How to create a brief

At Image Website Design, we pride ourselves on the help and advice we offer our clients. We are on hand from the very beginning to get your project off to a flying start, but it is still important for you to create a brief pinpointing exactly what it is you want the project to achieve. Making decisions will be quicker and easier with a brief in place, and you will feel in control and fully involved from the word go. If you've never written a brief before, it can sound more daunting than it really is.

Here are a few key points to get you started:

• Look at other companies' promotional material, particularly businesses within your own field, and jot down what elements you like about them, and what you don't like. This could be the elegance of their logo, the atmosphere created by their brochure, or the impact of their website.
• Consider what the principal aim of the project will be - is it to generate sales, create brand awareness, or simply to give information to existing and potential clients?
• Give a detailed profile of your company - describe your products or services, your target market, the image or style you aim to portray, what sets you apart from other companies in the same field, and who your competitors are.

Corporate Identity:

• Your company's logo is the most important aspect of your identity and communication, as it creates a first impression for customers. Spend some time considering the values that your company represents, as this is what your logo should reflect.
• Consider your target customer. Who is your current market? What future markets do you want to reach? This will have a significant bearing on the image you portray, helping you decide on a classic look or a more contemporary feel.
• Again, consider your competitors. Provide some examples, both good and bad!
• Be aware of the implications of Trade Mark & Copyright infringement - check out whether your company branding could contravene names already in use by other companies. There are various places you can check on Trade Marks & Company names, but the following link should make a good starting point www.anewbusiness.co.uk

Websites:

• You will need a basic idea of what you want the website to incorporate - company info, product listings, a news section, the ability for customers to buy products direct from the site?
  Roughly how many pages do you imagine the website will need?
• Do you already have a company brochure?
  If so, then do you want to use this as the basis for the website?
  If you haven't yet produced a brochure to advertise your business then think of a website as being an online brochure - put your thoughts down onto paper for what you would expect to see if you were a customer picking up a brochure for YOUR Business.
• What type of website are you looking for? When we create your website we can make it look simple & elegant, or highly coloured & jazzy - or virtually any style to suit your requirements. Look around at different websites (perhaps use our portfolio page to start with) until you have an idea what impression you wish your website to generate. Make a note of a few websites with styles which you like, so we can understand what you would like your website to look like.
• Decide how many principal page headings you will need e.g. Home Page, Portfolio, Products, About us, Contact us, etc. These will become the navigation bar on the website.
  
• YOU know your business better than anyone else! & for this reason YOU are the best person to write the first draft for the content of the website.
  Try to put in all the content that you would like to see on the website.
  Don't worry if you feel your marketing skills and copywriting aren't perfect - we will take your draft version and add these skills when we convert it to a webpage.
• Decide what types of images and photos you want to see on the website.
  You will be surprised at how photogenic your business is!  Remember that people who look at your website will be interested in learning about YOU, and YOUR business.
  Do you already have photos which you've taken? Do you have suppliers who's photos you could use? Can you think of parts of your business which would look good as a photo on the website? If you have a camera (preferably digital) you could take some photos, or ask us and we can take some photos for you.
  Sometimes you may want some generic pictures - let us know & we might be able to assist by using our access to huge libraries of photographs.
  
• Then look at what other services you might need us to provide - depending on what you want the website to do, you may require ecommerce, photography, copywriting, animation or even sound, or additional graphic design (for a new logo, for example).
• Remember that it's YOUR website - YOU know what you want it to portray - YOU know what you want it to say.
  You need to pass this information across to us, so we can transform it into a professional website.
  The more involved you are with the initial stages of producing a thorough draft, and a comprehensive brief, then the more likely that the final website will portray your thoughts, your ideas, and your business.
  It sounds involved, but once you've started it will all flow together - and there's no time like the present to make a start !
  And remember, if you are unsure and need some help then we are only a phonecall away - give us a call.
  

Timescales:

W can create a website in a very short period - in some cases less than a week!
However the following is the pattern that we would usually expect to follow.

• End of week 1: Client confirms the domain name that they want to use.
• End of week 2: Client confirms basic design features - colours, fonts, logos
• End of week 3: Client provides an overview of website content (page headings, basic draft of each page)
• End of week 4: Client completes their draft of website content & provides any pictures
• End of week 5: Image Website Design completes first draft of website design
• End of week 6: Image Website Design completes final version of website

This isn't a "hard & fast" schedule, but gives an indication of the progress that is usually encountered. You will see that the process is interactive between both the client & Image Website Design, and it is important that you (the client) devote your time to ensure smooth progress of the website development.
Here at Image Website Design we are happy to assist you throughout the process & will help you with website content, pictures, logos, etc. - please don't be afraid to ask!

Design for print:

• At Image Website Design we create websites for use on the internet. However we are aware that some of our clients have needs for printed material, and we can help to create stationery & other marketing aids.
• With any advertising material, from company stationery to a brochure, it is vital to think about the content and the aim of the publication. Whether you are looking for increased brand awareness or are planning an aggressive sales campaign, we can generate a wide range of solutions to suit the project.
  
• Consider the practical details. Is it to be mainly a colour production such as a brochure, or is it, in the case of advertising, to appear within black and white publications such as newspapers? How is the item to be supplied after production - is posting weight an issue?

Budget:

• Setting out your budget and timescale at this stage is vital - even if you can be flexible, it is important to have at least a rough guideline.

A brief can be as detailed as you like, or it can be a fairly simple document, incorporating just the key factors. You may find that you change your mind about some elements, but you will be confident that you have considered all the vital aspects of the project. But please, don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you are unsure about any part of the process of creating a brief; we will be very happy to answer any questions you may have.

Your brief will be the beginning of an exciting dialogue between Image Website Design and your company - it will enable us to understand your expectations, so that we can begin immediately to deliver the results you want.

We have provided this information to help you formulate your initial thoughts about website content. The list isn't exhaustive, and in designing your website Image Website Design will help you to use the correct and appropriate content.