Briefing creative and graphic designers
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- meffid
Who's got the goods on briefing and feels like sharing the questions they ask and a brief form they fill out?
Moama, you must be pretty slick in this area, what's your process?
This is to pass onto a junior account manager and she's asked for some help and advice, her tech knowledge is passable with layout and creative, but nothing too over the top.
- Amicus0
Please, I need some answers on this so I can show the boss how having absolutely no structure is harming his business.
By 'no structure' I mean no briefing forms, no procedures, no contracts, no proofreading, no copywriters, no photographers, no illustrators and absolutely no contact with the clients.
- You forgot no work and no pay!boobs
- tell him he's already going under!SlashPeckham
- Tried that one... He thinks he's the shit.Amicus
- If he's surviving running a company like that then he is the shit!jamble
- meffid0
WTF. An industry relevant thread and no fucking responses and I see NSFW keep climbing to the top. (I'm also guilty of posting in that ;))
Chossy, uncle_helv etc. you guys could give a good insight here for a lot of people.
- jamble0
To be fair, a quick search reveals quite a few contract/quote doc/spec doc topics. I've just posted a copy of the contract I use here: http://www.qbn.com/topics/565823… dunno if that's of any use. I've got a project scope doc I use but I've not had a chance to remove all my details so that might follow once I've looked at more pron.
- set0
'Please, I need some answers on this so I can show the boss how having absolutely no structure is harming his business'
This makes me fucking laugh. So basically you have no clue about what you want to tell your boss about...
- actually. have had several discussions over the past few months to no avail. at least the pay is still going in like clockworkAmicus
- airey0
this is a pretty good read and a decent start:
http://www.gdc.net/designers/fea…
- airey0
also, how exactly to brief will depend on the person/s involved. i always brief through discussion and then put the paperwork together afterwards. supply a point list back to the client for discussion and move on.
i've worked with people that literally take sheets of questions into a meeting and you end up losing the fluid nature of discussing the brief and evolving it if necessary. you also look like a it of a schmuck (in my opinion) as the professionalism should be part of you and your communication rather than a restricted list of prewritten questions.
just my 2cents.
- Dancer0
Agree with airey.
I have a long meeting and take a shit load of notes.
I then go back and write a brief based on those notes (I do use a template for the brief so there is some structure)
I write an estimate and Schedule
They sign them off and I start work.
So what I am trying to say is that it is different for every client
- trooper0
i think hes referring to an RFP template
- Jnr_Madison0
Yeah, search for 'request for proposal' templates.
- uncle_helv0
Yep definitely agree with a few points made so far, the brief is formed through dialogue with account managers, client etc.
Part of pulling a successful brief together is getting everyone to understand what you are all hoping to achieve, like airey said "fluidity" as designers we try scratch below the surface find something unusual, interesting... an ideal solution, this should always be at the heart of the brief. The purpose of the brief in my eyes is to make sure, there is a framework to work with ... budget, deliverables, time etc, and yes I work to a template for this too. But time after time I come across briefs written by people out satisfy their own agenda than those they are trying to reach!
- vespa0
This is for application design/redesign so probably a little different but I'd need questions like this to be answered before starting work.
Often I don't get a formal brief but I like to get regular feedback to make sure everyone is happy and there are no surprises at the end.
Why has a redesign been commissioned?
What are the aims of the project?
Who are the main contacts?
What are the assumptions?
Is there any new functionality required?
Which platforms am I designing for?
When are the major deadlines?
What are the exact deliverables?- That should be contacts / stakeholders - i.e. who has sign-off?vespa
- pylon0
What helv said, above — as well as the others. The brief outlines deliverables, budget, time, scope in no uncertain terms so that accounts people don't have to *manage expectations* later down the line. Everybody knows what to expect from the project. Things can change over the course, but this needs to be noted as well in case somebody gets all cagey later down the line.
Getting people to separate their own goals and/or aesthetic likes from those of the project is the hardest part. Especially with clients who are not used to dealing with designers.
Clear communication is key.