Creating a brief

The formulation of a clear and comprehensive brief is fundamental to achieving a satisfactory result. A brief encapsulates what the business wants the designer to achieve and gives focus to the designer's creativity. It is best to formalise a brief in writing. Consider the relevance of the following information for inclusion:

background about the business, market and context for the project. nature and scope of the project, and details of any previous work. required outputs and deliverables including quantities or schedules of accommodation project objectives which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-related and state what the project is expected to achieve for the business marketing background: [where relevant] history, positioning, market share, competitive products, market research target audience/users: who will use or consume the outcome, pricing, volume and life expectancy constraints may include siting, manufacturing, technical constraints and details of guidelines such as corporate/branding, regulations, permissions required or obtained. technical information: including elements of products and details of known working parts or processes

manufacturing, production and distribution: facilities available, preferred materials and techniques, packaging, transportation maintenance: what is required and by whom environmental issues: range and type of impact budget: an indication of the budget available and sources of funding where relevant. timescales for the different stages of the design process and final completion terms of business intellectual property agreements including patent, design registration, copyright and trademark ownership deadline for submission of proposal