5 Tips for Briefing a Graphic Design Agency in Hampshire

Abstract Creative Studio are graphic designers in Hampshire who love working with a variety of businesses across the region, each with their own marketing aims. We’re incredibly passionate about making the graphic design process as easy and enjoyable as possible for our clients, whatever their marketing aims.

We want to do the best possible job with every graphic design project, and a crucial step towards achieving this goal is helping our clients give us structured, clear design briefs.

Great design briefs help us create high-quality social media templates, logo designs and other visual elements, which align with your brand identity and marketing strategy.

If you’re not familiar with design briefs, don’t worry. This blog will explain what they are and how they can play a vital part in giving your business what it needs , anything from digital brochures to printed leaflets. With design briefs, your marketing materials can be stronger.

What is a Design Brief?

Think of design briefs the same way you think of maps; without them, you’re likely to get lost. Graphic design briefs are outlines for a specific project, which focus on your marketing objectives, outcomes and results.

A design brief is not the same as an initial graphic design idea or mood board. However, it’s important to recognise the value that a brief has in helping graphic and digital designers create winning graphics, whatever they may be.

What Does a Design Brief Include?

Depending on the project itself, whether it’s creating a new business logo or a series of social media designs to support a refreshed brand (or anything in between), writing a creative brief will allow you and your design team to agree on specific project goals.

The more information you provide, the better your graphic design agency will understand your goals and objectives.

As a general rule of thumb, a design brief will include:

• Who your target audience is.
• Your competitors.
• The overview of your project.
• The outcome you want to achieve as a result of the project.
• Relevant business information.
• How the design will be used to communicate.
• Deadlines for completion.

5 Tips for a Successful Design Brief

A brief containing the above information should give your designers enough to begin drafting an initial set of designs.

If you’re struggling to put all of that together, here are five tips for successfully writing a structured brief.

1. Identify your target audience.

Try to paint a vivid target customer profile so your designers can determine the best way to position your digital or graphic designs. At Abstract Creative Studio, we design with your customer in mind, so this is crucial for us to position designs that will resonate with your prospects.

2. Set deadlines.

As with any work you do, you should set a realistic deadline. Communicate this upfront with your designers and give them the freedom to keep the project on track. Remember, rushing leads to poor results.

3. Be specific.

The more information you give your graphic design team, the better. A design brief isn’t a sales pitch, so you don’t need to delve too deeply into your inner workings. However, a designer must understand exactly what you want to convey through design, so don’t spare any crucial details.

4. Highlight your specifications.

Do you have up-to-date brand guidelines which need to be followed? What size do you need the design(s) to be? What is your outcome? Will you need business cards, leaflets, brochures, posters or a mixture of all?

Provide as much specification detail as possible as this will save you time in the long run.

5. Think of what you want to highlight.

You’ll need to be clear about what elements in your business and brand need to be highlighted? Think about what you’re most passionate about or proud of. Ask yourself what you want your customers to think when they see your designs. If you can get one or two vital visual elements to highlight, this will significantly increase the potential for that design.

Contact a Creative Design Agency in Hampshire

Hopefully, you’ll see the value in writing a design brief now. At Abstract Creative Studio, we’re always happy to help you piece a design brief together, to make sure we’ve got the information we need to create the highest quality designs for you. Abstract Creative Studio can work alongside you to get everything defined. We take great pride in understanding your business from your customers’ perspective and creating supporting designs that work hard for you.

For expert graphic design services in Hampshire, reach out to us today for a free consultation!