How to write a brief for any creative project

A brief is the foundation everything else is built on. A clear brief produces better creative work. Here is a framework that works across design, web, video, and eLearning projects.

Most creative projects that go wrong, whether they overrun, miss the mark, or require multiple rounds of costly revisions, went wrong in the brief. Not because anyone was difficult or incompetent, but because the brief was unclear about something that turned out to matter. Here is a framework that works for almost any creative project.

The problem

Start by describing the situation as it currently is. Not what you want the project to produce, but what problem it is solving. Our current website does not reflect what we have become as an organisation. We have no consistent visual identity and our materials look disconnected. We need to explain our service to people who have never heard of us. Whatever it is, state it plainly.

The audience

Describe the person who will receive or use the work being created. Not a demographic profile, but a human description. Who are they? What do they already know or believe? What do they worry about? What would make them trust you? The more specifically you can describe the audience, the better the creative decisions that follow will be.

The objective

What should be different after this work exists? Not what the work will contain but what it will achieve. Be specific. Not "raise awareness" but "get local charities to submit an enquiry within 48 hours of seeing the landing page." Not "improve training" but "ensure all catering staff can correctly identify the 14 major allergens and know the escalation procedure."

The constraints

What is fixed? This includes: budget, deadline, platform, brand guidelines, regulatory requirements, technical limitations. State them explicitly. A constraint that is discovered mid-project is almost always more disruptive than one that was known at the start.

The tone and feel

If the work has a visual or communication element, describe how you want it to feel. Not just "professional" but what kind of professional. Warm and approachable like a trusted local expert, or authoritative like an organisation with decades of evidence. The more specific you can be about the feeling, the more useful it is.

The decision-maker

State clearly who has the final say. Not a list of everyone who will have input, but the single named person who signs off at each stage. This prevents a situation where multiple stakeholders with different views are all providing feedback and nobody is empowered to make a final decision.

A brief does not need to be long. It needs to be clear. Two pages covering these questions honestly will produce better creative work than a ten-page document full of corporate language that avoids saying anything specific.

About the Author

Dan Deveney is a digital designer, educational specialist, and developer based near Dartmoor in Devon. Through Granite & Glitch, he works with small businesses, charities, and community groups to create accessible, high-performance digital projects, drawing on more than 15 years of experience across design, education, and development.