What is a Design Brief?
A comprehensive document written by an employer who is looking to hire a designer and contains the major guidelines for a design project.
A thorough design brief contains the following information:
- Employer's business overview
- Project objectives
- Target Audience
- Design Problem
- Deliverables and Features
- Reference design works
- Competitor Information
- Reference design works
- Project scope and size
- Project timeline
- Project budget
- Other
You can learn more about design briefs here.
While not all employers would write a design brief or a comprehensive one, it is an important document to have since it communicates a number of vital information that allows prospective designers to understand the task at hand, what is required of them and what the employer is expecting of them. Furthermore, it allows employers to narrow down what they want and expect from a designer which in turn makes choosing the right designer easier and more efficient. Another importance of design briefs is that they act as reference points throughout the design project duration even though they can be modified throughout, especially after the selection of a designer.
To conclude, design briefs are necessary documents that allow designers and employers a deeper understanding of a design project’s parameters and needs. They are dynamic documents that evolve with the designer and client and therefore make excellent references for a project’s evolution.
