Creative brief template

A blank brief document often comes back half filled in.

This creative brief is six questions your client answers out loud, and SendMyVoice turns each answer into audio and text.

Free plan, no account to answer.

Creative brief

Six questions for the brief. Talk it through as you would on a call, there are no wrong answers.

A working demo. Recordings stay in your browser and nothing is sent.

The questions

  1. 1

    What is this project for, and what should it change?

    One goal. If you get three, ask which one wins.

  2. 2

    Who needs to see it, and what do they think today?

    The audience and their current opinion. The gap between the two is what the work has to close.

  3. 3

    If people remember one thing, what should it be?

    The single message. A long answer here means the brief isn't settled yet.

  4. 4

    How should it feel? Name a brand or an ad you like.

    Tone is hard to write down and easy to say. A reference beats a list of adjectives.

  5. 5

    What has to be in it, and what's off limits?

    Logos, legal lines, colours, words they never use.

  6. 6

    When do you need it, and who signs it off?

    A date and a name.

On the free plan, use 1, 3 and 6. All six need Pro. The questions work in any form tool too.

Example answers

ML

Maria Lopez

Answered today at 10:42

  1. 1. What is this project for, and what should it change?

    0:47

    It's for our new morning class. We want people who train with us in the evening to try mornings.

  2. 2. Who needs to see it, and what do they think today?

    1:02

    Members who come after work. Most of them think a 6:30am class is for serious athletes.

  3. 3. If people remember one thing, what should it be?

    0:19

    The morning class is 30 minutes and anyone can do it.

  4. 4. How should it feel? Name a brand or an ad you like.

    0:55

    Calm, not shouty. More like the Headspace ads than the usual gym poster.

  5. 5. What has to be in it, and what's off limits?

    0:33

    The logo and the class time. No before-and-after photos, ever.

  6. 6. When do you need it, and who signs it off?

    0:14

    By the 1st of next month. I sign it off.

The reasons behind the brief
A written brief drops the reasons behind each choice. A spoken answer keeps them, with the transcript under each question.
The client's voice for the whole team
SendMyVoice keeps the recording next to the text, so the designer hears the brief instead of reading a summary of it.
Into Google Docs
A brief retyped into a document loses the client's wording. On Pro, SendMyVoice sends the answers to a Google Doc.

Questions

What goes in a creative brief?

The goal, the audience, the key message, the tone, the must-haves and the deadline. These six questions ask for each.

What's the difference between a creative brief and a project brief?

A creative brief covers the message and how the work should feel. A project brief covers scope, budget, timeline and who does what.

Can I use this as a design brief?

Yes. Change question 3 to "What should the design make people do?" and keep the rest.

Do I need Pro?

The free plan allows 3 questions per voice form. All six need Pro, at $6 a month.

More templates

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  1. 1What does your business do, and who is it for?
  2. 2What made you look for help now?
  3. 3What would a good result look like in three months?
  4. 4What have you tried already, and what happened?
  5. 5Who else has a say, and what budget do you have in mind?

Testimonial form

A written testimonial request often gets one polite line back.

4 questions, answered by voice

  1. 1What was going on before you worked with us?
  2. 2Why did you pick us over the other options?
  3. 3What changed afterwards? Give an example.
  4. 4Can we use your name and this recording on our website?

Feedback form

A rating scale gives you a score without the reason behind it.

3 questions, answered by voice

  1. 1What worked well?
  2. 2What was slow, confusing or annoying?
  3. 3If we changed one thing first, what should it be?

Get a brief you can work from

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