The Lost Art of the Project Brief

In this day and age we’re all time-poor but task-rich. As a result, considered and detailed project briefs have become the exception rather than the norm. This void has been filled by the Reverse Brief - a document in which we reflect our understanding of the project and its parameters back to the client.

What Makes a Great Brief?

A great brief is one that is clear and simple, but the more detail about scope that can be provided the better. For example, requesting “a bilingual audio guide, of approximately 20 minutes duration, to target the cruise ship visitor market” allows for a much more accurate price indication than just requesting “an audio guide”.

Just like a primary-school writing assignment the core questions to focus on when crafting a Reverse Brief are the 5 Ws and an H - Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. 

Working backwards imagining a successful end of the project often helps find the answers. What has been delivered? Who is using it? What are they saying about it? 

‘What’

Usually this is the simplest of the questions to answer - is a full exhibition being requested or is it a singular experience like an interactive projection or touchscreen, audio guide or projection experience. Sometimes, the known ‘What’ of a project is not the media, but rather the story. In this case, deciding on the appropriate storytelling mechanism will be part of the Concept Design phase.

‘Why’

In many ways this is the most important question of all to answer during the briefing stage. The ‘Why’ might relate to whether there is a problem requiring a solution, or a specific message or story to communicate. But it also may be closely connected to the ‘Who’ that the project or experience will serve as understanding the ‘who’ can help identify the needs that should be considered like different language versions, or specific accessibility interventions.   

‘Who’

Who is the experience targeted towards? The ‘who’ can be narrowly defined, e.g. Toddlers and their parents, or more widely defined e.g. multi-generational family groups. Defining a target audience does not mean that other audiences will be excluded, only that the needs of the target group will be expressly addressed. For example, an experience targeted towards international tourists will not exclude local visitors, but additional context will be provided for content that might not be understood by non-locals.

‘When’

Is there a certain date that the project needs to be completed by? Timeframes need to be considered realistically not only in regard to the amount of time allocated to the design, but also the amount of time set aside for the client review and feedback.

‘How’

This is the part of the brief where more specific guidance for the project is delivered. Try to avoid ambiguous directives like “the ‘wow’ factor” which can be interpreted differently and cause a disconnect between the expectations of clients and designers. Instead, think about the emotions to spark in visitors during this experience and after they leave. Where is the ‘wow’ factor coming from? Eye-popping colours that are a magnet for selfies and instagram posts? A lighthearted but memorable shared experience for members of the whole family? Stirred emotions from experiencing an empathetic moment in the shoes of a real person? 

The ‘How’ also encompasses the budget. Look out for our blog next month when we will dig into the pros and cons of revealing budgets when requesting quotes or estimates!

Want to craft your own brief?

To make it easier for our clients we developed this brief template for them to fill out. Feel free to download it, use it and adapt it when thinking about any new visitor experiences that you are looking to develop. And of course if we can help then please get in touch!