Design briefs are an essential part of every successful design project’s workflow. They align everyone involved on the purpose, milestones, and end goals of the project.
A well-written design brief is like a roadmap:
On the other hand, a design brief that contains nonessential information and gaping holes causes even the best designers to struggle to do great work. Even worse, running a project without a design brief results in chaos with countless phone calls, ping-pong email threads and lack of clarity on design direction and project milestones.
In this guide, we’re going to explain the benefits and show you how to create a design brief so that you can make your creative projects a roaring success. We'll give you valuable insights on what to include, tips for success, and even examples and templates to get you started on your next graphic design project.
A design brief is a short document—typically one or two pages—that explains the strategy for a design project’s visual direction and aesthetic. It also outlines the goals of the project and maps out the plan for how your design team will get there. This plan can include the number of versions and design mockups expected over the course of the design project, a visual mood board and design inspiration examples, branding guidelines for the design team and expected delivery dates
A design brief is a type of creative brief, which typically encompasses all the possible elements of a creative project.
The main focus of the design brief should be on the results and outcomes of the design concepts and visual direction. It should also relate that design vision to the business objectives of the project. In other words, it allows the client to focus on what they want to achieve before any design work starts on the project.
Finally, design briefs are usually signed off by the client and design team at set milestones in the project to ensure everything remains on track.
Starting a new project with a design brief is beneficial to both clients and designers. For example, a design brief:
Various opinions exist, but most designers would expect an initial design brief from the client. From there, it can become a working document that gets approved by both parties. But there are other options:
With large companies, it’s typically a Company Director, Marketing Manager, or Marketing Executive who writes the design brief. In smaller companies, it’s usually the business owner who writes it.
Sometimes the brief is written by the designer rather than the client. Designers usually have a design brief template to be completed by the client that ensures they have all the information they need to start work.
A third option involves the client and designer collaborating on the brief. This allows both parties to clarify goals and objectives, get input from stakeholders, and sign-off quicker.
The point is that both parties have a vested interest in getting the design brief right and signed-off before any design work starts. The client has to initiate the process, even if it’s asking a designer to meet and discuss the project so they can get ideas down. Some designers will have a standard template they’ll ask clients to complete first and then flesh it out with more details in a meeting.
Whomever writes the design brief needs to include key elements so that everyone involved has a clear picture of the requirements.
You can create design briefs in different styles and formats. But a good design brief outlines the deliverables and scope of the project, including any outcomes, timing, and budget.
Design briefs are used across a wide range of projects including those in the fields of architecture, interior design, fashion design, and industrial design, as well as graphic design, web design, ecommerce, and branding and rebranding.
Depending on the nature of the project and the client requirements, there might be slightly different sections, but as a general rule of thumb, a good design brief generally includes:
Let’s look at each element in more detail.
Design briefs should always include an overview of the client’s business so that all stakeholders are familiar with the brand and what it stands for.
Key elements to include in this section:
Questions to address:
A design brief needs to describe:
Both need to be specific and measurable so that you can evaluate the success or failure of the project. For example:
To build a thorough design brief, address questions such as:
It’s essential to understand the target audience and market for the design.
For example, a website designed for teenagers will look and work differently than one designed for corporate decision-makers.
Determine what outcome will resonate with your target audience by considering questions such as:
Note: If the client doesn’t have this information or more is required, then you may need additional budget.
Knowing the brand’s competition helps inform the design process and clarify the strategy. For example, what works for your competitors will likely work for you, but you need to know how to stand out from the crowd.
Make a list of direct and indirect competitors. For example, when launching its Watch Edition, Apple listed competitors as:
Implement competitive intelligence into your brief by outlining answers to these questions:
Clients don’t have to provide creative direction–the design team will handle that. However, it’s good to list requirements about what to include or exclude.
Include any reference materials:
Uncover what your client has in mind by asking these discovery questions:
Both parties need to have a clear understanding of what outcome is expected. Make sure expectations are set on both sides.
Include any of the following details about your deliverables:
Get on the same page as your client by asking outcome-based questions such as:
Clients need to state when they want to start and complete the project. If timescales don’t fit with the designer’s other commitments, it could be a non-starter.
Aside from starting and ending the project, there will be other milestones along the way like concepts, final designs, development work, and reviews. Clients also need to account for providing their timely feedback throughout the project – otherwise, they could end up delaying the process and missing deadlines.
In short, both parties need to be realistic and flexible to account for potential changes or unexpected obstacles to project timescales.
Determine a timeline by asking:
Both the client and the designer need to be aware of the budget and constraints before the work commences.
The project budget has to align with project deliverables to avoid the possibility of scope creep.
Don’t avoid the subject. Discuss it as soon as possible so both parties know what to expect.
Questions to address:
In this section, list all the key stakeholders, contributors, and points of contact within the project with their assigned roles. You'll need a primary point of contact for the project, plus a person responsible for the final sign-off on all project deliverables.
Make sure all the details are listed, including their name, email address, and phone number. Remember to include any third-parties involved in the project, such as copywriters or web developers.
Questions to address:
Here are three different styles of design briefs to give you an idea of what’s possible.
Editor’s note: All these examples use the term “objective” rather than “goal”, which means there are no success measures in reaching a goal. And none of them include project budget, timescales, and approval, which one might assume would be discussed and added to the brief and proposal in the next stage. |
The design brief example from Hush Puppies ticks all the boxes. It’s presented in a formal layout with clear section headings highlighting each component of the design brief.
The next design brief from Quaker Oats has a different layout, but when you look closely, you’ll see it has all the essential ingredients. The background facts also provide handy information on the problem and what Quaker Oats want to achieve with their campaign.
The final example for the Apple Watch Edition uses some existing photos to add substance to the design brief. But aside from that, you can see all the required elements, plus the “mandatories” of what and what not to mention.
Good design briefs are essential for any successful design project as they benefit both the client and the design team by:
The information you include in a design brief and how you manage the approval of the design plans can make or break your design project. Before you begin creative production, be sure to:
Ziflow is the perfect tool for successful sign-off of design briefs by the client and design team as all stakeholders get real-time updates and notifications throughout the review and approval. Learn more about using Ziflow's creative collaboration platform to review and approve your design projects from brief to final version.