A Good Brief Scores Goals
Why a Brief Matters
A poorly prepared or incomplete brief makes the design process harder and can lead to results far from expectations.
For example:
If the target audience isn’t clearly defined, the design won’t reach the right people.
If information is missing, the designer can’t focus on the right solution.
The process drags on, wasting time and resources.
A well-prepared brief speeds up the creative process and makes it easier to achieve the intended quality. Think of it as the design’s compass: it points in the right direction.
So, How Should You Give a Brief?
As a designer, I wanted to explain this with an example everyone can relate to a profession other than design: tailoring.
Short Story: Tailor Remzi
There was a tailor named Remzi. One morning, he opened his shop, swept the floor, and ordered his tea. At that moment, a customer, Ayhan, peeked in:
– “Remzi, I need a pair of trousers!”
– “Come in, Ayhan, let’s have some tea. Tell me what you want.”
– “I’m in a hurry. You know me!” and he left.
Ayhan planned to come back home in the evening wearing his dream trousers. But after work, he returned to the shop and faced a huge disappointment: his trousers weren’t ready. Meanwhile, another customer who came later had their trousers completed and even worn.
Ayhan complained:
– “I’ve been your customer for years. I came earlier, but theirs is ready, mine isn’t!”
Remzi calmly replied:
– “Because that customer came in, smiled, explained what kind of trousers they wanted, chose the fabric together, gave measurements, and did fittings. You just said ‘You know me.’ Sorry, I can’t read minds.”
Brief Summary
A good brief contains:
Project goal
Target audience
Budget (if any)
Deadline
Media to be used
Technical details
Preconditions
And most importantly: excitement!
It should also convey the emotional tone guiding the design. A brief shouldn’t exceed one page and should be updated when necessary.
Most importantly, the designer must have the right to ask questions. If something isn’t clear, they should ask. This isn’t a waste of time it’s an investment in quality.
What Not to Do
Prepare a brief through WhatsApp messages:
Imagine being told to turn your salary into coins and throw them in the air to collect. Sounds disrespectful, right? Expecting a designer to extract a brief from scattered chat messages feels similarly disrespectful.
Give only verbal briefs:
A designer constantly refers back to the brief during the design process. Each read can spark new ideas. A verbal brief alone may not work.
Vague expressions:
“Make it a little modern, a little retro, but not too extreme” doesn’t guide it creates chaos.
Impatience:
“Which part of this didn’t you understand?” slows down the process. Designers aren’t stupid they’re trying to understand better. And yes, understanding is a spectrum, stretching all the way to true comprehension.
Conclusion
A good brief isn’t just a document it’s 50% of the work.
It ignites your designer’s creative mind.
The process becomes faster, the results satisfying.
Remember:
A good brief scores goals.
A bad brief loses the game before it even starts.
