How to create a design brief

You've got a new design project that’s about to kick off – but you don’t yet have a clear picture of who it’s for, or when it should get done? Sounds like you need a design brief outlining the scope of the project, so you can meet project goals on time and on budget.

Read on to learn more about:

• What a design brief is—and why every designer needs one for major projects
• How to make a design brief, including a best-practice example covering core details
• How to use FigJam to jumpstart your design brief

What is a design brief?

A design brief outlines project scope and deliverables for modern design initiatives—from web page redesigns to logo design creation. Typically, project leaders or clients fill them in, including high-level concepts and practical information designers need to get started. Design briefs introduce project specs, including key goals and background, target audience, design requirements, timelines, and budget. Design briefs differ from creative briefs, which provide a big-picture project overview for design and marketing.

Why use a design brief?

A good design brief aids project management, serving as a north star to guide your design agency and/or in-house design teams. Design briefs set up your design process for success by promoting:

• Effective communication among key stakeholders, including cross-functional teams, clients, and customers
• Sharper focus to align teams around the design vision of a client or corporate leadership
• Streamlined workflows to help teams make design decisions more quickly and stay on track for design deliverables

Find visual inspiration with a mood board

Getting ready to launch a new campaign or product design? A mood board can help you find the right visual aesthetic for your new design project. Start your mood board by collecting sample imagery, colors, and design elements that complement each other. As you add inspiration, a cohesive theme or mood emerges. Your completed board helps convey your visual ideas and design concepts to stakeholders for buy-in and sign-off.

Key elements of a design brief

Sharp cross-team collaboration is key to any design brief—whether it’s for graphic design, web design, or product design. First you'll need to nail down the project title, project lead, and main client or stakeholder. Then you can work out design brief specifics, which typically include:

• Project overview. Summarize the design you want to create or revise and provide the project scope.
• Goals and objectives. Spell out what you want to achieve, and list the steps to get there.
• Problem statement. Define the user challenge you want to solve with your final design.
• Brand competitors. Capture insights to help design teams understand the market—including hits and misses.
• Brand guidelines. Share brand identity guidance and specs for logos, colors, fonts, styles, and images. Include links to relevant design files, such as wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.
• Brand messaging and tone. Offer guidance to express your brand's verbal identity.
• Target audience. Share demographics, psychographics, and other key audience data to inform the user experience.
• Project budget. Project managers and designers need to know the guardrails they're expected to work within.
• Project timeline. Align key players on the project roadmap and milestones.
• Project deliverables. Clarify the final output down to the required file formats, copy documents, screen sizes, and resolutions.

How to create a design brief in 4 steps

Creating a project brief takes just four steps, using FigJam's handy design brief template.

Step 1: Identify the project owner or lead.

Usually, business stakeholders or clients will spearhead design brief creation. A project manager or designer may also step up and take the lead.

Step 2: Develop the design brief.

The project owner or lead may collaborate with a project manager or design lead to outline key brief details, including design project goals, scope, budget, and deadlines.

Step 3: Collaborate with different teams.

The project lead works with different teams to fill any gaps in the design brief. For example, they may ask the design team for input on creative guidelines, or consult user researchers about target audience needs.

Step 4: Finalize and apply the design brief.

Once everyone agrees on design requirements and project deliverables, the design team can use the finalized brief to guide design creation.

3 pro tips for an effective design brief

• Write clearly and concisely. Design briefs should be easy to understand and carry out.
• Rely on subject matter experts. Consult strategy, finance, design, and user research pros to ensure your brief is accurate and actionable.
• Keep it handy. Make sure everyone on the project can find the brief and refer to it regularly to stay on track.

Jumpstart your design brief with Figma

The starting point of a new project should be exciting, not daunting. Get your design team or agency on board with your creative vision and excited about the project scope with a simple design brief. You can use FigJam’s design brief template to :

• Quickly organize information and communicate key details
• Invite key stakeholders to freely access and edit the design brief for accuracy and clarity
• Capture creative feedback in real time with interactive stamps, emojis, and sticky notes

Looking for more design brief examples and inspiration? Check out these professional design brief templates built by the Figma community.

Ready to share your creative vision?

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