1. What has changed in the business?
Describe the trigger. You might be entering a new market, introducing a premium product, bringing disconnected services together or discovering that customers misunderstand what you sell. Each calls for different work.
Separate the immediate trigger from the larger ambition. A launch deadline may require a focused set of assets now and a broader brand system later. This gives the project a sensible first stage.
2. Who needs to understand something differently?
Choose the audience whose decision matters most for this project. Write down what they already believe, what they need to know and what might prevent them from acting. Use actual questions from customers and the sales team where possible.
“Everyone” is difficult to design for. A primary audience creates a basis for decisions while leaving room for supporting messages elsewhere.
3. What should they be able to repeat?
Describe the offer in one sentence using familiar language. Then name the evidence that makes the promise credible: a process, a product characteristic, relevant experience or a documented result.
Look at the places a customer encounters that message: packaging, website, sales presentation, social content and follow-up email. Identify where the story changes unintentionally.
4. What action should the creative support?
Choose a concrete next step: request a sample, inquire about a project, visit a venue, book a demonstration or place an order. The action helps determine what content and assets the audience needs.
A campaign, a brand identity and a website have related but different jobs. Specify the deliverables needed for this stage and which existing assets can continue to serve the business.
5. How will decisions and results be reviewed?
Name the person who approves the work, the people who need to contribute and the constraints that cannot change. Agree on review dates and the criteria for feedback.
Assess a concept against the audience, the message and the intended action. “I prefer blue” can begin a conversation about taste; “this audience cannot read the product name at shelf distance” identifies a problem the design can solve. Record what you learn after launch and bring it into the next stage.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
A little structure helps.
Use this plain-text worksheet with your team, or bring it to a project conversation.
Download the creative project brief ↓Free download · editable text file · no signup
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