Did you finally make the decision to subscribe to a graphic design service? Part of the process requires users to submit a design brief that provides clear details about the design. Plus, other assets that may be needed in the design. Before you sign up for a subscription design service, here are some tried-and-tested tips on how to brief a design service!
What’s Included in a Design Brief?
Image Credit: Amina Filkins from Pexels1. Brand Overview
Aside from the brand name and industry, give your designers a brief idea of what the brand is all about. Indicate the brand’s target market and audience, goals, and expectations. Additionally, ensure you include the brand’s guidelines, such as the logo, color(s), and font(s), to maintain brand consistency across various designs. Plus, indicate the competitors, too!
It would be best if you gathered all of these details so that once you finally subscribe to a design service, you can simply attach them to the brief.
2. Project Details
What’s the project all about? Some graphic design services let you select what designs you’re requesting for the project. If it’s unavailable, you can indicate that in either the title or the description. You may need a project title, which is ideally the best place to specify the design you need. For example, you can write: [Flyer Design] {Brand here} for {Campaign}.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what to write in the project description:
- Design goals
- Messaging and tone
- Timeline
- Deliverables (file types and file sizes [e.g., JPG, PNG, size: 200KB])
If a graphic design service lets you choose the design you’re requesting, it would usually include the dimensions for ideal posting. However, you may opt for a custom size, which you can manually input in the description.
In some instances, you can also add reference designs to aid the designer in how you would like the designs to appear in the final draft.
3. Design Inclusions and Exclusions
In cases where written communication should be added to the design, it’s your responsibility to add the copy to the design brief. Before you submit the design brief, it’s best to prepare the copy in advance to avoid design delivery delays. Additionally, you can also indicate what other graphic or visual elements your designer can include. Besides that, you can also indicate which details to avoid.
How to Structure Your Design Brief?
Image Credit: Van Tay Media from PexelsNow that we’ve covered what to add to your design brief, here’s how to structure your design briefs for a design service. What’s great about an on-demand design service is that they store your brand assets and learn what to include (and not to include) in your designs. However, your first design brief might be different from your subsequent ones. Plus, your design briefs may vary for design types. Here are some tips on structuring your design briefs.
Your First Design Brief
Your first design brief might be the most detailed out of all your design briefs.
This should include ALL of the details indicated above. Plus, other pertinent information that might help your designer better understand your brand and design needs. There’s no rule on how design briefs should be written, but typically it goes in this order:
- Project title
- Brand details and brand assets
- Design request (design type)
- Details of design request (e.g., file dimensions and sizes, file deliverables, what’s included and not included, design copy)
- Reference designs (can be attached or linked)
Branding Design Briefs
Branding design briefs may include requests for logos, business cards, and even brand guidelines. In case you don’t have your brand assets just yet when you request them, it’s totally fine that you don’t have them ready yet. You can provide reference files or, if you have them, a sketch or rough draft of your logos. This way, your designer will know how to create branding designs.
For this design brief, include all the details above. Plus, you can include competitor logos, too. This way, your designers understand who the competitors are. It’s a good opportunity for them to help you one-up your competitors.
Marketing and Advertising Design Briefs
Marketing design briefs will likely include multiple variations, depending on campaigns and marketing goals. Any information about your marketing campaigns and goals is necessary to add to your designs. This way, your designer can tailor that visual.
You can follow the same structure as above, but under design request details, including the marketing campaign and goals.
For example, a marketing campaign: introduce the brand to a new target market. Goal: brand awareness.
Additionally, you can include where you’ll be publishing your marketing or advertising deliverables. You can say that this is a multi-channel campaign. However, you need to be specific by stating: we need both a printed and a digital version of these designs. Plus, include the dimensions for each type.
What Are Other Useful Tips to Remember When Creating a Design Brief?
Image Credit: Alena Darmel from Pexels1. Be Specific
Your designers will appreciate your specificity. Although graphic designers are creative, they’re not mind readers. If you simply create a general design brief, they might also produce an uninspired design. When you specify details, they’ll know how to craft designs based on your brand’s preferences.
2. Consult Teammates
If you’re part of a business, it’s best to talk with your fellow teammates and other members of various departments to help you understand how the designs should appear. You can get their input on how they envision the design and what other details should be added.
3. Allow Flexibility
Sometimes, design needs change even during the creation process. Although you can be specific, be flexible with some adjustments. For instance, if during the design process a team member says that a certain element needs to be added, add that detail to the modified design brief. When you brief a design service, the brief can be edited. However, it’s best to inform them of any changes made to your brief!
Final Thoughts
When you create a brief for a design service, it’s best to have a structured and clear brief. This way, you can re-use and tailor the design brief for future requests. Plus, ensure that it’s a collaborative process and that you include all details to ensure you get the designs you need to succeed.
Featured Image Credit: Mel Poole from Unsplash
