In the fast-paced world of creative agencies, there’s a silent killer lurking in shared drives and inboxes everywhere. It creeps into projects undetected, sabotages timelines and leaves frustrated teams wondering where it all went wrong.
We’re talking, of course, about the bad brief.
In this article, we’ll be guiding you through how to create a thorough brief:
- Understanding why a brief matters
- The work begins before the brief
- Briefing red flags
- How to take a brief from good to great
- How to build a great brief – Download our free briefing template
At The Principality, we’ve seen our fair share of brief disasters. The copy-and-pasted client emails. The vague “make it pop” directions. The folder links containing 200 unnamed images and the helpful instruction to “use the good ones.”
At the same time, we’ve also witnessed the transformative power of truly excellent briefs—the kind that inspire rather than confuse, that provide direction without stifling creativity, and that transform client requirements into strategic opportunities.
Why briefs matter more than you think
Let’s be honest: writing briefs isn’t the glamorous part of agency life. Nobody wins awards for “Best Brief of 2025” (though perhaps they should). But here’s the truth that 15+ years in this industry has taught us:
The quality of your brief directly determines the quality of your output.
It’s the classic “rubbish in, rubbish out” principle. A muddled, incomplete brief inevitably leads to:
- Endless rounds of revisions
- Missed deadlines and rushed work
- Budget overruns from unexpected scope changes
- Frustrated creatives who feel set up to fail
- Disappointed clients wondering why you “didn’t get it”
Conversely, a world-class brief creates the foundation for exceptional work. It’s not just an administrative task—it’s the first strategic deliverable of any project.
The anatomy of a world-class brief
So what makes a truly excellent brief? It’s not just about filling in a template (though we’ll talk about that later). It’s about creating a document that serves as both compass and map for your creative team.
Clear objectives with strategic context
A brief shouldn’t just say what needs to be done, but also why it matters. Your production team needs to understand:
- The business objective behind the request
- How this fits into the broader marketing strategy
- What success looks like (in measurable terms)
- Who the target audience is and what motivates them
For example, compare these two approaches:
❌ “Client wants a new homepage banner about their sustainability initiative.”
✅ “Client is launching a sustainability initiative to differentiate from competitors and appeal to their increasingly eco-conscious customer base. The homepage banner is the first touchpoint in a campaign designed to reposition their brand. Success means a 15% increase in time spent on their sustainability pages.”
One is a task. The other is a strategic opportunity.
Technical specificity that eliminates guesswork
There’s nothing more frustrating for designers and developers than playing a guessing game with technical requirements. World-class briefs provide:
- Exact dimensions and formats required
- Platform-specific information and constraints
- Direct links to specific assets (not folder dumps)
- Complete copy or clear ownership of copy creation
We once received a brief asking for “social media images” with no platforms specified, no dimensions provided and no indication of whether they needed to be animated or static. Three rounds of revisions later, we discovered the client actually wanted TikTok-optimised vertical videos. That’s three rounds too many.
Context that inspires
Great briefs don’t just prevent mistakes—they actively inspire great work. This means including:
- Relevant references and examples
- Brand guidelines and parameters
- Competitive context
- Previous work that succeeded (or failed)
One of our designers said it best: “A good brief is like good lighting: it helps me see clearly what I’m supposed to be creating.”
Download our FREE briefing template now
The brief before the brief: strategic questioning
Here’s where the magic really happens. The secret to a great brief isn’t in the writing. It’s in the questioning that happens before you even open that template.
Strategic inquiry
The questions you ask clients directly impact brief quality. Instead of accepting surface-level requests, dig deeper with questions like:
- “What business problem is this solving?”
- “How does this connect to your broader marketing strategy?”
- “What does success look like for this specific deliverable?”
- “What has worked or failed in previous similar initiatives?”
Gathering technical requirements
Don’t wait for your design team to ask the technical questions. Be proactive with:
- “Where exactly will this content appear?”
- “What dimensions/formats/resolutions are needed?”
- “Are there any technical constraints we should be aware of?”
- “Who will be implementing this on your end?”
Setting expectations
Great brief-writers are also expectation managers. Before finalising any brief, clarify:
- Realistic timelines based on scope
- Approval processes and stakeholders
- Milestone check-ins
- Change management procedures
The 5-minute production huddle that saves hours
Here’s a brief-writing hack that has transformed our process: the 5-minute production huddle.
Before finalising your brief, grab the designer, developer or copywriter who’ll be working on the project. Spend five minutes walking them through the client request and ask, “What else would you need to know to nail this?”
This tiny investment of time consistently prevents hours of back-and-forth later. It’s also a powerful learning tool; over time, you’ll start to anticipate what production teams need and include it automatically.
Brief disasters: red flags to watch for
How do you know if your brief needs work? Watch for these warning signs:
The question avalanche
If your production team comes back with more questions than a toddler who just discovered the word “why,” your brief has gaps. One or two clarification questions are normal. A dozen questions means you’ve essentially outsourced your brief-writing to your design team.
The client brief copy-paste
Client briefs are written for account managers, not production teams. They often lack technical specifics, use client-specific terminology and focus on business objectives without translating them into creative direction. Your job isn’t to forward emails—it’s to interpret client needs into actionable guidance.
The rush job
“We need this ASAP” is not a timeline. Late briefs create unnecessary pressure, force rushed work, and ironically often take longer due to inevitable revisions. Give your production team the gift of adequate time and they’ll repay you with better work.
The copy vacuum
One of the most common brief failures is missing or incomplete copy. Asking designers or developers to “come up with some text” isn’t just inefficient; it fundamentally misunderstands their expertise. Either provide completed copy or explicitly assign the task to a copywriter.
From good to great: the brief quality checklist
Before you hit send on your next brief, run through this quick quality check:
- Could someone unfamiliar with this client understand what to do?
- Have I eliminated the need for guessing or assumptions?
- Have I included all technical specifications?
- Is all copy provided or clearly assigned?
- Are all assets specifically linked and labeled?
- Have I explained why this work matters, not just what needs to be done?
- Have I included relevant references or examples?
- Is the timeline realistic and clearly outlined?
- Have I identified priorities if everything can’t be accomplished?
- Have I consulted with production about potential questions?
If you can answer “yes” to all of these, congratulations—you’ve created a brief that will set your team up for success.
The brief as a strategic tool
At The Principality, we believe that briefs aren’t just admin—they’re a critical strategic tool that showcases our thinking and approach. A well-crafted brief demonstrates our commitment to critical thinking over trendy executions. It shows clients that we’re thoughtful partners rather than simply order-takers.
The humble brief may not be the most exciting part of agency life, but it might just be the most important. After all, the greatest creative minds can only build something spectacular when they have the right foundation.
And that foundation begins with a brilliant brief.
Download our FREE briefing template now
Looking for a strategy-led brand and digital communications partner who sweats the details—even the “boring” ones like briefs? Let’s talk about how The Principality’s approach to critical thinking can transform your next project.
