5: What is a Creative Brief?

A creative brief is a document used to outline the strategy of a creative project.

A creative brief contains project details including the project’s purpose, goals, requirements, messaging, demographics, and other key information. Usually developed in the project initiation phase, a creative brief will help a creative team better understand a project from the start and may be presented to key stakeholders and clients. 

Although not all creative briefs are created equal, they all share the same basic layout. And since some projects require more detailed planning than others, you'll waste a lot of time and effort if you try to use one detailed creative brief template for all your work. This is where electronic creative briefs in marketing work management tools come in handy. If it's a quality tool, the briefs will be customizable so you can design them to only cover the information necessary for that specific type of project.

Effective creative briefs rely on good questions. If you can ask the right questions then you can make a creative brief that will make your life easier. Essentially, you just have to clarify the who, what, where, when, and how of the deliverable.

Why you need a creative brief. Links to an external site.

You need a plan. Links to an external site.

Obviously, you can’t design something you don’t understand. Your project needs a purpose, objectives, expectations, and a clear reason for existing. In a creative brief, you articulate your vision and justify its benefits, as well as plan how you will target your audience. From the beginning, a creative brief puts everyone on the same page before launching a project. 

A well-written creative brief will save you time. Links to an external site.

Your creative brief isn’t just a document, it’s a tool that facilitates clear and thorough communication from the beginning of the design process. A clear brief can prevent last-minute project changes, misunderstandings, and conflicting objectives—all of which will cost your team valuable time and money. 

You’ll maintain accountability and communication. Links to an external site.

Agreeing on your scope, deliverables, objectives, persona, and execution of a project will help anchor your team and your stakeholders. Establishing parameters and, perhaps most importantly, building trust at the outset will go a long way toward smoother processes. 

Requests and approvals will get processed faster. Links to an external site.

Ambiguous goals are difficult to achieve. Consider vague requests like, "I just want a really clean-looking design." While some of this is simply a fact of life for design professionals, a creative brief forces clarity upstream, minimizing difficult confrontations during the review and approval cycle. The briefing process is as much about anticipating obstacles as understanding and aligning objectives. Better to get clarification during the planning phase than when you’re in the middle of proofing.

The final product will be higher quality. Links to an external site.

This is a direct result of setting clear objectives, aligning with business objectives, and vetting expectations up front. When everyone’s time is valued and expectations are made clear, it’s easier for the team to hit their mark, remain invested, motivated, and proud of their work.

As David Trott, author of Creative Mischief says, “The brief was always supposed to be a springboard for great work. Not a straitjacket.” So let the design brief act as your guiding instrument and understand that time spent on a well-designed brief is an investment that pays off in the end with a greatly improved process, a higher quality of output, and, ultimately, a more trusting relationship between your team and client.