Just build me a house!” – Why a Design Brief Matters

We had a customer; a builder looking for a van wrap, good - we like a customer that knows what they want!

He flashes his logo on his phone screen and says, “I want my van wrapped, something modern and eye-catching, here’s my logo” We start talking and asking questions; What colours do you like? What information needs to be on the van? Who’s your ideal customer? Where do you usually work?

Every answer was a shrug, and words like “Hmmm, I don’t know… Not really thought about it… can you just design me something and I’ll see if I like it.” Sounds simple enough, except… that’s not how design works.

We love a challenge, but design isn’t a guessing game, you can’t just sit at a computer and draw stuff for hours hoping the client magically likes it, it’s not creative and it’s not productive.

After a while, he pulls out some folded A4 sheets from his pocket; 5 or 6 different van designs that someone else has done, all different styles “I didn’t like any of these” and that’s exactly the point of this blog; if you don’t know what you want, no one will hit the target!

We explained that this is why we ask so many questions upfront. Not because we’re being awkward, but because without a clear brief, it’s impossible to design something that feels right; otherwise, we’ll also end up producing another set of random ideas you don’t like too.

That’s when we gave him this analogy:

“Okay, build me a house.”

“What kind of house?”

“I don’t know. Just make it look nice and modern.”

So, you go away, build the house, and when I come to see it ‘Oh, I don’t like it, it’s too modern. I’m not paying for that.’

He went quiet for a moment and then he got it.

In the end, we did some simpler logo graphics for his van, it wasn’t really a wrap he needed, but it worked out just fine because we took the time to get a brief together.

The Right Design Starts with a Good Brief

Graphic design without a brief is like building a house without plans; there are too many variables to be able to get it right without wasting a huge amount of time. Every designer has their own ideas and if you want a result that hits the mark, take the time to talk us through your business, your customers, and what you want people to think when they see your van, your signs or stickers.

It saves everyone time and money, additionally you’ll end up with something that you like and that works!

Keep an eye out for our next post: “How to Give Us a Great Design Brief” we’ll share some easy ways to get it right from the start.