Giving a proper brief

“Hi, I’m looking to get a quote for some invitations. Could you tell me how much it’ll cost to get the Camilla from your semi-custom range?”

Whether you’re enquiring about a branding job or looking to get some custom stationery/invitations done, it’s trivial to provide a thorough brief. Why? First of all, you avoid the back and forth emails which is unnecessary if you had just explained everything at the beginning. Secondly, it allows us (as designers) and me in particular, provide you with the most accurate quote for your job. Thirdly, it helps me understand whether I have the capabilities to assist with your job. You’d be surprise how many emails I receive that just don’t give me the full brief.

So here’s what to include in your brief/how to give a proper brief.

1) Include things like quantity, colour preferences, size and shape…basically all the nitty gritty details.

2) For branding - include your objectives and goals as a brand so I can better understand where you stand in your market and who your target audience is. Give me examples of who your competitors are and what makes you stand out from them?

3) Show me images - without a doubt, you would’ve seen something somewhere on the web (like Pinterest) of something that you thought “hey, I really like this! I could see it for my own”. I’ve rarely come across people who have no idea what they like or what direction they’d like to go with. But hey, if you’re part of the minority, don’t worry! I’ll help you. But show me something that helps me determine what your style is. Do you like things feminine, playful, sophisticated, elegant, grunge or modern?

4) Tell me anything what your must have’s and don’t do’s are so we can avoid any misunderstandings from the get-go.

5) Tell me things like when you require it by and what your budget is so I can decide if I’ll be able to help you or not. If I can’t, I’ll likely recommend someone to you who can. Of course, they’d only be people I trust!

I hope that helps! Trust me when I say, this won’t just help me, but will help any designer you engage with for work. So, you’re welcome! ;)