Briefs or boxing gloves

Everybody knows there are two types of men — the briefs guys and the boxers guys. (Of course now there are boxer-briefs, for those who aren’t into commitment, I suppose, but lets just keep this simple.) Me, I’m a briefs guy. No, I’m not talking about underwear. I’m talking about getting your project goals on the record and getting everybody on the same page. How many of you start every project with a written brief — a concise summary of the scope, communicative goals, and strategic objectives of the project or campaign — and share it with everyone involved?

The benefits of a well-written brief are twofold: First, it gives you a touchstone against which to measure every choice you make in the course of writing, editing, design and production, and to evaluate the results of those choices. Second, it keeps everyone’s expectations firmly grounded in reality. It’s a great tool for avoiding fisticuffs with your client when, later, it becomes clear that you’ve both been approaching the project from very different perspectives.

What constitutes a good brief? Well, (1) it should cover all the bases discussed in the initial meeting(s) and (2) it should be — what else? — brief. So in a page or (hopefully) less, you might want to include a one-sentence description of the project, a quick overview of the qualitative data on which your solution will be based, the intended audience, the budget and the timetable, if not the particulars of the production schedule. Designate someone on your team to write and distribute a brief, as soon after the initial meeting as possible. Invite questions, comments and challenges from your clients. If there are any discrepancies between your understanding of the job and theirs, this is the best time to find out. Then keep it handy as a reference document while you work on the job.

It beats putting on boxing gloves.