Running a Design Business: Creative Briefs

1h 13mBeginner2013-09-12

Authors

Terry Lee Stone

Creative Strategist, Teacher at Art Center, CalArts, and Otis

Course details

Learn to write a creative brief for client-commissioned projects and ensure you have a roadmap for developing great design, in this installment of Running a Design Business. Terry Lee Stone explains what creative briefs are, what goes into them, what they look like, and how to use them throughout the project. Learn how to establish the drivers, audience, competition, message, and other critical success factors. These lessons cover interviewing, researching, drawing out consumer insights, and synthesizing all of this information into a cohesive and actionable document.

Learning objectives
What is a creative brief?
Who uses creative briefs—and how?
Reviewing sample briefs
Working with clients
Soliciting good input
Developing actionable insights

Skills covered

Design BusinessProject Management SkillsSmall Business and EntrepreneurshipProject ManagementGraphic DesignLimited Series

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - Resource files

1. Understanding Creative Briefs

03 - What is a creative brief
04 - Creative briefs as strategic tools
05 - Client control and designer freedom
06 - Who should write a creative brief

2. Components of a Creative Brief

07 - Ten things to include in a creative brief - Part one
08 - Ten things to include in a creative brief - Part two
09 - Creative brief development process - Part one
10 - Creative brief development process - Part two
11 - Review of sample creative briefs

3. Clients and Creative Briefs

12 - Working with clients on creative briefs
13 - Getting great client input
14 - Challenge - Leading a briefing session
15 - Solution - Leading a briefing session
16 - Challenge - Writing up your findings
17 - Solution - Writing up your findings

4. Writing a Creative Brief

18 - General writing tips
19 - Aligning creative and business goals - Part one
20 - Aligning creative and business goals - Part two

5. Common Problems with Creative Briefs

21 - Making briefs more readable
22 - Being inspiring
23 - Handling writer's block (performance anxiety)

6. Using Creative Briefs

24 - Designing based on a creative brief
25 - Managing to a creative brief
26 - Working without a creative brief

7. Evaluating Creative Briefs

27 - Evaluating design based on a creative brief
28 - Measuring a creative brief's effectiveness

Conclusion

29 - Next steps