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What is a creative short?
A creative brief is a one-page document that outlines the scope, goals and requirements for a creative deliverable. It can be used by freelancers, in-house marketing teams, and ad agencies.
It goes beyond the typical project brief by capturing vision, voice and target audience of a campaign or brand for writers, designers and video teams assigned to it.
Here are some examples of projects that can benefit from a well-crafted brief:
Marketing collateral and brand identity
Advertising in print, radio, and television
Interactive and web design
Marketing and content strategy
Video production
Why is a creative short important?
For personal creative projects, it may be fine to allow yourself some artistic freedom. Clear communication is essential when delivering corporate campaigns and client projects.
Your creative team will be more likely to miss the mark if they don’t fully understand the why, what, and who behind a project. This can lead to frustration, stress, and more time and cost for the project. That is not what anyone wants!
Your team can deliver high-quality work in fewer revisions by having a clear creative brief. It will be easier and quicker to achieve the desired result by aligning client expectations and goals with the people who are doing the creative work.
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How to write a creative short
There is no one right way to write a creative brief. It all depends on the type of projects you and your creative team will be working on.
Ad agencies might want to include background information about the client and brand guidelines. However, internal teams are already familiar with these things and don’t need any extra details cluttering up their creative briefs.
What elements should be included in a creative brief document?
Let’s take an overview of some elements that you might want to include in your creative brief.
Background of the company
You will need to take a quick snapshot of the company when you write a creative brief for an agency or freelance client. This will help you and your team get to know the organization behind the project.
Give a brief overview of the company and the services they offer. Include a link to their website so that team members can explore further if necessary.
Overview of the project
The project’s overall idea helps to set the stage for the rest of the project. Do not be afraid to go into detail.
In 1-2 sentences, explain the project and its purpose. This is a great place for information about how the project will solve a specific business problem.
Project goals
Your team will be able to create the right ideas quickly by understanding your project goals. This section should give you a clear picture about your team’s success.
Here are some questions that you might want to answer.
What is the purpose of the project?
What action do your audience need to take?
What key metrics will be used to measure success?
Scope and specifications
This is where the rubber meets road in terms of what will actually be produced. If applicable, list the key deliverables and include estimated hours. Specify any size, format or quantity requirements.
This section can be customized to suit the type of work that will result. You might want to include specific file format and dimensions options in a graphic design brief. Word count, however, may be all that is important for a copy job.
Timeline
This is not the place to write your entire project plan. This will come later. Focus on the important milestones, dead