The Creative Brief is at the heart of any design or creative project. It tells the person developing the ad (or logo, or website, or brochure, etc.) exactly what it is supposed to do, who it’s supposed to reach, and how it will be judged. It is the “spec sheet” for the job, much as a blueprint and spec sheet are for telling a builder what goes into a new house.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing for a professional creative team is to get fuzzy directions up-front. When they don’t have a complete grasp of the situation, don’t fully understand the objectives, and don’t know the rules of the game, it’s hard to create a result that will be outstanding. And mediocre results are a waste of time and money.

That’s why many creative folks won’t begin to think about a design or advertising project until they have a really tight Creative Brief. And on many occasions they point the client in our direction to ask the questions and to develop the Creative Brief.

Deep understanding is at the core

There’s a certain knack to distilling all the information down to just what a creative person needs to deliver on an assignment. And often the very process of putting the Creative Brief together forces a deeper understanding of business objectives, positioning, and marketing strategy that are as important to a client as the creative product they’re seeking.

The “spec sheet” for creative work

The real value of the Creative Brief, however, becomes evident when the client reviews the creative product and recommendation. A smart client will compare the recommendation to the “spec sheet” to see how well it delivers the stated objectives and how closely the criteria are met. It’s not a subjective assessment of how well they “like” something. It’s a question of how well the advertising (or design, or copy) delivers the objectives that were established up-front.

A Creative Brief makes the development and approval process much smoother and more objective. And it places the responsibility for setting the strategy where it belongs – with the client.

The right way to start a creative project

Every client for whom we’ve developed a Creative Brief is now convinced the process was worth far more than the fee. And we continue to get referrals from the designers, copywriters, website architects and other creative folks to help their clients define the assignment with a clear Creative Brief.

We’ll guide you through the Creative Brief rapids, add some clarity that will be helpful to everyone, and keep you in control of your strategy. Just give us a shout. We’re ready.