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Briefing the Designer for a branding

When you know something it's so easy to look at people who don't and say "But it's obvious!" - not to those who don't know it isn't.

This topic is one of those, easy when you know how.

Creativity is far from an exact science. Two plus two equals four, we can prove that. Blue and yellow make green in both Prime and CMYK (four colour print) terms, but which green? And what do they make in RGB (on screen colour)? Even colour doesn't mean the same to everyone.

Briefing the designer doesn't start with the designer, it starts with you. Now don't say "What do I need a designer for then?" The designer has his job and a very important one it is too. But you have to provide instructions - not 'how to do it' instructions but 'This is what I am trying to achieve' instructions - 'The Brief".

Let's assume you want to brief a professional, competant, qualified and experienced graphic designer to produce a new branding for your business. What might he want to know? If he knows what he's doing he might ask you questions, but how much better it would be and how much more efficient would the meeting be, if you had previously thought about and decided (within reason) on some basics:-

1. What is my new company all about? Is it a brand new idea requiring some web based innovative creative solution that grabs everyone's attention? It could be a traditional profession that needs to exude quality and trust so don't always assume all branding is out to grab attention for the sake of it.

2. Is there a range of colours that you think might be suitable to portray your image in the way that you feel about it? Colour swatch books for designers carry thousands of colours each suggesting a human mood or reaction. Think about your own thoughts before you start talking to a designer.

3. What do your competition have? What's good about it, what's bad? Is there anything you want the designer to avoid?

4. Do any of your competitors have brandings you admire? Why? Take examples.

5. Where will you be promoting your business? It is important to understand a branding 3 cms high on a business card will need modifications when it has to appear on the side of a van at 2.5 metres high. Line thicknesses, space shapes, viewing angles, distances, whether the logo will be seen mainly during the day, will the branding need to be made of vinyl on the van, painted on wood, illuminated plastic on the building, any other materials - they are the things you can let the designer sort out. You need to tell him where the branding will be used and let his creative skills and experience breathe and grow.

6. Will the branding be used with a slogan? If your designer handles copy then provide some ideas about the message you want to convey.

7. Typeface. If you have strong ideas, tell the designer at the first meeting, if you don't then let him get on with it, he knows about the best type to use to fit the letters of your business name together to ensure your brand is easily and quickly readable.

8. Is this branding superceding an existing one? What considerations do you feel are important? A link to show the company has grown and developed because you have a strong existing client base you don't want to lose? Or a total restart because you've lost most of your clients and you need to reinvent yourself?

9. Who are your audience? Probably the most important question you need to answer before you meet the designer. It is the number one question, it provides more creative ideas than any other briefing point.

10. A deadline, the number of ideas, a reasonable ongoing working schedule and of course a price!

Hopefully you will now begin to understand why the most important person in the 'ordering a new branding' scenario is YOU, not the designer. A seasoned creator will guide the unaware through the pitfalls but how much healthier will the first meeting be if you have become aware of your role. It's your business and you have been realistic enough to realise that all businesses need marketing and therefore all businesses need a professional designer. The best starting place is a branding - not a business card, not a website, not a leaflet - a branding. The research you do before you meet the designer is the best help you can give yourself - and the designer.

If you are looking to talk to a designer about any new project remember a first meeting with Alan Reading at CMR is free - 01622 820841

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Alan Reading has presented for Business Link, Enterprise Agencies, Chambers of Commerce, conferences and seminars for The British Hardware Federation, The Newspaper Society, the Association of Free Newspapers, training and marketing companies on starting, promoting and marketing business.

He is an award winning designer, has judged more than his fair share of design awards, hosted breakfasts, lunches, dinners, balls and networking events, compéred fashion shows, radio programmes and appeared on TV more than once, frequently on behalf of clients.

Alan is a business minded Designer (past President - and Chairman - of 3 Chambers in Kent) running his own business - Custom Marketing Resources (01622 820841) - since 1994. You will learn even more - and see what his customers say about him - on his website http://www.cmr-group.co.uk He is willing to provide free advice by phone too.

Register with CMR by email today - there's always something new to hear.

creative@cmr-group.co.uk

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