_communicating your goals
Tips for Briefing a Graphic Designer
Graphic design is a problem solving process, requiring substantial creativity, innovation and technical expertise. An understanding of the client’s product or service and goals, their competitors and the target audience is translated into a visual solution. This visual solution is created by manipulating and combining shape, color, imagery, typography and space.
A successful briefing process will help you make the most of the creative and technical expertise. Here are some general guidelines to direct the process.
Briefing Guidelines
Graphic design is a problem solving process, requiring substantial creativity, innovation and technical expertise. An understanding of the client’s product or service and goals, their competitors and the target audience is translated into a visual solution. This visual solution is created by manipulating and combining shape, color, imagery, typography and space.
A successful briefing process will help you make the most of the creative and technical expertise. Here are some general guidelines to direct the process.
Briefing Guidelines
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Marketing Information
You should thoroughly communicate your needs at the briefing stage. Recommend information that be should provided: • Your organization’s practices and values. • Corporate identity requirements. • Existing communication material which you think reflects your organization’s practices and values. • Objectives of communication material. • Words to describe the desired “look” and “feel” such as“ contemporary” and “innovative ”. • Emotional response you would like to achieve from the audience such as “excited,” “proud,” or “scared” get audience. You should include specific briefing information about your design project including: • Logos, symbols, trademarks. • How text and photographs will be provided. • How graphs and any other graphical elements will be provided and used • How many design concepts will be needed. • Proposed production schedule. • Timeframes for concept presentation and approvals. For Print Materials • Production specifications, for example, number of pages, quantity, paper quality/ stock, size, preferred binding, if known. • Any special finishes - embossing, foiling, die-cuts. The Designer can provide specialist advice on specifications and finishes. • Delivery requirements including contact/s and address/s, electronic file formatting • Packaging requirements. • Printing preferences. • Delivery deadlines. |
For Web Sites
Review other sites for ideas for look and feel. By pointing the Designer to several sites that you like the look of, you enable him or her to hit the mark for you. These sample sites will prevent you from having to put into words what you hope your site will look like. The URLs you provide do not have to be in the same industry or be similar to your business in any way. They just have to share the look or elements that you want for your site. Think about the kind of art you want. While the beauty of working with the designer is that you don't have to come up with ideas for the site's creation, you should be prepared to talk about where you stand on art work. The Designer will likely make a recommendation, but it will help you to know that there are three primary choices - photos, clip art and custom images. Custom art can create a unique element for your site. • Site plan, navigation and information to be included. • Custom programming for other features, forms, registration, e-commerce, etc. • Ready for going live on the web. Allow enough time for the design process Often people are tempted to ‘crunch’ the time allowed for graphic design. To maximize your design investment, we suggest you allow substantial time for the design process. The focus should be on ensuring the text, design and artwork is correct. If you face strict time constraints, please discuss appropriate solutions with the designer. The designer can provide you with some options that won’t compromise the value of your communication project. Try not to let personal taste affect your opinion of a design. Consider whether the design will reach your target audience and whether it will achieve the intended result. Criticisms or design suggestions should be specified as clearly as possible using a briefing checklist. |
Graphic designers use both design and production elements to organize ideas visually to convey a desired impact and message. In addition to exercising aesthetic judgment and project management skills, the professional graphic designer is experienced in evaluating and developing effective communications strategies that enhance a client’s image, service, or product.
