How To: Write Creative Briefs

I’m not going to lie; it took me close to 40 minutes to watch a 26-minute video. Not because I was bored or distracted, but because I stopped it so often to write down quotes and ideas I had while watching. The documentary “Briefly” embodied the philosophies of its stars – it was short, to the point, and thought provoking. If you thought that a short film on briefs sounds boring, I am here to prove you wrong.

“Briefs are thought starters.”

I believe that the above quote summarizes the documentary perfectly. The film provided me with copious amounts of advice from not just strategist and planners at top advertising agencies in the country, but from illustrators and architects as well. This advice coupled with case studies inspired me. The word “inspiring” may sound dramatic, but the documentary did just that – it made me realize that with creativity, the opportunities are endless.

“Make s**t happen.”

Excuse my language, but this happens to be one of my favorite quotes from “Briefly.” I admit, I took this line out of context; but the sentiment stands. A brief should provide readers with simple and realistic insights that motivate them to create. John Boiler, the founder of 72andSunny and the owner of the profound quote above, believed that a creative brief should be both “audacious and seemingly impossible.” If a brief portrays these two qualities, it will force readers to think outside of the norm and design an idea that delivers results.

“A brief [should have] limitations and an invitation.”

It is important to remember that a brief shouldn’t be perplexing for the sake of being different. David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group explained how important it is to place restrictions in a brief in order to give the project guidance.

“[A brief] starts with why, and keeps ‘why-ing’ the hell out of you endlessly. That’s creativity.” – Frank Gehry