A well-written design brief is the foundation of any successful collaboration between your business and a design agency. It serves as a roadmap, ensuring that your vision and expectations are effectively communicated to the agency. In this brief guide, we’ll outline the key elements to include when writing a design brief for an agency.

Introduction and background

Begin with an introduction that provides an overview of your company, its mission, and the project’s context. Include essential background information such as your industry, target audience, brand guidelines (if you have them), and any previous design work related to the project.

Set project objectives

Clearly state the objectives you want to achieve with the design project. What specific goals or outcomes are you aiming for? Whether it’s branding, a website redesign, or packaging design, the objectives should be specific, measurable, and realistic.

Target audience

Describe your target audience in detail. Who are they? What are their demographics (age, gender, location)? What are their interests, needs, and preferences? Understanding your audience is crucial for designing effectively.

Scope of work

Define the scope of the project. What are the deliverables you expect from the agency? This could include logo design, website pages, brochures, social media graphics, or any other design assets. Specify any constraints or limitations that may affect the project’s scope, such as budget, timeline, or technical requirements. Be as specific as you can be in this section as it will directly impact the timeline and cost.

Brand guidelines (if you have them)

If your company has established brand guidelines, provide them to the agency. These guidelines may include details on logo usage, colour palettes, photography use, fonts and typography, and tone of voice. Ensuring consistency with your existing brand is crucial for brand recognition.

Alongside this, share your design preferences and inspirations that are relevant to this project. Are there specific styles, colours, or visual elements you’d like the agency to consider? Provide examples of campaigns, designs or brands that are similar to what you want to achieve.

Content and assets

Specify what content and assets you will provide to the agency. This may include text, images, graphics, or any other materials necessary for the project. Be clear on which areas the agency is responsible for content creation, and when you’ll provide it.

Budget and timeline

Outline your budget for the project and your preferred payment schedule. Additionally, provide a realistic timeline for project milestones, including deadlines for drafts, revisions, and final deliverables. This helps manage expectations and helps ensure a smoother workflow.

Communication and feedback

Explain the communication process and how feedback will be handled. Establish a lead contact on your end who will co-ordinate with the agency and provide feedback, including collating feedback from stakeholders in your company. Agree regular meetings to review project progress. Effective communication is crucial to project success – both with the agency, and within your business. Make sure internal stakeholders are informed of the timelines and progress, including when they are expected to contribute to the process through sharing information or reviewing drafts.

Review and approval

Detail the process for reviewing and approving design concepts and drafts. Define who has decision-making authority and specify the number of rounds of revisions included in the project scope. Internally, be clear about who will comment on the project, and who has final say and sign-off.

A well-structured design brief is essential for guiding the agency towards successfully delivering your project. By including these key elements in your design brief, you provide clarity, direction, and a solid foundation for collaboration. Remember that open, regular communication with your agency is key to achieving the design outcome you need.

Learn more

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