which is part of my onboarding new projects and clients process:
The Creative Brief Template:
An Overview of Your Business
More About Your Business
Competitor Information
Your Target Audience and Market
The Problem You’re Facing
The Objectives of Your Project
Project Specific Information
Project Timescales
Project Budget
Contact Information
If you are interested in getting a copy, just drop me a message!