Creative Briefs: How to Evaluate & Respond to Them

A freelance creative career often requires you to work from creative briefs. Here, Lisa Congdon breaks down how to do it, from asking the right questions to drafting professional emails.

Working in a creative profession often involves receiving creative briefs from clients and executives. Part of your success on the job depends on your ability to evaluate, respond to and follow these briefs, so you can deliver high-quality work that meets your clients’ expectations and fulfills their vision.

If you’re an aspiring creative and you’re hoping to start working as a freelancer, at an agency or in an in-house role, then it’s essential that you get comfortable handling creative briefs.

In the video above, fine artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon shares her best tips. Although she speaks from her experience as an illustrator, her advice is applicable to anyone in a creative field—artists, designers, photographers, videographers, animators and others.

Watch the full video or keep reading for a recap of Lisa’s main points. We’ll cover what creative briefs are, how to evaluate them and maintain professionalism in your communications with clients and stakeholders.

Understanding the Creative Brief

A creative brief is a description of the proposed project. It typically includes an explanation of what it entails, the expected deliverables, a timeline and any special requirements or specifications.

All this information may be formatted in a standardized document and titled “creative brief”, but it doesn’t have to be. Even a brief email can be considered a creative brief. Regardless of the format, its purpose is to set the scope and expectations for the project.

Evaluating the Creative Brief

Receiving a creative brief doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll be taking on the project, especially if you work as a freelancer. At this point, you have an opportunity to assess the brief and decide whether it’s something you’d like to work on.

Here are Lisa’s criteria for evaluating whether or not to accept a proposed project:

Skill alignment: Do you have the skills to complete this job?
Interest: Is this a job you’d find interesting and enjoyable?
Time management: Do you have time to work on it, and can you comfortably meet the deadline?
Compensation: Will you be paid a fee that aligns with the time, effort and skills required?

Accepting the Job and Getting More Information

If, after evaluating the brief, you decide to take on the project, respond to the client or stakeholder to let them know. Try to complete this task within 24 hours of receiving the brief to demonstrate professionalism and respect for their time.

Your response is also an opportunity to request additional information. Ideally, creative briefs should provide you with everything you need to know, but they don’t always. Reassess the brief and consider whether you have everything you need to get started. If you need any clarification or additional details, compile a list of questions and include them with your response.

Communicating with Clients and Stakeholders

When responding to a creative brief, whether to accept, decline, or request more information, it’s essential to communicate effectively and maintain a professional and polite demeanor. This will not only enhance your success with the project in question but also foster positive, long-term relationships, potentially leading to more work opportunities in the future.

Consider Lisa’s tips for communicating with clients, executives and other stakeholders:

Maintain a positive, upbeat tone throughout your email. Write in a way that’s formal and respectful, yet friendly.
Remember to express gratitude and enthusiasm. Regardless of whether or not you’re accepting the job, always thank them for considering you and reaching out. This way, even if you’re not available for this specific project, they’ll be more likely to reach out again in the future.
When asking for more details or clarification, make sure your queries are clear and concise. This will help avoid any potential miscommunication and ensure that the final product fully meets the client’s expectations.
Ask questions in a way that shows deference and respect for the client’s knowledge and expertise. After all, they know the project best, and your tone should reflect that.
Always proofread your emails for clarity and to avoid typos and grammatical errors.

Key Takeaways

When handling creative briefs, remember to always evaluate them, ask for more information if needed and respond promptly and professionally. Adopting these practices will help set you up for success in every project you take on and in your creative career as a whole!

Written By

Sayana Lam

Sayana is a musician, writer and graphic designer based in Toronto, Canada.