What Is a Design Brief and How to Write One Effectively
If you just got a new design project and want to ensure it goes smoothly, you must start with a design brief. After all, you want to guarantee that you know everything that needs to be done, who will do what, and when you need to deliver. Overall, you need to have a roadmap to follow. Having everything set and ready to go on paper or the web before starting is essential and provides a crucial understanding of what needs to be done.
Definition of Design Brief
When defining a design brief, you can say that it’s a complete document that explains everything about the design project itself. It needs to include the main details, the strategy you’re going to use, the scope of the project, and the goals you need to meet. It should outline what the designer needs to do. You can also see the design brief as the steps you need to follow to execute the design project.
Write the Design Brief – Why Is It Necessary for Designers?
The reality is that there are many benefits to writing a design brief. Here are some of the most important advantages:
- Build a better relationship with clients based on clear communication.
- Gain a deeper understanding of the brand and target audience.
- Set realistic expectations for deadlines and budgets.
- Promote better team alignment by ensuring everyone has a clear picture of the project.
- Improve workflows to enable quicker decision-making and on-time delivery.
- Ensure that project details are agreed upon by all parties before work begins.
How to Write a Design Brief
A design brief isn’t always necessary. However, when multiple stakeholders and a team are involved, having one is always the best option.
Instead of writing the document in Word, consider using Google Docs or a similar tool. Since you’ll likely need to share it with different people, avoiding email attachments and file compatibility issues will save you time. Finding a tool that everyone in the project can access for free is key.
If you use Flowlu, you can streamline this entire process. Create a task template for design briefs, include all necessary details, and reuse it whenever needed. You can assign the task to internal users (if you have an in-house designer) or make it accessible to external users via the client portal. Progress is easy to track on a Kanban board, and you can collaborate in real time. Designers can ask questions directly in the comments, eliminating back-and-forth emails.
Once you’ve set up your tool, it’s time to focus on the content of your design brief. You may even decide to create a simple template to ensure no details are left out. While you can format it in a way that works best for your team, some key elements should be included in every design brief.
Before you start writing, complete these four steps to ensure you have all the necessary information:
Step #1: Identify the Project Owner
It’s important to determine who the project owner is. Some of the people involved in the discussion may include the project manager, business stakeholders, clients, and even the designer.
Step #2: Create the Design Brief
The people listed above may contribute to defining the design project’s scope, goals, deadlines, and budget.
Step #3: Collaborate Across Teams
Different parts of the brief may require input from various teams or employees. For example, you may need someone to help determine the target audience, while a designer handles the creative elements.
Step #4: Complete & Use the Design Brief:
As soon as everyone involved agrees on the design brief, the design team can finally use it as a guide and start creating the project. A design brief isn’t always necessary. However, when multiple stakeholders and a team are involved, having one is always the best option.
Instead of writing the document in Word, consider using Google Docs or a similar tool.
6 Elements to Include in the Design Brief
As mentioned above, certain elements must be included in your design brief. These include:
#1: Project Overview
Here, you should provide a short and clear description of the design project. Include what you need and why you need it. For example, you might say something like, “We need a new logo design to revamp our brand.”
To help you write this section, consider asking yourself the following questions:
- What are you going to build?
- What design problem are you trying to solve?
- What assets will be delivered at the end of the project?
#2: Project Objectives & Goals
Project objectives and goals are essential elements that should always be included in your design brief. This section is particularly important to ensure that you and your client are aligned on expectations.
While some people use objectives and goals interchangeably, they are not the same. Objectives are specific, measurable outcomes, whereas goals describe the broader purpose of the project.
For example, if you're writing a design brief for a new website, your objectives might include improving conversion rates, reducing bounce rates, or increasing time on page. On the other hand, a goal might be to enhance the overall user experience.
To help determine your objectives and goals, consider these questions:
- Why are you creating a new design?
- Is this your first attempt at solving this problem?
- What would be the ideal outcome for this project?
#3: Determine the Target Audience
To address the needs of your potential customers and clients, you need to know who they are and what they expect from you. This is a crucial step in ensuring the success of your products or services.
To determine the target audience, start by identifying your ideal customer and building a persona around them. Include psychographic details, demographic details, the problems they want to solve by using your product, and any other relevant information.
Some questions to help you define your target audience include:
- What are your ideal customer’s goals, habits, and demographics?
- Who is your ideal customer?
- When is your ideal customer most likely to use your product?
#4: Determine the Budget & Milestones
The budget and milestones are crucial aspects to consider when writing your design brief. It’s important to establish these upfront to avoid conflicts or disagreements later on.
When setting the budget and milestones, be as realistic as possible while allowing some flexibility. Unexpected obstacles and additional costs can arise, so it's essential to account for them in your planning.
#5: Project Deliverables
Ensuring that the project deliverables are perfectly aligned is one of the main purposes of a design brief. After all, even a small disagreement or misunderstanding can create significant problems if not addressed immediately.
#6: Other Important Information
Depending on the project, additional details may be necessary. For example, it may be useful to know who the main competitors are, who has the authority to approve or reject the project, and any specific “don’ts” that need to be followed.
Bottom Line
A design brief isn’t something you need to write for every project. However, in many cases, it is necessary, and knowing how to create an effective one is valuable. Even if you don’t need one right now, it’s always helpful to understand how to write a solid design brief.
In this post, we started by defining what a design brief is and exploring its benefits. You then learned how to create a successful design brief in four easy-to-follow steps. We also outlined what to include and provided key questions to ensure your brief contains all the necessary details.
A good design brief should act as a guideline or plan for the company. It helps manage expectations, prevents misunderstandings between clients and designers, and keeps track of all project details.
Write a short and clear brief, rely on experts in each area, and ensure it is easily accessible to everyone at all times.
No, not always. A design brief is especially useful when working with a client and a team, as it helps keep everyone on the same page. However, it is still a valuable tool for maintaining clarity and direction.
Flowlu is a user-friendly tool for managing design briefs. You can create task templates, include all necessary details, and collaborate in real time. It also allows you to assign tasks to team members, track progress on a Kanban board, and even share the brief with external users via the client portal. This helps streamline the entire process and keeps everything organized in one place.
