Well hello there!
Welcome to my blog post. The theme for this one is a small guide for prospective clients on how to write and send a brief to a designer (Any) But why?
This topic has been sitting in my Trello to-do list for a while. But during my research, I was seeing a lot of posts, articles, videos, podcasts, etc. around this subject. But these channels seemed to be more aimed towards how does a designer deal with a difficult or bare-bones brief.
So I asked myself, why is this? Why are briefs so plain and simple it requires the designer to become a detective or mind reader to find out what the client is after?
Lack of knowledge and understanding of the industry is my conclusion. We are living in a world of automation and websites like Fiverr, with a 'we need things fast' attitude towards design, animation, and film. All designers experience a client that has little or no knowledge of how things are done or why it takes time to do. I am a strong believer in educating others about the basics of what I do. I am not talking tutorials I am talking about, ‘yes I can do that and it’s going to take X amount of time and here is why’ type of approach. Knowledge is power so with even the basic understanding of what a designer does will allow a client to understand what requirements are needed for a good project.
I have seen some excellent briefs and seen some awful ones. A well-prepared brief is a dream for designers. It makes quoting and planning diaries so much easier. And it also gives you as a client peace of mind knowing that a good brief means a good designer will give you an amazing proposal and allow you to rest easy that your requirements will be met.
So how do I get this? I hear you cry over the internet…
Let's find out...
Why do I need to provide a brief at all?
A brief gives a rough outline of the deliverables, timing, and scope of the project. And preferably budget.
It allows your designer to get a clear idea of what you are after and time scale. Allowing them to give back a detailed proposal along with samples of selected work tailored to your requirements and provide an accurate quote giving you a clear picture of what you are going to get.
A bad brief will end up with miscommunications, confusion and you could end up with something nowhere near what you wanted and you would have wasted a lot of time, effort and money on something you can’t or don’t want to use.
How?
Now we aren't asking for war and peace here but there are some key details that you should send in our initial brief.
First off. Where is this video going? Website? Social media? conference? Surprisingly where this is going to be living will have an effect on the final product. The reason is each platform has its own optimal resolution for videos. Instagram resolution is completely different from LinkedIn and to get the best out of it you will need to right one. If it’s going across multiple platforms then this needs to be mentioned (even if you aren't 100% yet) These different resolutions affect the layout and rendering time and these things your designer needs to think about and plan ahead.
How long is this going to be? This again affects the length of time it takes to create and render. A 1-minute video made in 1 hour doesn’t mean a 4-minute video will be done in 4 hours. Again many factors being considered by the designer including planning layout, ensuring keyframes are timed correctly, the easy ease works, etc.
Do you have a storyboard or script? This is not the responsibility of your designer. You need to have one or the other for the designer to reference when creating your video. This is not important at initial contact so it’s OK to say ‘it’s in progress’. But the designer will ask for one or the other so be prepared to provide it. Some designers do offer this service but charge extra. It also helps the designer visualize your idea better.
Seen a style of video you like? This is helpful too but not mandatory. Just think thou that it may look simple it may actually be quite technical to make. Like character animation or a simple 3D box, these things aren't made at a click of a button.
Budget. I would highly recommend you sort out before you start sending out quote requests. Designers are flexible to a certain extent. However, designers have the right to refuse if it’s more time then it’s worth. We have bills to pay too as well as our own taxes. Our prices aren't just for shits and giggles. If you are happy to pay decent money for a tailored suit or spend £5 on a handcrafted latte every day then be willing to spend good money on a good designer. You will see it’s worth it.
Samples:
I’ll use some examples from PeoplePerHour. I have redated some details incl. Budget.
This is a sample of a good brief
Not overly complicated but gives a decent background to the project and what they are looking for help on. The budget was also clearly set, but the most important part of this brief is the request for collaboration rather than just someone to push out the graphic.
This project went very well and both the poster and I worked up a good relationship that has lasted. Always some amazing phone calls and WhatsApp messages moving between us. The project wasn’t as big as they expected in the brief but that's what happens when you collaborate and not dictate. (Also paid on time ;) ) Your designer will always suggest new ways or suggest changes. Always be open to this.
Follow up questions and suggestions should be expected. It’s a good sign your designer is engaged and wants to know more.
This is a sample of a bad brief
So many questions with this one. This is not a well thought out brief. The requirement is too basic and not clear if they actually really know what they want.
Now to be clear, something like this is not going to be rejected but you will get a lot of questions from the designer to refine and get a clearer picture of what you are after. Some time and effort will go into this long before production actually begins. A designer cannot start work based on a brief like this. You will end up with a pile of mess and lost a lot of time and money.
Now, what do you do once you received the brief from your designer? For one thing, don’t do this
This is not an acceptable way to reject a designer. This person did not receive a suggestion too well in the proposal I sent for their project and ended up with this final message. If you don’t like a proposal or price etc. don’t attack. Or even ghost / ignore the designer. or by far the worst ‘But I can get it cheaper on Fiverr’.
It’s better to say ‘sorry this is not going to work out’, ‘I don’t think we are a good match’, ‘thanks but a little too expensive for us’. You are not going to hurt our feelings ;)
I would rather you be honest and open with me and allow an open door for further collaboration in the future. If still unsure then keep an open dialog with your designer, explain to them what is holding you back from saying yes, they may be able to help. Otherwise, get a contract out and get started :D
In summary
1. Understand that it takes time to create a video or animation. It’s not an overnight job. Be patient, listen and guide your designer in your vision and be willing to pay for the time and effort is made
2. It is a partnership. Find the right designer for you and designers find the right client for you
3. Yes, you can get it cheaper on sites like Fiverr but most of these things are not of the greatest of quality and most likely they have a template that they reuse again and again for each client with some minor adjustments.
My name is Charlotte Peterson, I am a 2x University of Bradford graduate. I have been working in the industry for about 10 years now. 5 and a half years as a Digital Design Manager at an IT company in London UK.
I have expertise in knowledge management and e-learning projects. But also skills in 3D design, photography and social media management.
Contact me for more details, follow me on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn
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