Viewpoint
Better briefing
An inspiring design brief is key to creating effective experiences. Design agency 2LK’s
Managing Director Dan Mason explores what needs to happen to get the brief right
ver the last 25 years, my
agency has heard a few
interesting analogies to
describe a great design
brief. A treasure map that tells you
where to dig. An ingredients card for
stir-fry cooking. Charming as these
are, they always reach the same
conclusion – the brief should provide
direction, guidance and an end goal.
First up, let’s remind ourselves why
a brief is needed at all. According
to the Design Council, ‘design’ is
described as, “The application of
user insight and data to generate
radical innovations that change
perceptions and behaviours, rather
than accommodating them.” Plenty
of moving parts in that statement, but
how does it support the importance of
the brief?
For any agency founded on
creating effective experiences, the
brief is an indispensable document,
critical to a project’s ultimate success.
It’s a shared tool for client and agency,
used to filter all decisions and ensure
the work meets its objectives.
Setting defined and focused
objectives is essential from the
get-go. For example, a redesigned
entrance area at London’s Science
Museum had a very simple aim – to
increase visitor donations. The new
design definitely fulfilled that, with
donations increasing by 80% in the
six-month period immediately after
the installation.
For Intel at CES in Las Vegas a
couple of years ago, the primary
objective was to increase visitor
traffic. Cue the creation of an
immersive, award-winning
experience that attracted over 80% of
all CES attendees, smashing previous
records.
To craft an inspirational brief,
stakeholder collaboration is also key.
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
It’s important to recognise your own
‘superpower’, such as insight, design,
technology or production, whilst
acknowledging your weaknesses.
Legendary American ad man Bill
Bernbach understood the power of
the collaborative process, as well as
the strengths and weaknesses on
both sides. He even included it in his
agency’s contract with Avis car rental
back in the 1960s: “Avis will never
know as much about advertising as
DDB. DDB will never know as much
about the rent-a-car business as Avis.”
The contract also said, “The client will
approve or not approve, but will not
attempt to improve a design.”
A Honda project at my agency also
demonstrated this. Upon winning
the work, the first kick-off meeting
feedback resulted in virtually no
change to the original pitched design,
with Honda even stating: “We’re
not the booth designer, you are”. It
was testament to the trust they had
in their brand experience partner
Above:
Dan Mason,
2LK’s
Managing
Director
“The brief
is an
indispensible
document,
critical to
a project’s
ultimate
success. It’s
a shared tool
for client and
agency, used
to filter all
decisions.”
and the recognition of combined
superpowers.
I often talk about ‘The peak of
influence’. The key point in the design
process when the agreed brief makes
the biggest positive impact, it should
come very early on in any project.
As the project lifecycle evolves,
influencing the design process in a
positive way reduces. This results in
what I call ‘the peak of chaos’ – when
there are too many points of view,
too late in the day. It’s where nerves
become shredded and budgets are
decimated.
So, you must have clear objectives
when forming your brief. You need to
define the roles and responsibilities
of everyone involved in the project.
And you must ensure that everyone
is aligned at the beginning of the
design process, not chaotically
coming together at the end. Get these
elements in place and you’re on
your way to a really effective brand
experience.
Issue 5 2019
63