Good design is good business. Yet, in today’s economy, everyone is looking for ways to save money. We understand. Please let us share some thoughts about what graphic design can accomplish and what its true value is.

Contrary to popular belief, good graphic design is not about style or looks; it is about communication. It is a visual strategy created to convey your message to your audience. And it should always have a direct, bottom-line effect on your business.

Companies everywhere are vying for customers in the face of a competitive market. The best way to differentiate yourself is in your communications with your market. In fact, effective communication has never been more essential, and companies that value design are leading the pack.

Graphic design is also about building image equity. It isn’t enough to have a great logo if your message doesn’t reach your markets. Every interaction, from ads to annual reports, from the web to print materials, should be working together to create your company’s image, a strong visual identity. Your image is far too important to trust to chance, and anything worth doing is worth doing well.

You need to have a strategy and sound reasons for your design, advertising and marketing decisions. You would be better served to spend your money on something else if you don’t place a high value on what design can achieve. Design is, and always has been, a business of problem-solving.

The Design Brief

A design brief starts everyone on the same page. It sets the objectives and intent of the project and serves as the measure to test the design. It helps to keep everyone on track during the project. While many design firms provide clients with their own sets of questions, it is ultimately the responsibility of the client to define the objectives and identify the audience(s) for the project.

Our clients find the design brief to be extremely helpful. It allows them to be clear on what they are trying to achieve before starting the project and makes it significantly easier to sell the idea to the rest of their company.

Good design is a collaboration. With your guidance, the design firm learns whom you are trying to target and what you are trying to say. The design brief spells out the parameters of the project and your expectations. Here is what should be included on a thorough design brief:

Final Deliverables
Define what is expected at the end of the project.

Project Budget
To prevent time-consuming and costly complications down the line, a project budget must be established before work begins. It is impossible to design to your needs without fully understanding all of the parameters.

Timeline
When do you need the project to start? When do you need the project in hand or on the streets? Are there other important deadlines to hit during the development stages?

Distribution
How will the piece be distributed? Specifically, where will the ad run, the brochure be distributed or the mailer be mailed? And how does distribution affect the budget?

Results
Determine how you will measure the results of your objectives – what will both the objective and subjective criteria be?

Creative Considerations
What limitations and/or constraints are there (i.e., size, colors, paper, corporate standards)? What are your personal likes and dislikes for size, colors, paper, etc.? Who will supply the copy, photos and/or illustrations? Are there corporate images that can or must be used?

Target Audience
To whom are you talking? Consider sex, age, job title, social/economic conditions, employment and geographic concentrations. Are they familiar with the product? Are they knowledgeable? What motivates them to buy/act?

Product Features
What are your product’s features? List specs, components, manufacturing and delivery aspects that differentiate your product. How is it used in everyday applications? Why is it different, unusual or unique? What other marketing efforts have been used to promote this?

User Benefits
How is the end-user better for having used your product? Did he or she save time, money or effort? Quantify these benefits if possible Æ how important are they to the customer? Rank them in importance. What are the trade-offs (i.e., high quality usually means higher price)? Concentrate on the top two benefits and be as objective and specific as possible.

Support for Benefit Claims
Is there test data, focus group reports or user testimony to support benefit claims? Give only facts, and be as specific as possible.

Competitors
Who else offers similar products/services, and how good are they? List names, specs, prices, good and bad features. Where does your product rank among these? Objectivity is essential here.

Procedures
What is your company’s internal approval process? How many people must approve the project? Do you require multiple bids from sub-vendors (i.e., photographers, illustrators, printers)?

Main Focus
If your audience remembers only one point as a result of this project, what should that point be? This will be the main focus of the project.

Conclusion

Yes, there are a lot of questions here, and yes, it will take time to answer them all. But the answers you provide allow your design firm to create a strategy that will achieve your objectives.
 

About the Author

Heather Loftiss is the owner and creative director of Water Design Studio, a values-based marketing, branding and design studio. The studio helps companies find a voice that resonates, a message with meaning and a marketing strategy that yields results. You can reach Heather via phone at 281-466-4582 or via her website (linked above).