Creative Brief How to Write a Creative Brief + Useful Tips

 

February 25, 2022

Creative Brief

How to Write a Creative Brief + Useful Tips

Creative Briefs are an essential component of any creative project or campaign. They are the BLUEPRINTS that make the project run smoothly from start to finish where everyone involved is on the same page. A creative brief is chockfull of all of the information that is necessary for the project to be successful: who it is for, what is the purpose, what needs to be done, how to do it, and when it needs to be completed. 

But there are many styles of writing and in turn, many styles of esthetic as well. The +Useful Tips will not be bulleted in this copy, they will be more like Easter Eggs that ensure you read through the entire post. 

Self-Explanatory...

There's nothing worse than really DRY material to put you right to sleep and you don't retain one word of what you've read.

The Crappy Creative Brief...

The one with no REAL information that is pertinent or sufficient to even try to begin the project.

Lucky for us, in this day and age there are TEMPLATES for just about anything, fill in the blanks, drag and drop, you name it, it's out there to help you write the perfect brief. That said, a team project should have a Team Creative Brief where everyone is heard and opinions matter. There is no "I" in Team. However, if you are the chosen one to develop a brief on your own, be sure to do as much research as humanly possible on the project for the most comprehensive BLUEPRINT that everyone can understand.

• Who is it for?
• What do we need to do?
• Where will it be used?
• When does it need to be done?
• How will we do it?

These are the most important questions to ask yourself when beginning to write. Without scrawling out some long, drawn soliloquies include the information in the most concise and clear format.

Objective

The broad and general aims of the project and any challenges that stand out. What are you going to create and what is it going to accomplish. What’s the goal?

Description

What the client wants you to do. The client’s vision and what they expect to be delivered by your team. 

Background

This should include the client’s business background, relevant information on previous projects or campaigns, the present branding and brand perception, and the categorization of the project. It should also state what needs to change and what you need to keep.

Audience

The target audience should be kept in mind at all times. Once you know who the product or project is aimed at, then you can target the design and all the perceptions associated with it.

In times past, there were definite markers such as sex, age, income, and status. There are also factors such as interests, lifestyle, ambitions, etc. However, in today's worldview, all of that is now discriminatory, sexist, ageist, and so on....so proper verbiage is imperative.

Competition

Information on direct competitors but also information on the market situation.

Collecting information on your competition is more than what they do and what you can do differently. It’s also fantastic information on what they are doing well and why. What their strategy and messaging are, what platforms do they use to advertise and campaign. Who their target audience is. You can then build a clearer picture of what your competitors are doing, and how you can market and advertise your product differently.

Goals

S.M.A.R.T goals. Specific – Measurable – Agreed -Realistic- Time-based. These types of specific goals can keep a project on track. They keep a team together, engaged, motivated, working towards the same goals, and Include Names, phone numbers, email addresses, URLs, etc. 

My last little tip is this....what is written is NOT carved in stone. Every once in a while, shit happens and the BLUEPRINT must be tweaked sometimes tweaked several times during the course of the project so just keep in mind that while projects need to be accomplished in a professional manner....if you're pulling out your hair or losing your hair from the stress your Creative Brief needs a tweak....your project is also supposed to be a fun experience, an experience that you can learn from, look back on fondly, and say to yourself, "Yaaaaasssss! That was EPIC!"