THE DESIGN BRIEF

-


Hi guys! Welcome back. In my last post, I talked about the process of design and talked about 4 things to do before starting out on a job you get. Okay, let’s do a recap: The first I mentioned was to get rid of the middle man because he or she cannot help you like you will help yourself, the second is to give the company owner a design brief to answer all necessary questions, the third is to give them space to think and time to answer your questions, and the last is to do your homework which will involve a lot of research making.

So, let’s talk fully about the DESIGN BRIEF as I promised. I gave the definition that the design brief is like a roadmap, it defines everything about the client, the company, the goals and objectives, the job, the reason for the job and so on. So how do you create a design brief? Let’s create one together.

We will be going in a step by step way to design your design brief, I will go as slow as I can…hahahaha…so follow me closely.

Step 1

Describe the client

Remember I said in the last post that you shouldn’t allow to be redirected to the company website? Let me add also that you should not allow the company owner to pitch his business idea to you -entrepreneurs are used to that - let him remember you are not an investor. So, to get the client to answer the way you need, you can ask questions like:

·        For how long have you been in the business?

·        What do you love most about the company?

·        What do your clients or customers say about you?

These questions will help you to know the description of the business and its customers views.

Step 2

Now here is the critical phase that contains critical questions

The following questions are those that will be present here, it provides a greater insight into the company.

·        When people think about your brand, what feeling do you want them to have?

Did you read the posts on branding? You should. I talked about this explicitly there. When I am walking in the hot sun and I think of 7up, the first feel that comes to mind is ‘refreshing ‘I know I am not the only one that feels that way. Let’s continue, you as designer should know what the company owner has in mind. Is it a refreshing feeling your client want his customers to have when they think about him? Is it safety? Is it elegance? Let the company owner tell you.

·        Is there a tagline?

Remember I said in one of my previous posts on branding that the tagline is a simple and short sentence that contains a company’s promise to her customers.

·        What emotional or functional benefits does your company deliver to customers?

What can they benefit from their product that they can’t from their competitors? You want to know it so the logo you create can project it.

·        Where can customers see your brand?

This answer helps you as a designer to create the perfect relevant logo which can be used on both the biggest and the smallest surfaces. The question helps you know how small to think. Remember my 9th post – Elements of an Iconic Logo?

·        Are there any reference materials from you that can inspire the client?

Something else you are giving apart from your product to customers, maybe newsletter, maybe blog, maybe assistance in installing appliances…anything.

·        What are the deliverables?

Does your client prefer the logo in PDF format? Or both PDF and JPEG? Or one that will include the name and one that won’t? Clarify this so you don’t disappoint your client.

Step 3

Clarify the target market

Your client should let you know who their target market is. Be sure to know details about them. Ask questions like:

·        What is their average age?

·        What is their gender?

·        How much do they earn on the average?

·        Why do they buy your product and in what way does your product help them?

Step 4

Define the competition

Let your client be able to say how they are different from their competitors. Is it in their target market? Is it in product delivered? Is it in additional value delivered?

For example, if your clients produce handbags for higher classes like Presidents’ wives, Senators’ wives and all. He could have a competitor(s) who produces the same handbags for the middle class. He could have competitors doing the same things. You have to know.

Step 5

What image does the client want to convey to his customers?

So now looking at the example above, your client’s logo has to be sophisticated so as to attract their target market. In this segment, you can ask the following questions:

What typography style will they want to consider?

What colours they want to try out?

Never assume, always remember that their concept of classy or simple might be different from yours so ask. You could ask them to send images of downloaded logos that they like. You most likely will see a common denominator that shows what their preference is.

Step 6

How will success be measured?

We all have different measurements of success, so you have to find out from your client what his measurement is. Is it increasing sales? Or increasing reach? Or increasing trust? You have to ask to know

Step 7

Clarify your client’s budget!

This is a major part, because it involves money, that’s why I am screaming it. Both sides need to be clear on this to avoid misunderstandings.

Step 8

Ask about the approval process

You have met the company owner or one of the decision makers. Be sure to know if there are more. Is it a committee? Is it one person who will ask for the opinion of his PA? When you know the people who have to final say on either accepting or rejecting the logo, you should meet with them. Hear them, talk to them, let them all be on the same level in thought and expectation so that by the time to make your submission and presentation, you have comments as relating to one direction, not that one person is drawing you back.

Step 9

Start writing

Now is the time to compile every answer the client has given you. Don’t forget to run your summary by your client so you can both be on the same page and make copies, so he can see what he said that you are following.

Step 10

Manage the project

Now you can go into the project fully and churn out all inspirations you have.

Now let's see an example of a Design Brief. Not as detailed as our own I know, but it's something to start off with.


I know this is a long read, but I trust it is helpful for taking your design business to another level – professionalism. Next post, we will be talking on a nice topic that I love: From Designing to Delivery. We will be looking at what to do when designing a logo and what to do when delivering the logo. Don’t forget that these are what I learnt from the book I read. Don’t worry I will tell you the name in my next post #winks.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe, so you can get new posts alerts and be part of the first to gain new knowledge. Do you have things you would love to learn about? Topics you would want me to talk about? Please send me a mail olamipoada2@gmail.com, I am eager to receive it.

See ya!!

 

 

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Design: How should it be done for productivity?

-
Image
Design is one of the three fundamental dimensions of human intelligence. Most people think design is a tool i.e. involving only the use of Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and other software. It is actually the process which takes ideas through a number of CRITICAL THINKING to creation of prototypes and then to reach an innovative product that targets solving consumers’ problems and addressing their needs. You see!? Design is not about knowing how to use the tools but about going through a process. In my first post about Creativity, I mentioned that being creative gives you the opportunity to try out new ideas, new ways of thinking and getting a problem solved. With this definition, let’s just say Design is the process of using our creativity. So! We have seen what design is all about. Let’s look at this, how do we design? A lot of graphic designers make a mistake of diving into a job on getting it. And most times if not all, this rush in causes a quick rush out. What do I mean by a ru...
Read more

Brand: What it is and what it is not

-
Image
As the saying by Aesop goes that "Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either." I am glad to tell you that BRANDING is not an exception. This is why we will be talking about the topic of Branding: What it is and what it is not. To know what a brand is not, we will have to look at what a brand is. A Brand can be defined as the sum total of experiences of your customers when they come in contact with you. It is the collection of perceptions about you (your business) in the mind of the customer . It involves what you represent to your customers and what they think of you, ranging from the way you respond to their mails, the music they hear when on hold on the phone, your tweets, your logo and so on. For example, when I think of 7up, I automatically think of a quick soothing feeling and when I think of Veleta, I think of Enjoyment…shey you get? Now that we know what brand is, let us look at what brand is not. Please don’t f...
Read more

LOGO

-
Image
A logo they say has to be timeless, able to stay relevant for years, passing out the right emotions in the hearts of people who come across it. For us to be able to achieve that, we have to know the right things about logo before creating it. This is why we will be learning about LOGO today. It is imperative to know very well about logo before starting out to create one…oh yes, I have created logos before I got the knowledge about it too. So, don’t be discouraged. Logo is a graphical representation of your brand. It is that picture that represents the collection of promised experiences which in turn creates a mindset in the minds of those who come in contact with your brand. It is the FACE OF YOUR BRAND. You can see how important a Logo is for a brand. It is what represents your brand to the outside world with your brand name. So, let's talk about the types of Logos that there are. There are 4 major types and we will be looking at each one.   1. Wordmark Logo This type of...
Read more