Exercise: Working to a Brief

Read and analyse the following briefs:

Brief 1
Create packaging for Quaker’s new ‘Chilled Creamy Oats’ product for young women looking for a truly delicious healthy snack. The target audience is young women juggling many jobs and priorities everyday. They like to eat well but also love treats and hate feeling hungry. They like the idea of oats for their natural goodness but find the idea of eating them bland and unappealing.

What am I being asked to do?
Design packaging for a new Quaker’s product.

Who is the target audience?
Busy, health-consicous, young women.

How will the client judge a successful outcome to the brief?
The design communicates the intended message of the product – a healthy, fast snack which is both nutritious and delicious.
Positive feedback when tested on potential consumers.

Keywords:
New, delicious, healthy, snack, young women, busy lifestyle (juggling many jobs and priorities everyday), eat well, treats, natural goodness.

Additional questions for the client:
Are there any restrictions in terms of colour, typography, layout?
Will the logo and any illustrations be provided?
What will the size and dimensions of the product be?
What is the timescale and deadline for the project?
What is the budget?
Who would be the main contact?

I would also research competitors to find out what other designs are on the market.

Brief 2

Most of us have experienced a long rail journey – we witness the dramatic contrasts of the changing landscape, the inter-connections at various points along the way; various people embark and disembark; the dynamic is ever-changing… finally we reach our destination.

This brief challenges you to take a metaphorical journey on the theme of connections. Explore the theme as broadly as possible and take us on a journey that might link, amongst other things – people, events, philosophies, theories, objects, movements, inventions, history, literature, etc. Your journey is only limited by your own imagination and the quality of your research – surprise us with the juxtaposition of your selected themes but be sure to communicate to the viewer the ‘connectedness’ of the thinking within your design. Define your market, and how you will target it.

What am I being asked to do?
This brief is very broad and undefined as to what is required apart from that the design needs to be based on the theme of connections and represent a journey.

Who is the target audience?
The brief states that the designer can define the market and how this will be targeted. Those who can relate to whatever journey is chosen would be the main audience, but this would require further details to be decided.

How will the client judge a successful outcome to the brief?
If it imaginatively communicates the journey of connections through a creative design.

Keywords:
Connections, broadly, journey, link, people, events, philosophies, theories, objects, movements, inventions, literature, surprise, juxtaposition, connectedness

Additional questions for the client:
Although this is an open brief, which would provide scope for creativity, there are some details that I would rather were confirmed:

What is the preferred format of the design – e.g. poster – where will it be displayed?
What is the design going to be used for, what is its purpose (selling, informational, educational)?
Is there a budget?
Are there any preferences for colour, style, etc.
Any copy to be provided?
What is the timescale/deadline?
Who would be the main contact?

Brief 3
To raise awareness of the risks of underage drinking and contribute towards a cultural change in society’s attitude towards alcohol. The purpose of the Department for Children, Schools and Families is to make this the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up… to make children and young people happy and healthy and help them stay on track.

With a core proposition of ‘Alcohol leaves you (or your children) vulnerable’, the campaign will urge parents to talk to their children before they consider drinking, to help avoid vulnerable situations. The messages to young people will get them to think about the effects of drinking.

Creative ideas should use the campaign identity ‘Why let drink decide?’ to extend the campaign’s reach and specifically target young people aged between 13 and 16. We are open to ideas about the media or format you think is most appropriate to reach the target audience.

What am I being asked to do?
Create a design that is aimed towards 13-16 year olds to encourage their thinking about the effects of alcohol, which acts as a stimulus for open discussion with their parents.

How will the client judge a successful outcome to the brief?
Positive feedback from the target audience (the young people) and their parents, an increase of conversations around the topic of alcohol and its impact. Long-term this would hopefully be represented in a decrease in problems for young people caused by alcohol.

Keywords:
Awareness, risks, underage drinking, cultural change, best place in world, happy, healthy, parents, talk, vulnerable, effects of drinking

Additional questions for the client:
Does the theme of the design need to relate to any already in place for the parents?
Is there a budget?
Is there a logo or any official wording that needs to be present?
Will copy be provided?
Are there any restrictions to the content?
Who is the main contact?
What is the timescale/deadline?
I would like to be provided with further information regarding the target audience, e.g. is it to be aimed at a particular group of young people, more at risk?

Having analysed the three briefs I would attempt Brief 1 as it has structured guidelines, which I’d much prefer at this early stage in my career. It would offer me the opportunity to build up experience working for an established company. It would still be a challenge as I would be working to a client brief rather than a self-initiated project, so it would stretch my skills and abilities to ensure it meets the requirements – it would definitely be a learning curve. The next brief I would attempt would be Brief 3 as this appeals to me for being slightly less constricted and not corporate as the first brief, I also enjoy designing for young people, but I would need to have more clarification as to what was required. I believe I’d find Brief 2 quite frustrating, unless it was for personal work, as it is too open to interpretation and I can imagine the client requesting many changes.