The document provides an overview of different types of client briefs that can be used when an employee or contractor is hired for a project. It discusses contractual, negotiated, formal, informal, commission, tender, cooperative, and competition briefs. For each type of brief, it provides examples and outlines the key characteristics including structure, tone, level of input from the client and employee, and common uses. The overall purpose is to explain the different options for establishing the requirements and expectations for a project through a client brief.

1. Unit 62 Assignment 1 Task 2
Client Brief
A brief in a project refers to the outlined agreement set out by the client/employer, the employee or
both. It sets out the requirements, the audience, the boundaries and any other important aspects of
the project to include. It will outline the problem, issue and then explain the solution. The brief is
used as the basis for the concept that the team will be using. It is important to create a brief as not
doing so can cause a lack of solid communication and understanding between the parties and before
anything can begin everyone must understand what is they will actually be doing.
When responding to a client brief, the employee must be fully aware of their requirements. If the
brief were contractual the employee would either be able to accept or deny the project. With a
negotiated brief the two could discuss the aspects outlined in the brief and re-evaluate it. There are
also different tones to consider in a brief, informal and formal. If informal the employee can respond
how they like but formal would require professional business etiquette. If an employee were to
disagree with the employer they would both have to consider the required response and remember
what they are trying to achieve when discussing the brief. The employee must also think about their
capabilities and whether they are actually able to meet the client’s requirements.
There are also legal and ethical constraints to consider in a brief. An employee is legally obliged to
deliver to their client the entire project as laid out in the contract. Failure to meet deadlines and
budget restrictions could be in breach of contract and lose them money, respect or even the entire
project with even more serious legal ramifications. Copyright infringement is also a serious issue and
can in rare cases result in the client and employee being sued. It is important for the work that is
created to be at least somewhat original. This means that there is no plagiarism of other peoples
work and any work used that is not their own must receive permission to be used by the respected
owner.
Ethically, everyone who is a part of the project layout must conduct themselves in a professional and
respectable manor. For example an employee could not produce whatever they felt like giving to the
client as this would not only breech the legal contract or terms but be considered a lapse in
professionalism and respect for the client. In the same way a client must not take advantage of the
employees work and demand too much that was already agreed upon. It is things like this which
make the production of a brief first extremely important so as not to cause confusion for anyone. It
is also important for there to be no discrimination of sex, age, race or sexual orientation (or any
other form of discrimination) by either party throughout the project. Both parties are liable to be
sued, arrested or discredited for doing so.
There are several different methods of forming a brief with a client. Some are non-negotiable while
others are open and subject to change. It all depends on the specific requirements of the client and
who they would like to work on their project with them. For example:
Contractual
A contractual brief is a brief set out by the client to explain the duties and requirements of the
employee. It states what the client wants from the employee as a scheme of work, how long it
should take and what should be included. A contractual brief is formed when a client wishes to

2. establish the boundaries between the client and their work and give them exact instructions as to
what they want from them. A contractual brief is a legal contract and so includes things such as
liability insurance, prices, funds and payment terms. The employee must read the entire brief to
understand their requirements and what is expected from them and the project moves forward
once the document is signed. These kinds of briefs are typically used by producers in the media.
People choose to form contractual briefs because of specific needs in a project. Usually created by or
for companies its designed to keep the final product in as fine detail as possible and creates creative
boundaries for the employee who must stick to these guidelines, the end result hopefully being
something professional and precise to what the client envisioned originally. This format means the
entire project is entirely business and nothing more and are extremely formal.
The good thing about a contractual brief is its efficiency and precise explanation of what it requires.
A negative would be its lack of input from the supplier in deciding what should and should not be
done, possibly crippling the overall quality of the final product.
Negotiated
A negotiated brief involves both the employee and employer discussing the requirements and
boundaries. By collaborating with the client both parties can establish an agreement that can satisfy
everyone. A negotiated brief is usually brought about when the employer and employee find it
difficult to agree on certain terms. They must discuss and compromise with one another and come
to a decision that both parties will be satisfied with.
Unlike the contractual brief, a negotiated brief is based on creative input. The client may not be
entirely sure on their idea or are open to change and another professional opinion and so will
negotiate the terms until both are satisfied. They can be either formal or informal and are a specific
element in tender briefs.
Formal
A formal brief provides specific and precise details outlining the goals of the project. The formality
gets right to the point of these aspects and doesn’t contain any unnecessary detail or information.
Formal briefs are usually preferred when dealing with groups such as a business company or team
rather than an individual and are entirely professional and serious. The formality of a brief is more to
do with the impression the client wants to achieve and doesn’t change requirements or important
details.
One example of a formal brief:
Client: Firefly Media
Product: Photographic Services
Provides clients with professional quality event coverage, portraits and promotional materials.
Events include weddings, tournaments, benefits and reunions. On site printing is available.
Positioning:
• Firefly Media is located in Portland, Oregon.
• Clients deal directly with photographers
Prospects:
• Individuals seeking portraits or event coverage.
• Directors of model/talent agencies seeking photographic representation.
• Event planners organizing events/portraits for clients.

3. Communication Objectives:
• Inform prospective clients of our services.
• Encourage prospective clients to contact us for bids using website
www.FireflyMedia.org
• Gain new customers.
Prospect Problems/Benefits:
• Problems: Clients not familiar with or distrust services available (ie: quality of onsite printing)
Lack familiarity with Firefly Media name.
Benefits: Clients or event planner/organizers looking for more photographic options will be
informed of our services. Those dissatisfied with locations, service or products of other local
Photographic companies may see us as a solution.
Central Promise:
Firefly Media is a low-cost, cutting-edge photographic services company that provides excellent
customer service and flexibility, endless photographic options and immediate product delivery.
Support:
• Cutting edge technology
• Access to photographers and designers
• Customer friendly
• Convenient
• Creative
• Dedication to excellence
Tone: Professional, informative, creative and cutting edge.
Desired Response:
• Current Customers: Book us for next event or portrait session.
• Potential Customers: Consider using Firefly Media for their photographic needs.
Competition: Firefly Media perceive their primary competition as other local photographers who
offer onsite printing capabilities including: Evan Pilchik and Brian Linn.
Timing: Concepts due by 5/25. Campaign to break sometime in late May or early June
depending on “Go live” date of gallery and services website.
Deliverables:
An overall campaign supporting the new Online Banking functionality on the Web site. Client
has requested that the campaign be communicated via the following mediums:
• Bus Boards
• Print Advertising
• Direct Mail
• Posters
The layout of the brief is simple, clear and professional. It lists everything that the employee
may need to know, bullet pointing key points. It avoids discussing anything in unrequired detail.
By listing its requirements in bullet points the brief is able to cut back on needless information.
It’s formal because there is no mention of a specific employee and everything is clean cut. ‘This
is what we want and this is why’. It is clear in the text that there is no personal relationship
between the employer and the employee and that the sole purpose of the brief is to explain the
client’s needs.
Another example of a formal brief is written by Devon County Council
over the subject of providing for inventory to preserve parkland sites
for wild animals in Devon. The brief sets itself up with an introduction
into the group’s purpose with statistics and key information that is relevant to the project
before going onto explaining its goals. Again, this Brief uses bullet points to attain precise key

4. detail in the information and make it somewhat easy to read and understand for the employee.
Though the brief is formal it appears to be open to negotiation with the employee. For example
it says “the list should include” and “consider how these might be adapted”. The formality of a
brief does not necessarily influence the client’s specific desires in considering with the brief.
They may be contractual or be tender or open to cooperation depending on the employee.
However this brief includes a health and safety notice, which is common in a brief with activities
involving hands on work whatever format it uses.
The brief then goes on to display important contact details. It is a good idea to supply this
information at the end of the brief, allowing for the employee to locate this information easily if
they wish to get in contact with the clientele.
In this brief there is more than one client. A formal tone is preferred when dealing with a group
or business.
Informal
An informal brief uses a less constrained and serious language for the employee. An informal brief
can include notes and colloquial language that is friendly and more personal to the client’s individual
character. Informal briefs are usually established over different mediums rather than text, such as
over the telephone or in person. Informal briefs are usually used for writing up commissions or
competitions and cooperative briefs.
An informal brief is the typical format when the client and supplier know each other personally. It is
unlikely, unless the brief is conducted over telecom, that an informal brief is used within business. It
tries to be friendly and personal and is related to briefs that are formed around the goal to be
creative and have fun rather than the sole purpose of making money.
Commission
A commission is quite like a usual client brief apart from the fact that it is written and distributed by
the employee instead. They will send out their portfolio to an open audience and offer out their
services to anyone who may be available. Or they may send out their information to individuals to
offer their services, asking for work. They may establish certain requirements or leave themselves
open to any kind of work.
For example, Commissions are common place amongst the online community, especially artist
websites such as Deviantart.com. Popular users are known to offer commissions to other users
either for money or the websites online currency. In this example, “ToaLittleboehn” posts a
commission statement on her blog, offering her services to her fans and other users. The post can be
viewed by everyone. The layout is simple and straight to the point. She states what she is available
to draw and for what price. E.g.:
“Drawings:
Head shot sketch- 10
Half body sketch- 12
Full body sketch- 14 ”
It is up to other users to reply to her and say what kind of drawing they want and to later describe
the character or give a reference. Her commission information is available to anyone on the internet

5. and so she allows a possibly unlimited clientele. Her ‘portfolio’ is published on her page and all her
work can be viewed as a reference point to possible clients. However more professional
commissioners would create their own website or own their own business. A real life example of a
commissioner would be a painter in the street offering profile paintings to passers-by.
Artists usually create commissions as a quick, easy and simple way of finding clients. It reduces the
amount of work they would have to do in finding a client, discussing the brief, forming a contract.
This relaxed form of briefing is actually quite efficient and, especially with young artists, allows them
to build up a portfolio without having to labour over their own ideas. However they have no choice
in what kind of clientele they receive and must often create something they have no interest in.
http://toalittleboehn.deviantart.com/journal/Point-Commission-Guide-328171166
Tender
Tender briefs are sent out by the client to several companies by post or e-mail. They then wait for
the response from the possible employee who will respond with their ideas, costs and a description
of how the product may be produced in competition with several other companies for the same
contract with the client. It is then up to the client to decide on who would be the most suitable to
take on the project for them. Unlike any other brief a tender brief does not usually state the solution
(what they want from the client) but will instruct them of what they would like them to propose.
Any other brief would state what they want and how they want it whereas a tender brief asks its
employee what it should do.
One example of a tender brief:
“Canal Street (part of the gay village) in Manchester is a lively, vibrant, cosmopolitan area of
the city, packed with modern bars, restaurants and hotels. Attracting a predominantly gay
crowd, it is the perfect place, especially in the summer months, for meeting up with friends.
The street is renowned for it’s café culture style layout with tables and chairs outside nearly
every bar. In August this year the village will again be hosting Manchester Pride, with an
expected 50,000 people joining in the celebrations.
Due to the al fresco side to Canal Street, this inevitably creates various environmental issues.
The main two problems are the amount of litter that accumulates on the street (predominantly
plastic glasses, fliers, fag butts etc) and the amount of litter, which ends up in the canal,
bringing down the look of the area and also affecting the wildlife (ducks, geese etc). Many
canal boats can also be seen using the canal, especially at the weekends.
Manchester Waterways Initiative would like to produce a poster campaign, making people
aware of the effects of littering the street and canal. Due to the Manchester Pride celebrations
commencing soon, we would like to incorporate this in the designs. The posters will be
attached to street litterbins on Canal Street and also in various bars. They need to vibrant,
eye-catching, and informative yet fun! A big buzzword for the poster campaign is ‘Respect’.
Respect your environment; respect the canal etc…although this is not necessarily required.
Target audience: gay village frequenters”

6. The brief uses an informal structure, using exclamations, some colloquial language. It mentions the
target audience, allowing the supplier to consider what direction they should come from when
making the poster. The actual brief is very short:
“To produce 2 designs in colour to raise awareness of dropping litter with the two themes:
Respect your canal
Respect your street
The posters should be bright, fun but informative with any possibility of including the
Manchester Pride theme: see website: http://www.manchesterpride.com”
It leaves itself open to a range of ideas and suppliers. It does not speak in a direct tone as the brief is
open to dozens of people. The use of a tender brief is to leave itself open to several inputs. By
making the context open, to an audience with little guidelines, it allows for a choice between several
possible ideas and allows the client more possibilities of finding the design that they’re looking for
rather than dealing with a single supplier and getting something they’re not satisfied with. Someone
may have a brilliant idea which is why they lack any real description of what to include other than
the impression they want it to give. In this instance the area is probably very much loved by some
people who may be more than passionate about keeping the streets clean.
Cooperative brief
Cooperative briefs are created with equal input between the client and the employee. Both parties
work together to establish an agreed term on every aspect of the contract. Being a more informal
method of establishing the requirements, both parties go into this discussion with open minds and
ability to compromise. A cooperative brief is usually done when the client believes the employee to
be trusted in creating something of quality while still wanting to establish what they require from
them. It is also very common that a co-operative brief is established between two artists or
designers who wish to collaborate and simply need to establish the idea of what they are actually
doing.
The issue with cooperative briefs is the lack of formality and how easy it can be for both parties to
create something of quality and instead settle for one another’s ideas to prevent any kind of conflict
between one another.
Competition
A competition brief is an open brief usually published to the
public or on social websites, through e-mail or post. They are
usually open to the public and establish a slightly informal
tone.
Competitions
will typically
have a theme or purpose they wish to establish
within the first part of the brief and then set out the
requirements which are usually vague and open. It is

7. then up to the respondent to decide whether they would like to take part or not. There is also most
always a prize available to the winner(s). The typical structure of a competition brief will begin with
an introduction, an outline of the requirements, theme and idea, followed by rules or other
important aspects for the audience to consider like image width or file size. Then the audience are
instructed on how to enter if they are interested.
For example “Mindful”, which is a support program for 11-17 year olds affected by mental health
issues, created a competition to increase awareness for their charity and the issues they try to deal
with. The competition set out with an introduction into who they were, what they do and then went
into establishing a proposal for the audience. The language is typically informal, talking personally to
the individual reading “we need you to review our new identity” “we want you to showcase your
creative talents”. In contrast, a formal brief would be a statement or assumption rather than a
suggestion. E.g. “The project must be completed by the 17th of October”.
After establishing the competition the brief then goes on to list the requirements and deadline.
Instead of offering payment a competition will offer a prize to the winner or winners. In this case the
reward is an internship. The brief then goes on to state deadlines and contact information. Though
informal a competition is not negotiable and the deadline must be met by the competitor otherwise
they will not qualify to win.
Competition briefs are usually created to establish awareness of something, a commercialised
product, an idea, company or charity. It is used to help build a fan base and connect with the public
in a unique and fun way. By creating a competition they can hope to spread awareness of their
product or concept. The idea is that people will want to enter the competition and will tell their
friends about it so they can enter as well. The incentive of this indirect advertising is the prize
available.