A Brief Solution for Potential Design Problems

“I can’t put my finger on it. But I know I don’t like it.”

Sound familiar? You’re now on round three of revisions for a new brochure and while the copy is rounding into shape and the overall tone and messaging are spot on, the design of the piece is not working.

Now comes the hard part. Do you continue to pile up additional fees and/or push back the deadline and hope your design team hits the “Wow!” button next time, or do you pull the plug and go in another direction, virtually guaranteeing a waste of time and money?

NO EASY ANSWERS

When it comes to design, easy answers can be difficult to come by, as the nature of art is very subjective. And yet decisions have to be made, otherwise you run the risk of a crash-and-burn project. Even if you and your marketing team like the design, there’s a chance someone higher up the food chain in the approval process will balk at the imagery selection or be baffled by the envelope-pushing layout.

It happens. And now you’re stuck with a fragile “What do we do now?” situation. After all, designers tend to take their work personally (how can they not?), but the boss is the boss — even when it’s you.

A "BRIEF" SOLUTION

So how do you avoid the tedium of spin-your-wheels design reviews, not to mention the burn rate of cost overruns and hurt feelings?

There’s a simple solution — the design brief.

While you may have heard it referred to as a creative brief, project brief, or something along those lines, a design brief is a strategic document that clearly defines the problem to be solved, the message to be communicated, the bank’s position within the industry and among its competitors, and more.

It’s not for every project – small-scale production work like designing nametags for an upcoming event doesn’t fit the bill. Large-scale projects such as brochure designs, ad creation and brand reboots definitely warrant a design brief.

The bank marketer should co-own the brief along with the design lead — whether you’re using an internal designer, or the designer from an agency or design firm. It’s critical that the two work hand-in-hand to develop the brief, thereby ensuring that all questions and concerns are addressed before the work actually begins.

A HELPING DOCUMENT

The design brief is a living, breathing document that should be referenced throughout the project cycle. Designs can then be tested against the project’s objectives, thereby minimizing the inherent subjectivity of the work. This approach can help avoid future stumbling blocks, like questioning a color choice. If something like that does come up, simply refer back to the design brief to ensure there’s no discrepancy regarding the agreed upon objectives.

The brief should truly be viewed as a helping document, one that houses common objectives and details that are to be shared between the design team and the marketing team. That audience can be expanded to include potential approvers, though only if all parties feel that’s a necessary step to keep the project moving.

THE BRIEF, IN BRIEF

So, what does the brief look like? The brief itself is simply a way of gathering all the key information that allows the design team to understand and immerse themselves in the details, thereby giving them the freedom to explore multiple directions and arrive at an ideal solution.

At a more granular level, here are the steps and details involved:

1. Gather information. Fairly obvious, right? The bank marketer and design lead need to have a one-on-one to discuss the project and its context. If the bank marketer begins by saying, “I need a brochure designed,” and the designer says, “Okay,” then you risk putting the cart before the horse. Before jumping to tactics, determine why a brochure is needed by asking questions:

• Why was this project initiated?
• What are the business needs that this project should address?
• What is the desired outcome?
• Who is the audience and how do we best reach them?
• What other key stakeholders are involved?
• Why is the project needed now?
• How will the project be used?

The answers to these questions will drive the many substantive design decisions that are to follow, while providing a common baseline for both parties to refer back to. For instance, if someone thinks the end result must be a specific size, discuss it now and determine if perhaps the door can be left open to another option. Also, be sure to identify all those who will need to be involved at some point in the design process. You’ll want to get them on board as soon as possible.

2. Set a meeting with all stakeholders. The project co-owners should begin looping in all of the key stakeholders by informing them they’re part of the project team. Once the stakeholders are brought up-to-speed, the project team is invited to comment and/or ask questions, and each member should be invited to provide their specific inputs. This ensures that the team approving the project is involved from the beginning and has “skin in the game” — most importantly, everyone gets a vote!

3. Draft the brief. A well-written design brief includes: a project overview, competitor review, product/service portfolio, business objectives, design strategies, project phases and timeline, and any additional information that should be included.

4. Review brief with the project team. Email the brief a few days ahead of the meeting, and clarify that the purpose of the meeting is to walk away with a final, approved design brief. Any glaring omissions or errors should be addressed.

The design brief should then be used as an outline for the approval presentation. The design itself should be positioned as a problem-solver, rather than a decorative service. That way, the inherent value of the design is more easily identified and, when backed by the early and ongoing support of the key stakeholders, should create a smoother road for approvals.

A SEAMLESS, EFFECTIVE DESIGN PROCESS

Artists create works of art from a vision only they can see. Great design isn’t about art — it’s about communication and results. As subjective as art is by its very nature, in the business world, designers know their vision is most effective when it serves the objectives of the project.

Designers serve those objectives, help solve business problems and communicate messages through the use of color, fonts, graphics and imagery. The more a designer knows about a given project and its context, the easier it is to arrive at an effective solution. A good designer will be inspired upon creating a design brief, and use it as a springboard for generating ideas. Those ideas will drive the team closer to its ultimate objective, thereby ensuring a more seamless and fulfilling design process.

Sharon Bending is the president/creative director of Bending Design, Inc., a strategic graphic design firm in East Dundee, Illinois. Email: sharon@bendingdesign.com.