When we take on a new project, the first thing a client will get from us is a blank creative brief. We are often asked why this is such an important part of our process and the answer is simple. The creative brief is a quick summary of what you need from us on your project. It is something we can reference quickly to get all of the basic information about who you are and what you are looking for in your design. The brief is broken down into these main sections:
- Project name and due dates: This is what we will reference in all of your file names and will keep us on track to complete your project on time.
- Project Summary: This lets us know what exactly we are designing and what it’s purpose is for you. This gives us the basic direction for where we are to start.
- Assets: This tells us what materials you have for us to work with. Is it a CD? If so, do you have band photos? Other photography? The same would go for a DVD cover. Are we using an existing movie poster as the cover? Are there stills or publicity shots to use? Is there an existing title treatment? All of these things will help us determine what extent we will take for the design. Assembling a DVD cover and creating one from scratch are two different projects entirely and need to be approached in different and very specific ways.
- Project Direction: This section may be divided up into multiple sections. For a movie, you might have ‘Target’ for what audience or demographic the movie is targeted to, ‘Synopsis’ for the film, ‘Tonality’ for what kind of film it is and what the feel of the film is like, or ‘Similar Titles’ for suggestions on movies like yours. This section is the where you tell us what you have envisioned in your head. You may want to include images of other DVD/CD covers you like, styles you like, fonts you like, layouts you like. This does not mean we are going to replicate those covers, but it gives us an idea of what style of design excites you so we can ensure we head in the right direction. This is also where you let us know the elements of the design must be there and which elements are open to interpretation.
- Details: This is the nitty gritty. Your credits, your legal lines, you UPC number, your catalog number, and which logos if any are required. This is often supplied to us as an overall checklist that has all of your requirements on it. When we finish the design we will have all of your details checked off for you to reference easily.
Creative briefs may vary project to project based on what exactly we are designing, but this example will provide you with the basics of what sort of information we are looking for. The more information we have, the sooner we get down to creating a memorable design that suits your needs.
