How to write an outdoor creative brief that a designer can use

When you commission artwork for a campaign, a useful creative brief gives your designer a decision to solve. A vague request such as make it premium leaves the hard work undefined and usually produces endless revisions.

Write these five things

• Audience and the moment they see the message.
• One thing you need them to understand or feel.
• The single action, if there is one.
• The site formats, dimensions and viewing conditions.
• What must stay true to the brand, such as logo, colour or legal line.

Include the road context

Attach an approach photo, not just the media plan. A board beside a fast carriageway needs a very different answer from a lift panel in an office. Tell the designer whether the site is lit, where the traffic comes from and whether the board will sit near visual clutter.

Give room for one strong idea

List what must be included, then challenge every item. If the list has a product shot, three claims, two offers, social handles and a QR code, it is not a brief. It is a request to make a poster smaller. Choose one primary message and make the rest earn its place.

Use the seven second test before final approval.