A client brief that has been thoroughly prepared is very important if you want a successful design at the end. You need all the necessary and relevant information from the client as well as a feel and insight into the client’s brand and needs.
As a designer your job will be much easier if client brief has been properly prepared as it gives you all the knowledge of what the client wants and you have multiple ideas to work with. If you don’t have a clear understanding of what the client wants you end up designed the wrong look and feel and the client ends up spending more money and the job often goes over budget. Naturally this makes both parties unhappy.
For each specific design you will need a specific brief. If you are designing a magazine advert there is some general information you will need from the publication in which your advert is going to be. You will need for example the size, the type area, the bleed required etc. Then only can you start your design. You need them to know about your client’s need and what they ideally want to achieve with this type of advertising. Below are a few questions to ask as a guideline to get a better idea of what your client is expecting to get out of the consultation.
1. What is a good title for the design?
2. What is the nature of your client’s business. ie what message would they like to carry across / what goals do they have?
3. What is your target market?
- what is their age, gender, income and occupation
4. Does your client have any competitors?
5. What is unique about your business or product?
6. What is your time frame in which you have to finish this brief?
7. It’s quite helpful to have past material used for marketing purposes.
OnDemand Graphic Design and Web Studio was briefed by CrocoAfrique to design a beautiful magazine advert which appears in a Zithini magazine – all about what is happening at the Victoria Falls.
OnDemand Graphic Design and Web Studio received a thoroughly prepared brief which made the job at hand much easier and we kept withing the budget as well as time allocated.