A guide to the terms used within the briefing process
Art - Utilising various media, art reflects a form of self-expression by the artist. Art is the result of how the artist personally views the subject matter.
Company portfolio - The designed artefacts of an enterprise that combine to identify the organisation visually to target audiences.
Design - A visual problem-solving discipline. The visual manifestation of a stated business strategy of any enterprise. Design is not about the personal self-expression of the individual designer.
Design brief - A comprehensive written document for a design project developed in concert by a person representing the business need for design and the designer. The document is focused on the desired results of design - not aesthetics.
Design strategy - A process developed by designers to efficiently find a visual solution to a stated business need or problem.
Free pitching - The practice of clients asking for unpaid, speculative submissions from design studios in order to decide which studio to use. Since the studios cannot work closely with the client, there is a risk that any design solution they develop will be unavoidably superficial, and thus ineffective.
RFP - A request for proposal. Not the same as a design brief. An RFP, and the resulting proposal, are only the beginning points for development of a comprehensive design brief.
Stakeholders - All of the people who have some degree of accountability for the results of a design project.
Target audiences - The various people who are expected to view, and react to, a design solution.
Visual audit - A comprehensive visual analysis of the various artefacts of an enterprise. The purpose is to determine which visual elements are working well and which are working against the business objectives.