Over the years we've worked on all sorts of projects for all sorts of people. And it's fair to say that we've seen the full spectrum when it comes to client briefs. At one end there is the classic "I'll know what I want when I see it!" and at the other end of the spectrum several sides of A4 referencing everything you can think of plus the kitchen sink.
For designers both approaches are problematic. Too little or too much information and designers end up guessing what the client wants. If there is no natural starting point then the first design is always a marker - more than likely in whatever style the designer sees fit. They may reference competitors or use your logo as a guide - but usually the look and feel will flow from some subliminal influence and may or may not be what you are looking for.
Too much information and the designer will need to filter out what they think is surplus to requirements. During the creative process your designer will need to drop any ideas they do not fit.
You can see the problems... too little information and your designer may well reference something you do not like. Too much information and they may leave out something that you feel strongly about.
But where is the middle ground?
In our opinion a creative brief is best produced in partnership with a designer. Talk to them before you write anything down. Talk to them about what you want to achieve from the project before you start to talk about how it is going to look and feel.
A good designer will want to know what you want from the finished article. And, during this process you should start to realise which parts of the design are the most important. Maybe the overall goal is to get people to register on your website - therefore prominence will need to be given to any text/images that highlight this.
If your design needs to appeal to a certain audience then it may well influence how it should look. Telling your designer as much information about your target audience will help them pick a style and a color pallet.
Knowing how the finished design is going to be used is also a big thing... website designs do not usually transfer well to the printed media and visa-versa.
So, to start with consider writing a sentence about each of the points below before you go any further.
1. What is the overall goal of the project?
2. Who are the primary (and if necessary, secondary) target audience?
3. Where is the finished design going to be used?
Discuss these with your designer and then you'll be in a stronger position to talk about the creative elements next.
Now for the fluffy bits!
Now you and your designer have a solid understanding of what you want to achieve how do you go about getting your likes and dislikes over to him or her?
The important thing here is to keep your likes and dislikes in context to the project. A good start is to look at competitors material and gather samples of anything that catches your eye.
Try not to overload your designer... you are paying them to come up with ideas and you should trust that they are able to do this. Just a handful, no more than five or six visual references are all that you should need. Don't just email them though, sit down and go through them. Be clear exactly what it is that you like about your samples and they will be a lot more useful to your design team. It's often best to organise your samples in terms of colour, font and style. If you like a particular colour in a sample but nothing else then be quite clear about that and you will help your designer greatly.
It's also useful to include things that you don't like when showing samples. If you really don't like something and you can explain why then that is often just as a good a prompt as something that you do like.
Feedback
When looking at proofs don't be scared to say that you don't like something but do have a good reason why. Saying "I just don't like it!" is not going to help anyone. Trust your instincts and say what you feel. A good designer can convert your words into visual changes that need to happen.
We think it is best to look at your proofs as soon as you get them, but, don't respond straight away. If possible sleep on them and look again in the morning. You will often find that your opinion changes.
It is also important to look at your proofs in the context of the brief. Get your samples out again and make sure that you have a proof that includes everything that you asked for. Often we have been asked why we have included elements in our designs that have been quite clearly included in the samples - this happens and second thoughts are okay. If you want to change anything at this stage think carefully... start again by discussing with your designer what it is you want the change to achieve. You will find that they will have positive ideas of their own and the process will be much more rewarding.
Designers rely on your input and should be able to listen to you and give you feedback. Find a designer that you get along with and can talk to will reap rewards during the creative process.
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