Why You Need a Design Brief and Clear Objectives

Why your design and marketing projects need a design brief so you can avoid skeet shooting in the dark

In this particular instance, a new corollary became evident:

For example, an annual report may require one or two visual concepts (a focused shareholder and investor audience), but an ad (a broader and unfocused audience) may require many concepts and revisions.

It is apparent that in larger organizations, at times there is less clarity about positioning and messaging, and a tendency to want to reach as many audiences as possible with as little investment as possible.

There is a correlation between organization size, its audience, and its messaging:

Instead of targeting a specific audience with a specific message, a less focused message will be developed in order to attempt to communicate to as many people as possible with the lowest level of investment. We call it institutional marketing.

An experienced agency understands that the challenge is to define the problem, more than it is to create the solution. It's critical that as we deal with ambiguity surrounding the project (what will the CEO approve; varying opinions on a marketing committee; lack of research) we stay focused on the objectives and not let the ambiguities become a distraction. We need to be able to associate meaningful visual and thematic symbolism with a concept rather than simply create surface decoration in order to convey the message.

Without defining the problem, the standard practice is to submit multiple concepts in order to second-guess the direction that the concept must follow in order to satisfy ambiguities and effectively communicate the message.

Without a strategic guideline (a design brief), the entire process becomes an “I‘ll know it when I see it” scenario. I call it skeet shooting in the dark.

We guide our clients with the (revised) antithesis of The Theory: “Strategy flows from a creative brief, and all outcomes (solutions) will be evaluated based upon that brief.”

When we work through the Clarity process to guide the client to a solution (within the guidelines of the brief), the General Theory of Design is never invoked. What is your experience?

Successful communicators know that you need to target your message to your audience, and that your organization's positioning will be the filter for your messaging.

Strategy will inform design decisions and solutions, and you’ll avoid the temptation to skeet shoot in the dark.