How to Write an Awesome Design Brief

Whether you’re a programmer or a project lead on an important application or website, there comes a time where you will need a visual designer. The contemporary design market is filled with experts in a variety of fields such as graphic design, UI/UX design, as well as web design. According to Finances Online, freelance designers make up 90% of the creative industry, with 60.8% of digital marketers who claim that visuals make-or-break a brand.

You often won’t have the time or resources to redo the work of one designer by hiring another due to website or app development cost. Finding the right talent for your project and properly communicating your needs to them is a top priority for successful project development. This is where writing an objective design brief comes into play. Design brief will allow you to properly pass on your team’s ideas to a visual designer and result in an awesome design for your project. But how do you write such a document, and what are its practical, long-term benefits?

Advantages of Writing an Awesome Design Brief

Why does writing a design brief matter? Based on research done by 99 Designs, people seek visually appealing content which is consistent across all digital communication channels used by a brand. This applies to anything from flyer and brochure design to web or mobile app UI design since cohesive visual content instills users’ trust.

Writing a design brief allows you to put all of your ideas, suggestions, and concerns about the visual aspect of your project on paper. It is commonly written for outsourcing and freelancers, but it can also be used as an internal reference document if you have visual artists present. Combined with writing tools such as Trust My Paper, Evernote, or Wow Grade, your design brief can breathe life into the visuals of your project. If we were to draw the line and list the practical reasons to start your design process by writing a brief, that list would include:

• Streamlined hiring of adequate talent for design development
• Drastically decreased design approval and development time
• Better focus on a cohesive design and presentation of the project
• Easier to spot potential issues and fix them in pre-production

Tips for Writing an Awesome Design Brief

1. Write about your Company

The best way to start writing your design brief is to simply describe what your company is all about. You can treat this as a shortened “about us” section and describe your history, main products/services, as well as brand values.

These elements are a great source of inspiration for freelancers who may not be aware of your company until now. Remember, even if you use your design brief as an internal document, you should still follow the basic guidelines and remind your colleagues about it.

2. Define your Deliverables

The most difficult part of writing a design brief is outlining what it is that you need specifically. Whether you work with an in-house designer or look for freelancers online, you will have to objectively describe every design element you need made. For example, you may need three brochures, five posters, and two business card designs done in addition to a style guide.

Listing the exact designs you require from a visual artist will serve two purposes – it will help gauge the scale and price of the project. Do your best to be specific, and don’t be afraid to ask for thoughts from the designer you work with. There can always be an element of design brief you overlooked and need to scale the project accordingly after the fact – leave room for improvement.

3. Describe the Target Audience/Market

In short, this is where you should write about who you want to appeal to with your new design solution. Do you intend to penetrate a new market which doesn’t know about your brand? Or, do you intend to differentiate your product portfolio with new variations of existing goods and services?

These elements matter since they will help you define “who” your new design should cater to. Younger generations prefer colorful design solutions with vibrant hues and eye-catching UI elements. On the other hand, older customers may prefer subdued visuals which place emphasis on typography and UX instead. Be certain of your target audience and describe them as best as possible to your visual design expert.

4. Outline the Design Timeline

What is the timeline for the design elements to be finished and delivered to your team? This section of the design brief should be written as a team effort between your developers and coworkers in order for everyone to pitch in.

For example, your coder may need background elements sooner than your UX designer needs individual navigation buttons delivered. You can use writing platforms like Supreme Dissertations, Grammarly, or Grab My Essay to write down each element in a cascade for the sake of clarity. Define the design timeline as clearly as possible but always leave a buffer window for potential problems or redesign requests.

5. Include Several Do/Don’t Examples

A good way to cap off your design brief is to simply include 3-5 representative examples of great and not so great designs you found. These can be anything from stock vector art or brands which operate in the same industry as you. Include examples of what you like and dislike (with a short one-sentence comment for each) to better communicate your ideas.

You can either attach images or links to brands whose visual identities you’d like to use as references in your own project. Graphic design is inherently a visual medium, and listing good and bad examples will greatly improve the final product you receive. If you are pressed for time, you can just focus on “don’t” examples as these are more important to the designer for practical reasons.

Always Leave the Door Open (Conclusion)

Going into your first design brief, it’s important to realize that no brief is ever perfect. You will always find new ways to improve your writing, both in terms of formatting and the information you include in the document. As such, you should end the design brief with a call to action for your designer to pitch in and comment on your ideas. Even a small insight into your design plans can drastically affect how your final product will turn out.

Treat your design brief writing as a creative exercise and not as a corporate document. While it represents an official document, it should also communicate who you are and what you stand for as a company and team. Once you’re ready, publish your design brief and look forward to design experts who will undoubtedly take an interest in your project shortly thereafter.