Have you ever dealt with a frustrated client before? I know I have. There have been a few times where a client asks me to make them something pretty, I work for hours to make it for them only to see them say “But that doesn’t really do what we want it to.” I then proceed to hit my head against the wall very firmly. Yes, we have all dealt with this problem, hopefully nearer the start of our careers instead of later.

When you’re dealing with a design project, it’s vital to write a detailed list of expectations at the very beginning. There are two main reasons for this:

• Firstly, it ensures that you, as a business owner or in-house manager know exactly what you want to achieve from your project.
• Second, the brief acts as a point of reference for designers, giving them key points to focus on. This eliminates “back and forth” communication a lot of people find annoying.

This is called a Creative Brief.

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Writing a great creative brief for a creative project like a print ad, website, banner or brochure is demanding but ultimately rewarding. It is the number one thing you can do to help get quality and efficiency from a graphic designer. And really, the creative you get out in the end is only as good as the input supplied in the creative brief itself. Take a peek below for 9 quick tips to improve your results through a fantastic creative brief.

1. Realize that any designer you hire is a professional and must be treated as such.
2. Understand that designers are not mind-readers.
3. Before coming to a graphic designer, have your business model ready and your plan up to par. No design can save any business that is not well thought out.
4. Mentioning past campaigns that were successful (or unsuccessful) are always useful. Don’t forget to explain why!
5. Understand that it will not be free.
6. Communicate with the designer-do not dictate.
7. Don’t try and design for the designer. You hired them for a reason-their knowledge and talent.
8. A picture is worth a thousand words. Take a screen capture if you cannot put it in words.
9. Set expectations up front. This is the number one way to create a successful Creative Brief.

Here they are. Take it all in. This is what every Designer wants to say after they read your brief, hopefully it will be useful to you.