Hey Gang,
Anyone have any opinions about this design brief? I have it down on paper but it isn't robust as I think it should be. Following the approximate methodology from the book, I addressed the following so far:
Design Problem
Target Audience
Objectives
Channels of Distribution
Green Concerns
Message
How in depth should be be getting on each of these? Any thoughts are appreciated!
5 comments:
Hi, Chris--sounds to me like you're on track. My design brief addresses pretty much the same components, along with design constraints. I also included some brief background about the nonprofit--in my case, for the sake of helping define the current audience and the target audience. I'm also not sure how in-depth it needs to be; mine is at about 1.5-2 pages.
Some sites I found useful for helping me organize my thoughts:
http://www.cleardesignuk.com/design-brief.html
http://www.dantaylor.com/pages/brief.html
thanks Tess!
You guys should try to find a copy of Ed Gold's book, "The Business of Graphic Design." It is out of print but I found a copy a year or so ago, they are out there. He talks at length about the business side of running a design firm, freelancing, etc. Included is his offerings on design briefs, a great resource on the business side of the biz.
Chris,
This is the research part.
Just gather every piece of information you think you will need when designing this project. That way you will have little questions and no surprises from the client when you present to them. And hopefully no one gets their time wasted. Think of the brief as all the details you would need to start a design project without having any previous knowledge of the project. Pretend the AD walks over to your desk and hands you a packet, saying, dude, create a new identity for these people. What would you want in that file?
I include their current stuff I am replacing, photos of the environmental I am updating, along with all the text in the brief.
Objectives & message are basically the same thing— goals. This should be the meat of the brief. What is the goal of the project? How do they differ from competition? Are they reinventing themselves or updating? What does their old stuff look like? How are they looking to impact the business? Sell more or increase awareness of service or product?
Be sure to research the business and report on that, including what they do, type of industry, history. (this will help you pick typefaces)
Also include benchmarks or design themes or elements to avoid. Since I am doing that BBQ joint, they need to avoid looking like a fast food place, while having a professional & legitimate identity that tells everyone Big Bad Wolf make the best BBQ.
Good luck!
Chris,
That was really helpful. Thanks
Post a Comment