Designbriefing

Designbriefing is a structured process and accompanying document used to communicate the goals, constraints, and context of a design project to the design team and other stakeholders. It may be issued as a formal brief, a presentation, or a living document updated as needed. The primary purpose is to align expectations, clarify scope, and provide a basis for evaluating design options.

A typical designbriefing outlines the project background, business or user goals, and the target audience. It defines success criteria, key messages or user needs, and use cases. It lists deliverables, required features, technical constraints, brand guidelines, accessibility requirements, and any legal or ethical considerations. It also includes timeline, budget, decision-makers, and the approval workflow.

The process is usually collaborative and iterative. It often starts with discovery and stakeholder interviews or workshops, followed by synthesis into objectives and constraints. The resulting brief is reviewed and signed off, and then used to guide concept development, iterations, and testing. As projects evolve, the brief can be updated to reflect changes in scope or learning from research.

Best practices include making objectives Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART), avoiding vague language, and tying design proposals to measurable criteria. It should designate a single owner for accountability, reference supporting materials, and preserve version history to maintain consistency across teams and phases.