Crafting up the brief

Graphic Design Brief

Crafting a comprehensive graphic design brief is essential to ensure a successful and aligned collaboration between the client and the designer. Within this document, numerous key elements come into play to establish a clear understanding of the project objectives, target audience, design preferences, and other vital details. 

Most important elements to consider in a graphic design brief: 

1. Background Information: This section should provide detailed information about the company, product, or service that the design is for. This could include company history, what the product/service does, its unique selling points, its current positioning in the market, and any relevant background information that could help the designer understand the context.

2. Project Overview: This is a high-level summary of the project. It should explain what the project is, why it is being undertaken, its purpose, what the finished product should look like, and what it aims to achieve. It should also explain the role of the design within the broader project.

3. Project Objectives: This section outlines the specific goals that the design should help achieve. These goals should be as measurable and specific as possible to ensure everyone is on the same page about what success looks like.

4. Target Audience: This is where you detail who your product or service is aimed at. This should include demographics like age, gender, occupation, location, and lifestyle. But also consider psychographics like interests, values, attitudes, and behaviors. The more detailed this section, the more tailored the design can be.

5. Design Preferences: If you have specific styles, colors, fonts, or design elements in mind, detail them here. Include what you want to avoid as well. This could also include the look and feel, layout preferences, and any existing brand guidelines that need to be adhered to.

6. Tone and Message: This is about the emotional response and message you want the design to convey. Do you want it to feel modern, traditional, playful, serious, professional, welcoming, etc.? The message should also relate to your brand's core values and mission.

7. Specifications and requirements: These are the technical details for the project. Fully specify all required design elements and its details, including the required format (digital, print, etc.), size, resolution, and any other specific technical needs.

8. Brand Guidelines: If there are existing brand guidelines, they should be included here. This can include details on logo usage, color palettes, typography, imagery, and any other elements that define the brand's visual identity.

9. Competitor Information: Include information on key competitors, their design styles, strengths, and weaknesses. This will help the designer understand what differentiates your brand and how the design can further differentiate it.

10. Deliverables: Specify what needs to be delivered at the end of the project. This can include file types, sizes, variants (e.g., different color versions, formats for different platforms), and anything else you expect to receive.

11. Budget: If there's a set budget for the project, include it here. This can help the designer make decisions about what's achievable within the budget constraints.

12. Deadline: Include not just the final deadline, but also any important milestones. For example, when initial drafts are needed, when feedback will be given, and when final revisions should be complete.

13. Contact Information: Provide details of the main point of contact for the project. This person will liaise with the designer for any questions, clarifications, and approvals.

14. Project Stakeholders: Identify anyone else involved in the project and their roles. Knowing who the decision-makers are can help the process move smoothly.

15. Success Metrics: Outline how you'll measure the success of the design. This might be through increased brand recognition, sales, website traffic, social media engagement, or any other measurable response.

16. Examples/References: Providing examples of designs you like or dislike can be extremely helpful for designers. These can be general design examples or specific elements like color combinations, typography, or use of space.

17. Revision Process: Specify how revisions and feedback will be handled. Include how many rounds of revisions are included, how feedback should be given (written, over a call), and the expected turnaround time for revisions.

18. Printing Details: If the design will be printed, any specific details about the printing process should be included. This might be details about the preferred printer, printing techniques, paper quality, or any other specific instructions.

19. Legal Requirements: Any legal considerations should be mentioned here. This could include copyright information, trademark issues, or any other legal constraints the designer should be aware of.

20. Confidentiality: If there's any confidential or sensitive information involved in the project, specify it here. If a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is required, it should be included with the brief.

I plan to utilize a content-generating AI tool to help formulate a concise design brief for this project. To optimize results, I will predetermine certain specifics like the quantity of design objectives needed and the project deadlines. Moreover, throughout the project, I aim to engage this AI tool in a client-like role, interacting with it to gather more insights about the brief.

Test brief

Background Information: We are "Sunbird Solar Solutions", a forward-thinking and environmentally conscious company based in California. Since our inception in 2021, we've been dedicated to providing solar energy solutions for residential and commercial properties. Our unique selling point is our proprietary technology that allows for maximum energy conversion efficiency, making solar energy a more accessible and effective solution for everyone. We're known for our customer-centric approach, our commitment to sustainability, and our ability to deliver superior, tailored solar solutions.

Project Overview: We're launching a new nationwide campaign to promote our cutting-edge, energy-efficient solar panels. For this campaign, we're seeking a comprehensive set of graphic design elements including a campaign logo, billboards, social media ads, posters, and brochures. The design should be engaging, creative, and make a strong visual impact that clearly communicates the benefits of switching to solar energy, the superior efficiency of our products, and our commitment to sustainable living.

Project Objectives: The primary objective of the designs is to raise brand awareness and generate leads, with the ultimate goal of increasing the adoption of solar panels by 30% within a year of the campaign. The designs should instill trust in our brand, communicate the long-term cost-effectiveness of solar energy, and the positive environmental impact of using our products.

Target Audience: Our target audience is homeowners and business owners aged 30-60, primarily located in sunny states, who are environmentally conscious and looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and save on their energy bills. They are decision-makers who value quality, durability, and are willing to make a long-term investment for the greater good.

Design Preferences: We prefer clean, modern designs with creative uses of white space. Our color scheme leans towards earthy and sunny colors. Avoid designs that are too complex or that might be interpreted as cluttered or chaotic. The design should reflect our technological edge, but also our approachability and customer-centric focus.

Tone and Message: The design should project optimism, responsibility, and the empowering feeling of self-sufficiency. It should communicate our dedication to providing solutions for a greener, sustainable future and encourage the viewer to be a part of the positive change.

Specifications: The designs should be suitable for large scale printing (billboards and posters) and digital mediums (social media and websites). We require high-resolution files in both vector and raster formats.

Brand Guidelines: Our logo should be prominently displayed. Our primary colors are sunny yellow (Pantone 13-0758 TCX) and earthy brown (Pantone 16-1326 TCX). We use 'Futura' for headings and 'Arial' for body text.

Competitor Information: Our main competitors are SolarCity and Vivint Solar. Their designs tend to be more corporate and less focused on the customer. We want our design to be more human, approachable, and focused on the impact that each individual can make.

Deliverables: We require final design files in .ai (Adobe Illustrator) and .psd (Photoshop) formats. We also require a style guide detailing the colors, typography, and layout guidelines used in the designs.

Budget: Our budget for this project is $15,000.

Deadline: The final designs should be ready by October 30, 2023. Initial drafts are expected by September 30, 2023, and revisions by October 20, 2023.

Contact Information: Our Brand Manager, Sophia Rios, will be the main point of contact. Her email is sophia.rios@sunbirdsolarsolutions.com.

Project Stakeholders: Sophia Rios (Brand Manager), Carl Grayson (CEO), and Amanda Ford (Head of Sales).

Success Metrics: Success will be measured by a 30% increase in solar panel installations, a 25% increase in leads generated, and a noticeable increase in brand recognition and social media engagement.

Examples/References: We admire the simplicity and visual impact of Apple's billboard campaigns, and the creativity and effectiveness of Geico's online ads.

Revision Process: We allow for three rounds of revisions. Feedback will be given in written form via email, and we expect revisions to be completed within five days of receiving feedback.

Printing Details: Specific printing details will be provided once the design is finalized, as different deliverables will have different printing requirements.

Legal Requirements: All designs must be original and must not infringe on any copyrights or trademarks. Any imagery used should be appropriately licensed.

Confidentiality: The project involves confidential information about our marketing strategy and product details. A Non-Disclosure Agreement is required before the project commences.