The Creative Process
Use this outline as a reference for the Creative Brief Form below. Please provide a thorough response to each question. The more information you provide the easier it will be to define your business goals, processes, and values. >>Skip to the form
Why Use a Creative Brief ?
The creative brief is the core document for the project. It defines the project, enables the project plan to be developed and is the main point of reference during the development process in terms of keeping the project on target. Furthermore, the Brief enables everyone involved to quickly understand and focus on the key elements of the project.
Overview
- List General project information
- List Goals
- What are the Measurable Objectives? (benchmarks to measure progress towards goals, e.g. increase membership by 20% each year or media coverage)
- What are the Final Deliverables? (Deliverables can change during the creative process, i.e. adding a blog, rather than an e-newsletter, will do more to address specific goals)
Primary audiences - Provide enough detail to define who the audience is. Include some user demographic and psychographic (Interests, Attitudes, and Opinions) information if possible.
- Who are your primary target audiences? (Choose a typical audience member or two and profile including occupation, age range, gender, interests, beliefs, etc.)
- How will your audiences use this brochure, white paper or website?
- What should be avoided in talking to these audiences?
Tone and Image
- Elegant, formal, casual, etc ?
- What do the audiences believe or think, before you start communicating with them?
- What tone and imagery should we use to engage them?
- Specific visual goals?
Messages: Features, Benefits and Values
- List top features and/or facts about the organization and its value to target audiences
- How do these stack up against the competition?
- If you could get one simple message across, what would that be?
- How would you prove it?
- Other major points?
Budget and Schedule
- Has a budget been approved?
- When must the message get to the audience for greatest impact? (e.g. service introduction date, conference, special event)
- What is the due date for the finished work?
Process
- Who is the point person?
- What is the internal review and approval process?
- Who needs to sign off on final execution?
Anything else?
- How many rounds of revisions should be included in the bid for the job? (Ex. A graphic designer needs to know, for example, whether your mailing house will enclose the brochure by machine or hand, and, if by machine, what kind of fold the machine can handle.)
- List miscellaneous requirements
Feel free to download my Creative Brief in either PDF or Word format. Fill out the forms thoroughly and contact me to get my mailing address.
OZG Works Creative Brief [PDF]
OZG Works Creative Brief [Word]