Alison Gallagher-Hughes, founder of Tillymint Communications looks at why it’s important to prepare a brief when commissioning design services.
The visual representation of your brand can have a significant impact. Graphic design is not just about creating visually appealing images; it is a strategic tool that communicates your brand's values, distinguishes your products in the marketplace and drives customer engagement. So, when reaching out to a marketing company, a clear and comprehensive brief is crucial. It can save you time, money and get you the desired results.
Shopping Around - Having something written down helps you when shopping around. Choosing the right agency for your needs should be based on more than just price – there has to be a meeting of minds and an understanding of your business operations/industry. Without a brief you could find yourself comparing apples with oranges – a price based on an ‘interpretation’ of your needs as opposed to what you actually require.
Vision and Expectations - A clear brief is the foundation of a successful partnership between you and your marketing agency. It serves as a roadmap that outlines your vision, objectives, and expectations. By providing detailed information about your brand, target audience, and specific project goals, you enable designers to fully understand your needs and translate them into effective design solutions. This alignment minimises the risk of misunderstandings and ensures that the deliverables resonate with your brand’s identity.
Time and Resources - Although it takes time, crafting a detailed brief can save time and money in the long run. It can help avoid the pitfalls that can result in multiple revisions, increased costs, and missed deadlines. When agencies have a clear understanding of project requirements from the outset, they can focus their creativity on producing designs that meet your specification which ultimately speeds up the design process.
Creativity and Innovation - Contrary to the belief that constraints limit creativity, a clear brief can actually foster innovation. Setting defined parameters and objectives enable designer to think creatively within those boundaries, leading to innovative solutions that might not have emerged without specific guidance. It encourages them to explore various approaches and push creative boundaries that still align with your brand strategy.
Effective Communication - Communication is the cornerstone of any successful project. A brief facilitates this - providing a a reference point that helps everyone stay on the same page. This shared understanding helps prevent miscommunication and facilitates constructive feedback – allow designs to be refined and enhanced rather that having to be fundamentally changed.
Measurable Objectives - Within a brief, it’s useful to include measurable objectives for the project . This provides a benchmark on which success can be assessed. Whether it’s increasing brand recognition, improving user experience, or driving sales, having goals helps both your team and the agency evaluate the effectiveness of the final product. This results-oriented approach ensures that design work actively contributes to achieving your business objectives.
Building a Stronger Partnership - Trust is all important between an agency and its clients and delivering requirements efficiently and effectively helps build that trust. This foundation of trust and mutual respect paves the way for a stronger, more productive partnership that can extend beyond the initial project to future collaborations and the development of a design style that can reinforce your visual corporate identity.
Set against a competitive landscape, brand differentiation and customer engagement are critical. Investing in a clear and comprehensive brief is not just a best practice — it’s a necessity. By aligning vision and expectations, you will not only save time and money but embark on a creative partnership with an agency that ‘gets’ you. This could lead to a rewarding collaboration that will boost creativity and offer you different perspectives.
Ready for your next project? Then talk to us at Tillymint Communications or email: info@tillymint.co.uk
Download our free Creative Brief Template
Comments