1. Working to a Brief
LO1
Henry Buckham and Jonah Adshead
2. Contractual Brief
Definition- A agreement that a media company signs agreeing to complete a specific task within a set
period of time for a set amount of money.
Advantages- Very clear guidelines are provided outlining what your responsibilities are and what your
contractors responsibilities are. This means that if anything is changed sufficient warning and time must
be given. For example the client can not decide to change the design or the recipe cards the deadline to
allow enough time for the change.
Disadvantages- If you do not complete the task in the set time or up to the specification you have been
given in your brief you may face legal action or not pay. For example not completing the task to the
specification provided in the brief could ensue a court claim from the vegetarian society employing us to
make their recipe cards.
Once you have signed the agreement, you must obey it. This means that if you didn’t take the time to read
through everything properly and there is something you don’t agree with and don’t want to do, you are
now contractually obliged and must do it anyway.
3. Formal Brief
Definition- A formal brief is when the client provides a media company with a brief containing that establishes what
they want to be made and contains the necessary information required to complete the project. Both parties
agree on the project but unlike a contractual brief, formal briefs are not always legally binding.
Advantages- If there is no contractual obligation to do something this means that a media company is able to turn
down something or even cut ties with the client completely if something goes wrong for example the treatment
from the client is very bad.
Because the client only provides the information they deem necessary I am sure that for workers at the media
company the instructions would be quite brief. This could mean that they have free reign and could be a good
thing, but it could also mean that the two companies are forced to have more meetings to check on progress. This
means that feedback will come more often and will increase the chances of the client being happy with the
finished product.
Disadvantages- I mentioned above that not having a legal document is a good thing but it could also be a
disadvantage. If there is no legal contract the clients may change something and mean that a lot of work must be
changed and may go to waste. For example the employer may change the design of the cards last minute and
force the designers to discard of a lot of work that they have spent a lot of time on. In a contractual agreement
there may be a clause to say that the client can not do this or that if they do they must pay for the wasted work.
Having the client only give the necessary information to the media company means that instructions may be quite
vague. As I mentioned before this could be a good thing to give the design team a lot of free reign on the project,
but it can be a bad thing too. If the design team head off in a completely different direction to the way the client
envisioned the project this could lead to problems and big setbacks if things must be changed. One way to ensure
the design team are meeting the expectations of their client would be to hold regular meetings which as I also
mentioned in the advantages section can be a good thing, but these meetings may be a waste of time when
specific, clear guidelines and instructions in the brief would do the same job.
4. Informal Brief
Definition- Most likely a verbal agreement outlining what a client wants with no written document or
contracts and often no set deadline.
Advantages- Very flexible and allows discussion to be kept open on both sides. There is often no set
deadline which means that lots of time can be spent on it ensuring that the client is happy with it.
The production may involve more open discussion between the two organisations and so would allow a
media company to check our progress and change things early rather than when many hours have been
spent on something that the client wont be happy with.
No contractual obligation to do anything means that the media company could back out if they wished
and would not be forced to do anything they did not agree to.
Disadvantages- Because there is no contract it can be risky for both the client and the media company as
any party could pull out of the partnership or change something meaning some work will have been
completed for nothing. This could mean that there could be a lot of wasted time if a client decides they
don’t like your work or on the other hand that a client could be left with no one to do their work for them
if the media company decides they don’t want to do it anymore.
5. Co-Operative Brief
Definition- This is where two or more companies are hired to work together on a project and must work
together in order to complete the project.
Advantages- If well organised there is potential for work to be completed twice as fast. There is also a
possibility that the different companies drafted in to work on the project will each specialise in something
different and so this diverse skill set can be advantageous for the progress of the project.
Disadvantages- If there is not good communication between the different organisations then there may be
a lot of problems that crop up hindering the progress of the project. More companies and more workers
means that organisation and communication is even more important to ensure that each employee in
each company knows what they must be doing.
There is a chance that competition between the companies involved may mean that disagreements and
arguments over workload and allocation occur. If resolved these may not be too much of a problem but if
not they could mean the failure of entire projects.
6. Negotiated Brief
Definition- If a co-operative brief is in place but the companies involved have a disagreement on an aspect
of the project then a negotiated brief is brought together. This is a reviewed version of the original
designed to resolve any problems so all parties including the client are happy.
Advantages- This type of brief means that any disagreements can be resolved and work can continue as
normal. It will hopefully allow inter company relations to improve as both companies may have to
compromise slightly to make sure the other is happy, having the client present for these negotiations is
also good as it means that they can act as overseer and make sure that both companies are being helpful
and working towards a solution to the problem.
A negotiation may actually improve the finished work. For example If one company has seen a flaw in the
design or somewhere that the brief could be changed in order to improve the product then a negotiation
to notify the other companies and client of this and allow to work to be changed could be a good thing.
Disadvantages- Negotiating a new brief may waste valuable time as the client and media companies
involved work out a way to ensure everyone is happy. This wasted time could mean that a deadline is
missed or that work must be rushed when it is re-started, therefore reducing its quality.
Although it is designed to appease all involved parties the compromises that must be made may just
increase the unhappiness of them. If the design has to be changed the client may not be happy with it
anymore and may not want to continue their employment of the companies and if a company is forced to
change something they didn’t want to this may just lead to more disagreements in the future.
7. Commission Brief
Definition- This is when a large media company outsources their work and hires a smaller independent
media company to create a product for them. The two media companies negotiate a brief and the client is
not involved in this process. Once completed the product may be used by the larger media company for
the client.
Advantages- Because negotiations are taking place between two media companies there may be a better
understanding of the industry than if you were in negotiations with an external client that had no
understanding. This may mean that you will get a more realistic deadline because they understand how
long things take and so the brief might be better designed.
There is a chance that the independent company will be paid each time the product they have created is
sold, broadcasted or published. This may be very good for the independent company and bring in a lot of
revenue for them.
For the large media company it may be very effective for them to pay a smaller company to do work for
them and then sell it on for a profit.
Disadvantages- If the larger media company wishes to sell the product multiple times they may have to
pay the smaller company each time.
If brief negotiations do not involve clients it is possible that no one will be interested in buying the
product.
If the work is to a bad standard then it could reflect badly on the larger media company.
8. Tender Brief
Definition- A client publishes that they need a certain media product to be made, production companies
then receive this publication, create briefs, proposals and budgets before pitching all this to the client. The
client will then decide whether they like the pitch and whether they will be employing the media
company.
Advantages- Because the media company gets to create the brief and proposal this means that, if chosen,
they can decide to work in a way they want.
An advantage for the client is that they will usually have multiple companies from which to choose their
favourite brief and so they are more likely to get a product that they are pleased with.
Disadvantages- A production company may find it harder to get work with competition from other
companies applying for the same work.
Because the client does not give any real instructions on how they want a product to be made they may
not receive any briefs that they in fact like. This means that a different type of brief may have to be carried
on or a negotiation must take place.
9. Competition Brief
Definition- A competition brief is when a single brief is made available to lots of different companies. They
all complete the project, and when everyone has produced a final product they are all compared. The best
one will be chosen by the client and they will the only one who will receive payment from them.
Advantages- Competition briefs are usually free to enter, so they are quite good for training and honing
skills in a company.
The fact that lots of other companies are competing allows for companies to reflect upon each other’s
work and learn new things, as well as learning from mistakes.
The client only has to pay the winning company and sometimes not even them if the project has been set
up as an amateur competition.
The client has lots of choice on what work they want to choose.
Disadvantages- Only the winning company will receive payment. This means that losing companies will
waste money on material costs, wages and hiring.
People may be reluctant to work in this kind of brief as they are not guaranteed payment, because of this
the client may struggle to find people to do the work.
10. My Brief
Which type of brief is being used in the recipe card project? Explain your response.
brief given to us by the Vegetarian Society seems to mainly resemble a formal brief
due to the fact that we were not required to sign a contract to begin production.
This brief is also similar to a competition brief in that many different parties will be
creating a product and at the end it is likely that the best one will be chosen for
the official brand.
It is also vaguely similar to a tender brief in that we will be setting up our own
schedules and funding and then pitching them to the client for review.
11. Reading the Brief
Why is important to thoroughly read your brief?
It is important to read the brief to make sure that the final product being created follows all of
the guidelines and rules set by the client, including things like style, graphics, font, logos and
pictures. Since you may have signed a contract, not following or disobeying parts of the brief
could result in not being paid at the end because it has not been made correctly. Legal action
could even be taken for breaking the terms of the contract.
Another reason it is important to read through the brief is because it will outline the timescale
and deadline for the project. Failure to produce a finished piece within the deadline will likely
result in legal action. The brief will also make note of the allotted funding that the company
will receive to produce it, so it will allow them to plan ahead with their finances and not
overspend.
12. Reading the Brief
What is the nature of the Vegetarian Recipe Cards brief?
The Vegetarian Society has asked in their brief for around 3,500 recipe cards for a series of
vegetarian meals. They would like to see usage of the image on the front and then a branding
strip at the bottom that contains their logo. The back of the card is to feature the recipe,
along with the ingredients, method and call to action such as site links. They would also like
to see recyclable materials used.
What is the demand of the Vegetarian Recipe Cards brief?
The brief states that several working guidelines must be followed, such as no usage of the degree
symbol when describing temperatures, not numbering ingredients like the method, and using
measurement abbreviations like ‘tsp’ for teaspoon. The client would like to see creative ideas
incorporated in the design as well as a clear theme so the recipe cards are part of a set.
The brief does not offer a specific timeframe of how many team members would be ideal for the
project.
13. Negotiating a Brief
Why is it important to discuss the brief with your client prior to production?
Discussing a brief before production means that the company that has been hired knows exactly
what they will be undertaking. They will have a chance to address any points that have not
been made clear in the brief itself as well as asking about how far the creative control goes.
They can also raise concerns with the client if certain constraints are too tight, or they can
discuss potential ideas for use in the project.
Discussion also allows the company to find out about legal issues and copyright, and what the
client would or would not like personally. If the company came up with an idea for the layout
that was highly experimental, and not discussed in the brief, they could ask the client about it
and have the chance to use it if it was appealing.
The drawbacks of not discussing with the client could lead to a product that may not match the
brief. This would be a breach of contract and could result in no payment, or even legal action.
14. Negotiating a Brief
What are the advantages and disadvantages of employing discretion with a brief?
Using discretion in the project allows the media company to try new things and add a new spin
on the requested product, incorporating styles, graphics, and layouts that the client might
not have expected. If the brief is quite vague, the company can use this to their advantage
and have a decent amount of creative control, seeking to impress their client via adopting
experimental elements into the design.
However, using discretion should be carefully regulated. Often the discretion can go a little too far
and so the client must ensure they agree with the direction the work is taking. An example of
this in this project could be adding in meat recipes, when these are intended to be meat-free
recipes. Neglecting to use the Vegetarian Society’s logo or even more severely, using a
different logo will most certainly result in a lack of payment.
15. Negotiating a Brief
Are there any potential legal/ethical/regulatory issues with the Vegetarian Society brief’s
proposed product?
The biggest issue within this brief might be the use of meat within its vegetarian recipes.
Vegetarians are sometimes vegetarians by choice such as religion or ethics, and so would be
very upset and offended if they ate meat, but some are unable to eat meat because of health
reasons and so could become ill if they consume meat. If there was added meat in one of the
recipes it could potentially cause offence and be eaten if not noticed. This could then lead to
legal action and damages.
Because they are food recipes there are strict guidelines
16. Negotiating a Brief
Amendments you have considered to;
The Product
The product that we will be doing may need several adjustments regarding the time scale (if it is
too short for us to work in) and whether or not everything is legal to use. We will likely be
able to use the Vegetarian Society’s logos in our product so we will not need to seek approval
as they have commissioned us.
The Budget
We would need to ensure that we have calculated how much everything will cost. We will need
to add up how much we think we should get paid, if we will require money to hire
equipment, if we will need travel money etc. Once we have thought of all these things we will
be able to propose a budget to the client.
When the money has been given however we must make sure that we remain in budget and do
not overspend on one aspect of production, leaving another with less development.
The Conditions
We will need to make sure that we are being paid the correct amount for the task undertaken,
and whether or not the initial fee should be increased or decrease depending on the amount
of work complete. If this isn’t addressed before we finish it could prove very difficult to
acquire those missing funds due to the contract ending.
17. Opportunities
What opportunities could this brief allow you to explore? Be specific with your responses. This
brief is quite different to others you have come across and offers lots of new experiences. Check
the unit overview to help you with this.
Self Development
What we may learn from this project in terms of developing ourselves personally may be along the lines of
confidence, personal management and motivation. We will also become better at timekeeping as we will
be adhering to stricter schedules and in turn this will help motivate us more, in order to complete
everything on time.
Learning new skills
In terms of new skills, in this project we might learn new things like more Photoshop techniques, ways to align
and set up different layouts and work within InDesign as well as learning a lot more about how the
production process for a media product works.
Multi-skilling
Since we will be working in a smaller team we will likely be dividing eh work and taking multiple roles each.
Although we will probably divide this work to play to each of our strengths there will be some work we will
have to do that we are not so comfortable with and so will have to improve. We will also develop our
multitasking skills allowing us to work on several different objectives at once.
Contributing to a brief
This project will likely let us obtain and develop skills that will let us contribute more, especially writing,
developing and creative ideas that work towards the final product. This all factors in from the work done
that will allow us to individually improve in each area.
