What is a design brief
Definition: A design brief is a document that outlines the requirements of a design project. It is created by the client and shared with the designer to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Design briefs help manage expectations and ensure all stakeholders are happy with the final product. The document is tailored to each project and accurately reflects the client's needs and goals.
What is included in the design brief?
Company profile
The profile provides an overview of the company, its products, services, target market, and competition. This information helps the designer understand the company's positioning, messaging, and objectives.
Example: Mindmesh wants to revolutionize how people and teams think about productivity, and attain their goals without getting bogged down in distractions. We want to meet users in their workflows and make them more productive, and not impose yet another tool to think about.
Project overview
This section gives a high-level overview of the project, including the objectives, target audience, key messages, call to action, project timeline, and deliverables.
Example: The web redesign project aims to improve the website's usability by creating a more attractive design, optimizing the site for search engines and mobile devices, and making content easier to find.
Goals and objectives of the new design
The goals and objectives define and articulate what the new design is to achieve, such as increased sales or higher website traffic.
Example:
- Provide great user experience;
- Increase sales;
- Enable users to navigate more easily — especially target customers.
Target audience
This is the group of people the client is trying to reach with their products or services. The designer needs to understand the age, gender, location, interests, and needs of the target audience to create an effective design.
Example:
- Project managers and team leads who are looking for a comprehensive solution to help manage their projects more effectively.
- Small business owners or entrepreneurs who need a simple, intuitive tool that can help them stay organized and on top of their projects.
- Companies looking to streamline processes and improve communication across teams.
- Professionals who need a reliable, secure platform that can help them manage their time and tasks more efficiently.
Design requirements
Design requirements include branding, tone, style, messaging, and elements like the layout, colors, images, and fonts.
Example: We aim for a tech-savvy, clean, and minimalistic design. All elements on the website should fit that description.
Budget
This section outlines the project’s budget — estimated costs for design, development, and production.
Example:
Total budget: $150,000
- Design agency cost: $70,000
- Development cost: $50,000
- Content production cost: $30,000
Project deliverables
The design brief defines a clear timeline for the project to help the designer to understand the client's milestones, deadlines, and expectations.
Example:
Expected timeline:
- Preparations: Week 1 & 2
- Wireframes: Week 3
- Mockups: Week 4 & 5
- Actual design: Week 5, 6, & 7
- Implementation: Week 8
- Testing: Week 9
- Launch: Week 10
Other relevant information
The brief also includes other relevant information, such as competitive analysis or information about the client's existing brand guidelines.
Example:
- Competitive analysis presentation
- Brand guidelines doc
Example of a design brief
