Project Brief
Project name
Version:
Date:
Prepared by:
Context
What is the background of the project? What is the current situation?
Goals + Objectives + Evaluation
What are the project goals? What is to be accomplished by this program? Is the goal to create awareness, knowledge,
preference, or purchase? One traditional tool used for this purpose is the definition of SMART objectives: Specific,
Measurable, Agreed Upon, Realistic, and Time-based. What are the key performance indicators?
Assumptions + Key Considerations/Expectations
What are the key assumptions, considerations and expectations that will be part of the strategy or solution?
Primary Audiences
Who are the key audiences and what are their attributes? Who are we talking to and why? Who is this campaign meant
to reach? The more specific and detailed the better.
Deliverables
What are the print or digital deliverables?
Project Timeline
What is the detailed timeline for solution delivery including known production, print and delivery deadlines?
Budget
What is the budget for this project? Please provide the budget code to be used for hard deliverables (e.g. ad placement):
Recommended Approach
If you have already considered an approach that you feel will deliver success, please share it:
Next Steps
What are the next steps required to move the project forward? If this project is part of another project, what are the
next steps in moving forward?
Project Roles and Approvals
Who is the project team, what are their roles and who is responsible for approvals?
Creative Solution
Creative Challenge
What issues stand in the way of the creative result, what are the challenges?
Current/Proposed Behaviour
What is the audience doing now? What do you want them to do differently?
Call-To-Action
What do you want the audience to do/think? The more specific the better. One of the fundamental principles of
marketing is: tell the audience what you want them to do. If you don’t know, don’t promote until you do.
Key Message
What is the one thought that the audience should be left with? The initial level of regard given to most marketing
collateral has been measured at between one and two seconds. If you absolutely had to, how would you state your
message in seven words or less?
Secondary Messages
If the solution does draw in a reader, what are the other one or two points that should be conveyed? Another principle:
people never remember more than three things.
Emotional Experience
What creative experience must the design achieve? (emotional response, user experience, first impression, what do we
want audiences to remember)
Tone and Style
Should this be a friendly, relaxed message, or a hard-sell with a sense of urgency? Should the audience feel like a
confidant, pal, victim (in need of rescuing), partner, controller, etc.? Should the creative convey a rich, textured
impression or something more simple and utilitarian?
Mandatory requirements
Which elements must be included (e.g. specific graphic elements)?
Accessibility and Translation
Are there accessibility considerations (e.g. sight-impaired audience etc.)? Are there translation requirements for nonEnglish speakers? Does the piece need to be bilingual (e.g. for a federal government audience)?
Expected Results
What will success mean; how are results evaluated (specifically related to creative/design elements)?
Research Highlights
What research exists to support the successful outcome of the deliverable?
Available Resources
What are the available graphic, photographic or multimedia materials to be used in this project, their location and
availability?
Resources Required
What are the graphic materials that require creation or photography/videography?
Other Information
E.g. Are there any cultural beliefs that must be reflected in the design? What is the dominant energy the design must
reflect?