Creative Brief for Logo, web and business card design Objectives: In the broadest sense, what do you want to achieve with your site? Key Industry Issues: What are the issues relative lo the product, audience and marketplace that should effect creative development? Target: WHO are we trying to reach/talk to? Whom do we want to influence? WHY do these people buy or use your product/service? Explain the benefits you have to offer? Competition: HOW does your product/service compare to the competition's? Don't sell me, just tell the pros and cons. Current Beliefs: What do we believe this audience thinks, and how do we know this? Desired Beliefs: What would we like them to think? Action: What would we like them to do next? Strategy: What is the best selling strategy for this assignment? Key Selling Proposition: What's the one most persuasive and/or unique thing that can be said to the target? Support What is absolutely necessary to reinforce this? Personality: What kind of feeling do we want to leave someone with? Time - Traditional, contemporary, futuristic Space - Urban/Country, homelike/business, Texas/worldly Technology - high-tech or natural Authenticity - original or derivative Sophistication - refined/rustic, luxurious/pragmatic Scale - grand or small scale Complexity - minimal or ornamental Representational - realistic or abstract Movement - dynamic or solid Potency - loud/strong or soft/understated Compare your company to an animal. What animal would it be? Compare your company to a car. What kind of car is it? Are there any design essentials? Are there any specific colors or fonts or graphics that you would like to be used? Constraints/Caveats: Schedule: When is a realistic deadline for these 'solutions?' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEB PROJECT PROFILE When will the main point-of-contact be accessible during the project? Does this person have any vacation days or days off planned during the project? Will any third parties be involved? If so, please provide the same information for those individuals. Project Objectives 1. What are you trying to accomplish with this project? Describe the project objectives (training, marketing, entertainment, branding/identity reinforcement, improved access to information, direct sales, corporate communication, etc.). 2. What problem(s) is the project intended to solve? 3. What specific outcome-needs to occur for you to feel the project was successful? (Please give an itemized list.) How will you measure success? 4. What risks do you see involved with this project? Timeline and Budget 1. What is your timeline for this project? 2. What is driving your timeline? (i.e., tradeshow, presentation, etc.) 3. What is the budget for this project? Is there an acceptable budget range, depending on the level and comprehensiveness of services provided? Please explain. 4. On which of these are you most and least flexible: timeline, scope, budget ? Branding/Strategy 1. Will the project reinforce an existing branding or marketing strategy? How? 2. Discuss any identity/branding assets (logos, other artwork, and fonts) or issues. 3. How will this project integrate with existing or future materials? Audience 1. Who is your primary audience for this project? 2. What do people expect when coming to your site? 3. What are your goals for each type of visitor? 5. What are the products/services involved? 6. What are your goals for these products/services? Marketing 1. Do you have a business/marketing plan, and if so, how did you obtain the numbers in your business/marketing plan? Did another firm assist you in drafting the plan or did you draft it yourself? 2. What market research can you provide to give us insight into your competitors, target market, barriers to entry, etc.? Content 1. Where will the content for this project come from? 2. Will the content be new, repurposed, or both? 3. How often will you add new content? 4. Who will update the content? Functionality 1. What functional requirements do you feel necessary? (i.e., download areas, database-driven web pages, commerce, catalog, applications, etc.) 2. Who will update the functionality? 3. Are there extraordinary security issues? 4. Are there any other technical issues or limitations? 5. Have you budgeted for hosting and maintenance of the site? If so, what is your budget? 6. Who will maintain the site contents? 7. How will the site be served/hosted? 8. What is your long-term plan for the site? Design 1. What do you want this site to look like? List your ideas. 2. What is the look and feel that you would like to convey to users at your site? Why? 3. Describe the overall visual elements and styles desired. 4. Are there any specific vendors that you've already chosen to outsource your printing to? Site Comparisons Please list 1-3 websites you like for each of the following categories: 1. Colors, look-and-feel, user interface, and layout 2. Size of site 3. Publishing model (frequency, novelty of content, etc.) 4. Attracting new people to the site (newsworthiness, giveaways, impact, etc.) 5. Your competitors' sites 6. Quality of content 7. Quality of graphics 8. Functionality (things sites do for people) 9. Community, special features, responsiveness, other categories important to your project 10. Overall favorite sites (for whatever reasons) Technical Information 1. What type of computer do you and most people in your company use? What types of media do you have access to (CD ROM drive, Zip drive, etc.)? 2. What type of Internet service does your company have? Who is your provider? 3. What Internet browser do you use? 4. Do you have a web server? Is it internal or at an ISP? 5. Is your current website on this web server? If not, where is your current website hosted? 6. What Operating System is running on the server? ___ Windows NT ___ Unix ___ Linux ___ Solaris ___ AIX ___ Other 7. What web server software is running on the server? ___ US (what version? ___) ___ Apache ___ Other 8. What scripting language is enabled on the server? ___ ASP ___ PHP ___ Other 9. If applicable to this project, what database software is running on the server? ___ Sequel Server ___ Oracle ___ Other 10. What sort of access will we have to the server? Will we have FTP access to the actual server? Will we just have access to a staging server? 11. What is the minimum connection speed for viewing the site (i.e., 56K modem, Tl)? 17. If you would like to maintain the website in-house after completion, does your company have the tools and knowledge to do this?