What is the design brief?
Your perfect product is already envisioned in your head, you clearly see it in your imagination and the only thing left is to translate your dreams into something tangible.
A good designer can easily help you to transform your product to the next level and open doors for growth, however how to spell out exactly what you need and transfer your thoughts to the product designer accordingly? How to identify the scope of work, the core details and the scale of your upcoming project?
Now you see that it doesn’t matter if you are a new startup with new tech or well-established corporation with a range of products and your aim is to make them more cost-effectively, or you just have a new idea for all above-mentioned cases you require to create a clear path towards a specific goal. Here a detailed brief becomes the guiding document for the entire design process and vital condition for future product success.
This document guides the product design process and should be as detailed as possible, serving a common point of reference for all parties involved.
This article covers the most important factors to consider when writing the product design brief.
The anatomy of the design brief:
1. Client Information Or Company Profile
The fact is that the product designer knows nothing about your company or your product that’s why you should give him as many details as it is possible. Tell him about your company, its brand mission, about the target audience, your competitors and what makes you different from them.
2. The Product Information
Are you building a new product from the ground up or your purpose is to redesign the existent website? On this stage, it is time to explain your product information, technical requirements, identify the scope of work and the future product functionality.
Style Direction
Describe how your new design should look, the impression it should give to the users, and any brand or style guidelines that you consider important to meet.
This paragraph should cover the following details:
- Design samples you like and a short specification about what you want in them;
- Your brand colors, fonts, images, icons.
Definite “do nots” and provide the designer with the information about the style directions you do not like to follow in your new design.
You should not think that the designer will copy the ideas you sent. They just need these ideas as the start of the creative design process and unique style creation for your product.
3. Problem To Solve
Identify the problems you need to solve during the design creation stage. Transfer these problems clearly to the UI/UX team. Share your concerns with the design experts and point the most vital things in future design.
4. Budget and Timeline
Even a ball-park figure gives the understanding of the solution type the design specialist is realistically able to provide.
It is quite important to be realistic about the schedule and prevent the haste. The time frames should be reasonable and enough for providing quality result.
5. Deliverables And Tools
Indicate the preferred tools for design realization. This item may be discussed with your future development team, or you may ask the product design team about the recommendation if you are not sure about the right choice.
As you see communication is a crucial part of all design projects, and the design brief is a critical part of it.
Well-structured design brief helps the designer understand your vision and avoid miscommunication and costly re-iterations.
This guiding document should cover everything necessary that will help during the product design creation process and successfully organize it.
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