How to respond to a creative brief

The quality of a creative brief can make or break your project. It’s obvious really, but you’d be surprised by how many bad briefs still find their way into creative departments.

Kit Altin, the woman who persuaded David Cameron to do a policy u-turn in six weeks, is on the roster of D&AD Masterclass leaders. Here, she has set an exercise to help you simplify a creative brief process in three easy steps, taken from her D&AD Masterclass, Briefing your creative team.

Grab yourself some pen and paper, and let’s get started on creative briefing.

1. Read all the information in your creative brief and think about what the really essential points are, what specific words communicate, and the key pieces of information that jump out. Pick them only. Keep breaking down the brief until you have just 16 words. Now write these words down.

2. Now that you have your 16 words, really think again about what the crucial points are. How many words could you shave and still communicate what the brief is asking? Could you get rid of eight words? Ok, do it. The brief in eight words.

3. You've got it down to the bare bones now, right? Not quite. Which could do without? Try cutting it down to just two words. Now, there's your brief. 

To learn how to tackle a creative brief with confidence, gain a range of tools to make your briefs a springboard for killer creative ideas, and to discover great creative brief examples, join Kit’s Masterclass Briefing your Creative Team.