The map or the compass that any designer expects, but also sometimes the dreaded document of clients
The roadmap of the designer
The creative brief is not to be neglected when you start your project because it will be decisive for the designer in order to know your expectations, your approach, the scope of the project, understand your business, your desires, your targets, objectives and other information that will be decisive for determining things like the budget, and project timescale.
Ask yourself the right questions
- Ask yourself first what you sell (a service? A product? An event?), What your brand represents and why. It’s always nice to provide visuals to support your comments. Talk about the origins of the brand, its founders, its history, its added value … In this part, you have to make the designer feel the soul of your company: You’ll have in front of you a creative who will take into account the emotional aspects of the project. You will, thanks to this step, better express who you are, allowing for the creation of a fertile ground to better formulate your expectations and needs, which will be used by the designer. Be his polar star and tell him the North.
- Then it will also be easier to define who your competitors are : what are your strengths or weaknesses in relation to them. What do your competitors propose? How do they communicate? The idea, is to understand how competitors communicate not to try to be “like them” but “better than them”, to position you as a leader.
- Are you known in your trade? This question will define the choices of the positioning of your brand. An example: McDonalds whose brand is known worldwide in our daily culture can afford in one of their last poster campaigns to put only a close-up of their burger without any other mention. And yet, everyone recognises Mcdonalds because their fame allows them to dare and play. While a more local burger restaurant could not afford this type of communication as it would not be recognised and communication would fall by the wayside.
What are your needs ?
Okay, now go to your needs and expectations. What are the elements that you think you need for the things mentioned above? Some examples: the conception of your visual identity, graphic charter, or its redesign (logotype, color, imagery, typography …)? Do you need an experiential website, website design, website redesign or an iOS / Android mobile app ? Or print communication support (flyer, posters, brochures, POS, internal documents, product packaging)? Each communication medium will influence the target, defined according to usage, age and socio-professional categories and many other criteria. What message do you want to convey and what tone do you want to give?
Transmit references showing the graphic worlds that seem relevant to you.
Thanks to this, you will give graphic directions to the creative designer.
A long term partner
Think of the designer as your ally in the long run so think big! You will surely need a professional to accompany you over time to maintain a graphic consistency and impeccable quality of your brand. Do not forget to be clear in your communication. What do you want the designer to bring to your project? A vision ? An ideology? A style ? Advice ? A respect of the budget?
You must be in a relationship of trust to work as efficiently as possible. So let yourself go a little bit and trust the creative.
