I immediately tell people to STOP and think before I mention the words “project brief” or “design brief” as this can be scary as it involves writing and some dedicated time.  Stopping and thinking for a few minutes can save everyone a lot of wasted time and heartache. Once you have thought about things, then think about reality and consider what the project will, in all honesty, cost in terms of services, products, skills, time, and effort.

This does not mean that you can put a website on line for 200 dollars and expect it to be a thriving multi-million dollar business in 2 weeks.  Get real.

Now lets say it together.

Get REAL!

I don’t blame  people thinking this with all the insane stories floating around about startups from their garages turning into billion dollar companies but it only happens once in a life time, to one person, and in your lifetime, its already happened to Google, so get over it.

Right, now thats out of the way lets look at how we can address the issue of a project brief, from the top and what we should consider.

Photo Credit: Poportis

How To Write An Effective Design Brief

A design brief is a written explanation – outlining the aims, objectives and stages of a design project.

A thorough and articulate design brief is a critical part of the design process. It helps develop trust and understanding between the client and designer – and serves as an essential point of reference in order that all parties may understand these objectives and a more accurate and realistic time frame, deployment schedule and quote can be generated.

Above all, the design brief ensures that important design issues are considered and questioned before the designer starts work.

Below is a guide as to what any design brief should possibly incorporate..

Describe your Company

Start your project brief with a short, honest synopsis of your organisation or company.

Don’t take this information for granted, and don’t assume that other people will necessarily know anything about your industry sector.

Tell yourself:

• What your organisation does.
• How long you have been established and how many staff you employ.
• What your desired niche/target market is.
• How you fit in to your industry sector.

Describe your Aims

Good ideas can have a huge influence on the success of a company’s marketing strategy – but in order for success to be ensured, clear goals must be set so set these goals in stone by writing them out.

For example, do you want to:

• Generate sales?
• Encourage enquiries?
• Gain newsletter subscribers?
• Obtain information from your audience?
• Encourage them to tell a friend?

If your aims and objectives are not this clear, then your design brief has already achieved another purpose… One of most rewarding parts of actually sitting down and writing a project brief is that it helps to clarify your thoughts and can indirectly help to find flaws in what you initially thought was a solid idea.

Who will buy your Product or Service

Detail your primary, secondary and tertiary audiences. Explain if you are looking to consolidate your existing client-base or appeal to new markets.

Detail any demographic figures about your audience that may be useful to the designer. These may include:

• Age
• Sex
• Income
• Occupation
• Location

Mind your Language and stick to the points

Currently we only accept project briefs in English so check how it should or could be accepted (that goes for the bank as well when you aim for your loan or your VC funding).

Due to the variety of different languages both our employees, our associates, our affiliates and indeed our clients speak, it is not constructive to focus on producing briefs in another or in a variety of languages so English is used as the “universal” language of the internet.

In regards to the way the brief is detailed, whilst you should write in clear, concise way – there is no reason why you cannot use emotive language to emphasise exactly what you are trying to achieve.

Stick to the facts, and do not attempt to make the brief contain flowery language or adopt terms that you are not 100% familiar with, try to stay away from jargon or industry specific terms in the initial stages unless otherwise unavoidable.

Examine the Competition or give Examples

Providing examples of what you consider to be effective or relevant design can be a great help in writing a design brief.

Make sure to include samples of your company’s current marketing materials – even if their only purpose is to explain what you don’t want from your new marketing materials!

If there is a design style that you particularly like or dislike – then explain why in the brief. If you’re not entirely sure why you like a certain design style, then good starting points include:

• Colour
• Imagery
• Quantity and quality of text
• Typography
• The atmosphere that particular designs create

Don’t feel that you have stick to the medium that you are designing for when giving a list of inspiration and influences. If a television advert or music video creates the atmosphere that you want your project to create, then that is a perfectly reasonable statement to make in a design brief.

The more clues you give about your design tastes, the more likely the project will be able to deliver close to your aims. Expecting others to second-guess what you require rarely if ever produces the best results.

Budget, Budget, Budget – Establish one or forget it

Even if you can only provide a ball-park figure, a budget expectation will give the project a more realistic feel and a good idea of the type of solution that will  be provided.

It has been our experience that clients will refrain from stating a budget as a certain amount of trepidation is inherent as these projects are not easily quantifiable, hence prices can range from the incredibly low to the the extraordinarily high.

A ball-park figure allows us all to set the parameters within which we which to work and indeed allows us to recommend specific solutions and you can then expect feasible results with the price range.

Not establishing a budget can have dire consequences and we ask potential clients to seriously consider budgets at the very initial stages of any project. That means you!

Remember that when providing solutions to any given issue there can be multiple options associated with it. these themselves will vary in price and if you want the best solutions in the most efficient time then you have to establish guidelines on the budget allocated to that particular issue otherwise you end up with 100 options and are no closer to making a decision.

Budgets help allocate funds to specifics but they are also the starting point for the whole project and allow the funds to be spread to the areas seen as requiring more focus. Depending on the project described in your brief this will never ever be the same on two occasions.

And that about wraps it up.

This may not seem like alot of work in the list above but believe me, once you start asking more questions and thinking about ways and means of developing, more and more questions will present themselves.  Take it seriously and focus on it with the project brief and everyone will benefit and indeed succeed.  Otherwise, its all just wishes and dreams, and they don’t put food on the table.

One serious issue I always have is establishing a website budget with new clients.  Its usually in the first questions I ask after:

“What is your business”

“What is the present situation”

“What are your aims?”

“What is your budget?”

I have mentioned the importance of budgets in a previous article, although this was in relation to Search Engine Optimisation specifically. As soon as I ask this question the barriers and defences immediately rise up as they enter uncharted territory and I can almost guarantee the response is going to be along the lines of:

“Well you tell me what its going to cost to build a website?”

Now, don’t get me wrong here, I have no real issue with this question, its certainly not out of order as the largest issue confronting people or business who are addressing their online presence is that their is no real or established “price range” for anything related to websites. (I’m using the word websites to cover anything online at the moment, from hosting to SEO, to databases systems, anything you can think of really.)

But I do get annoyed when people who need to take this seriously waste my time with ridiculous notions of spending a s little as possible and then expect it to make them millions overnight because they haven’t taken their budget seriously.  Worse still is the people who agree to a project then question the services and works provided after having them clearly defined.

But EVEN more than that are the people who come with a budget so ridiculous and then haggle over its value by citing the amazing opportunities the project will provide in the long run in an effort to push through an agreement on cost and project spec.  I will not tell you what I say to these people as I might get sued but its along the lines of “Get real” with a few explicative phrases thrown in for good measure..

So much so that this video from NO SPEC! brought a smile to my face as its the perfect example of situations I have come across personally over the years.

The Result of unrealistic budgets

How would you react if someone treated you and your business in the same way as the people in the clip. Making crazy assumptions and expecting work done on a pro bono basis or with the promise of future payment? Not very nice is it? Asking to see the work then decide if they wish to pay for it later depending on someone else’s opinion?

That’s not the way the world works and its not the way web design operates.

The relationship with business and web design companies needs to be solid and both parties have to work together to reach the required goal. This means respect for the individuals involved and the work involved. People need to realise that its not easy simple stuff.  Its a skill that has taken time to master and takes dedication and practice to develop.

Its not some kid whos doing a computer course at college and will do the site for pocket money.

Remember we are talking about YOUR business presence online and its how you will be branded and represented to eah and every visitor.  So lets take it seriously.

So why is budget so important?

Lets clear this up shall we.  Websites can be simple or they can be vast.  Hence to cost a website can be very difficult and the prices will range in comparison. Designers and developers will all offer a range of options and solutions to any particular project depending on requirements, their skills, experience, and the goals of any given brief.  The only consistent factor that can possibly dictate the extent of the project is the allocated budget assigned to it. Its that simple.

I have continually advised clients, upon establishing that they have no set budget, to do so and explained the reasons why. Lets say they need something relatively simple,  a 5 page website with a database to display products and a contact form.

How to Cost a Website

If a client was to approach three different companies for quotes on this project they would get back three different solutions and three different prices.  They might be roughly similar in cost but the differences are proportionate.

Company 1 will cost a website at €1000

Company 2 will cost a website at €1500

Company 3 will cost a website at €2000

That’s a difference of €1000 between companies 1 and 3, or double the price (imagine the difference with one extra zero on the end of those figures).

All three companies will offer different hosting packages, email solutions, design fees, database creation, CMS solutions etc.  This ultimately leaves the client completely confused because of the techno-jargon involved and no real idea which one of these quotes actually gives the best VALUE.

This is the key essentially, its about the BEST VALUE.

Establish the budget and then ask the question.

Now lets consider approaching all three companies with the budget set. Your budget is €1800.

The question is then “What services and solutions can you provide for me at this maximum budget?”

All three companies can evaluate the solutions in a more realistic manner as they have a set amount to adhere to and a limit on what solutions they can offer to achieve the desired result.

This also means that a comparison between services is a lot simpler and more concise to the client as the bids will be evaluated for the best value.

Its not the perfect solution I know, but it helps everyone in the long run and leads to a more constructive working relationship once the decision has been made an expectations and requirements have been addressed against the budget.

I will Submit your Site to 1 BILLION Search Engines for 5 dollars!
It will make you millions and get you loads of visitors in minutes!
Do NOT Delay – one off payment ONLY €49

This technique is so old I don’t even know why I have mentioned it, maybe because you still see it used (unbelievably).

Save your money and go have a good party, buy the girlfriend a present (definatley much more value there) or just give it to charity.

You do not need to submit your site to a search engine.

(at least not the ones that matter)

You CAN if you wish, but even then once is enough and only to Google it is more than enough.  A link from a site already established or a good press release to a popular article website will also allow the search engines to detect you. You will be detected and picked up, sooner or later.

Don’t waste your money on services offering this, its pointless, and frankly makes me feckin angry when I see it and see people paying for it.

Here, submit your site now, it takes 3 seconds:

Submit your site to Google

But dont just take my word for it:

References:
http://www.seobook.com/best-search-engine-submission-programs
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/ridding-the-world-of-search-engine-submission

It was with a little trepidation I downloaded this PDF and began to read as I wasn’t sure what surprises where in store for me. 20 minutes later and with a sigh of relief, I’m happy to say, I have been completely spot on in the advice I give and follow myself in regards the creation, development and discipline according to Google for good SEO practices.

I will be following on with this handbook to my clients as its simple, straight forward and to the point with little technical jargon so making it a valuable document to pass to clients and potential clients alike. The most important point being that its straight from the horses mouth and no one will be able to argue with that!

Heres the official post from Google Webmaster Central Blog and the PDf of the Official Google SEO handbook is right here.

Make my logo bigger… ARGHHHHHhh!!

Add this add that change this change that, sometimes you wonder why you bother. If you dont know what I mean then watch the video below. If you still dont know what I mean then really your beyond help anyway.

Enjoy.

1) Always be available for business:
You don’t have to turn customers away when its closing time. A website can make any business 365-24-7. Which is better, leaving a note or voice mail saying your closed, ultimately sending them elsewhere, or letting them know they can find the information they need, or even make a purchase through your website. There is NO other medium that is always available, interactive, and this affordable.

2) Save money on materials:
You can lower your printed material costs by making them available on a website. This not only benefits you with reduced printing and mailing costs, but your website visitor as well, now having instant access to your material anytime they need it. Other traditional materials can be handled online as well, such as job applications, contracts, training materials and much more!

3) Improves customer relations and perceptions:
Customers today expect an established business to have a professional website. Saying you don’t have one “yet”, isn’t a good signal to send. Beyond that, a website can provide news or details about your business, and special offers to its visitors, strengthening your name recognition and most of all your credibility. A website provides the unique opportunity to tell potential customers what you are about and why you deserve not only their trust and confidence, but their business.

4) Provide convenience to customers and prospects:
A website can provide clients contact information, a source for feedback, complaint resolution, and even handle billing transactions. Making things convenient isn’t only important to keeping customers happy, prospects need convenient access to information as well.

An ever increasing number of shoppers use the internet for pre-purchase research. The most convenient way to do this is searching for products or services online of course. If your not there, you may be seriously missing out. How will they decide between you and your competitors.

5) Market expansion, and diversify revenue sources:
A website serves as a great place to refer potential investors. Growing your business yourself? The unique advantages of the internet has allowed businesses to break geographical barriers. Your business can go from local to reaching more people in your area, to nation wide, or even virtually any country in the world by potential customer with Internet access. You could also provide online only products and services, or sell ads on your site, or share your expert knowledge to diversify your revenue in addition to your traditional offline business.

HOWEVER…

…sometimes I wonder if clients appreciate the fine line they walk when they try and influence the design of a web site rather than leaving it in the capable hands of the web designer… namely us.

I will now be referring people to this website as the finest example of work that we at 123 Marbella DO NOT DELIVER. If nothing else many of our clients will breath a sigh of relief that their website looks the way it looks today, even if it may be a few years old.

So without further delay, hold onto your hats, and grit your teeth, for the best example of the worst website design I have seen in a LONG time. (That being said the site is actually very interesting in the respect that it explains the reasons that things are NOT done.)

oh god, here goes:

WORST WEBSITE DESIGN

PS: If you have speakers, you may want to turn them of, rip them out and bin them… and also don’t blame me if this destroys any faith you have in mankind… I´m on the edge personally.

But, being a glutton for punishment I decided to give it a go by considering the two main points of views when looking at what we will call “good” web design.

Web Design for the Designer
Form follows function or function follows form. Designers are each and every one a completely unique entity when considering web site design. what’s good, what’s bad, what’s the trend, what’s the style and the fashion and what should the fashion be are all hotly contested debates on many serious web design forums. But considering what is good design for the designer? In a nutshell I think its something a designer can be proud of.

Web Design for the Client
We have all been in the situation where the client plays designer when we know in our heart of hearts that they really should leave it alone… but they are the client. So what’s good design for them? The answer may be “god only knows” but I think the real answer is exactly the same as the designers. Give them something they can be proud of.

ok ok its easy to say “give them something they can be proud of” but how do you reach that wonderful point? Well this is where it all boils down to the designer and their skill at adapting and developing a design solution. Given a situation that is not enviable I think a solid designer will be able to come up with a solution that satisfies both the client and themselves and with that solution they can still be proud of the work they have achieved. If the designer cannot or does not then the design, in my opinion, has already failed.

A brief is submitted, understood (even if its bureaucratically insane as in the example from this video) and the perfect solution is created… and then the “client” gets involved in the process and trys to become the designer.

Enjoy this video because if design is your profession then you will most certainly encounter occasions such as this. The hard part, I find, is convincing clients that less is more in most cases and that clutter and changes to what is a perfectly good concept or design take it away from what its ment to achieve or whatever message is to be conveyed.

Dont let clients walk over you as is the case here, the suggestions become petty and dont actually add up to achieveing any goal, put the foot down and tell them YOUR opinion as you are the professional at the end of the day.