Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In one of the only books of its kind, a veteran design consultant offers the tools for success gained from nearly 30 years of developing corporate and brand identity programs. Readers will discover the most effective formats for design briefs, how to structure the best possible team, what distinguishes a great design brief from an adequate one, how to use the brief in project tracking, as a measuring tool, and as a means of getting approval for a design solution; and much, much more. * Covers all the essential elements comprising an effective design brief * Copublished with the prestigious Design Management Institute

Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Foreword (p. ix)
• Introduction (p. xi)
• Acknowledgments (p. xv)
• Chapter 1 What Is a Design Brief Anyway? (p. 1)
• The Format of a Design Brief (p. 2)
• How Long Should a Design Brief Be? (p. 2)
• Stir-frying a Creative Concept (p. 3)
• The Core Creative Concept in Branding: A Streamlined Approach (p. 3)
• When Do You Need a Design Brief? (p. 9)
• Art versus Design (p. 10)
• "Please Make My Ideas Look Good" (p. 11)
• Designers Shouldn't Be Taxi Drivers (p. 12)
• Proposals versus Design Briefs (p. 14)
• Design Briefs Have a Great Many Uses (p. 15)
• Chapter 2 Who Is Responsible for Developing a Design Brief? (p. 17)
• Client or Partner? (p. 18)
• Co-ownership (p. 18)
• What Level Should the Co-owners Be? (p. 19)
• Getting Started (p. 20)
• Design Is Only One Ingredient of a Successful Business (p. 24)
• Partners Need to Understand Each Other (p. 25)
• The Design Brief Project Team (p. 25)
• Chapter 3 Essential Elements of the Design Brief (p. 28)
• Project Overview and Background (p. 29)
• Category Review (p. 33)
• Target Audience Review (p. 37)
• Company Portfolio (p. 39)
• Business Objectives and Design Strategy (p. 40)
• Project Scope, Time Line, and Budget: The Phases (p. 43)
• The Last Three Phases (p. 46)
• Research Questions (p. 47)
• Appendix (p. 48)
• Some Final Words About Content (p. 48)
• Chapter 4 Getting the Design Brief Approved (p. 52)
• Purpose of Final Review (p. 53)
• The Approved Brief (p. 54)
• In-House versus External Design Agencies (p. 55)
• Chapter 5 Using the Design Brief (p. 57)
• The Phases (p. 60)
• Testing (p. 61)
• Target Audience (p. 62)
• Using Other Sections of the Design Brief (p. 63)
• Chapter 6 Competitive Analysis (p. 65)
• The Most Common Approach (p. 66)
• Assembling Competitive Material (p. 68)
• Chapter 7 Establishing Credibility and Trust for Design (p. 70)
• The Model (p. 72)
• Paradoxical Leadership: A Journey with John Tyson (p. 74)
• An Exercise to Get You Started (p. 78)
• An Intiative from One Design Manager (p. 81)
• Recognize the Business Role of Design (p. 82)
• Mutually Valuable Relationships (p. 86)
• What Went Wrong? (p. 87)
• Implementing Efficient Work-with Processes (p. 90)
• Should In-house Design Groups Charge a Fee for Design Work? (p. 91)
• A Global Example of Working with Partners (p. 95)
• Credibility and Trust (p. 98)
• Chapter 8 Using the Design Brief in the Approval Process (p. 100)
• The Design Brief as an Outline for Approval Presentations (p. 102)
• Understanding the Final Approver (p. 104)
• Anticipating Objections (p. 106)
• What If You Can't Make the Presentation Yourself? (p. 108)
• What If You Are Just Not Comfortable Making Presentations to Senior Managers? (p. 109)
• A Final Word on Approvals (p. 110)
• Chapter 9 What Is a Design Manager? (p. 111)
• Developing a Framework for Design Management (p. 112)
• So, What's My Answer to the Question, "What Do You Do?" (p. 126)
• Chapter 10 Measuring Design Results (p. 128)
• Good Design versus Effective Design (p. 129)
• Value Measured in Dollars (p. 131)
• Measurement Phase (p. 132)
• Chapter 11 An Example of a Design Brief (p. 133)
• Project Overview and Background (p. 135)
• Category Review (p. 136)
• Target Audience Review (p. 139)
• Company Portfolio (p. 142)
• Business Objectives and Design Strategy (p. 147)
• Project Scope, Time Line, and Budget (p. 149)
• Research Data (p. 158)
• Appendix (p. 160)
• Chapter 12 Anticipating and Overcoming Obstacles (p. 161)
• Two Kinds of Obstacles (p. 162)
• Dealing with Obstacles (p. 165)
• Chapter 13 Creating a Plan for Moving Ahead (p. 167)
• Step One (p. 167)
• The PAR Formula (p. 169)
• A Master Plan Needs to be Specific (p. 170)
• Getting to the "Right" People (p. 171)
• Obstacle Planning (p. 172)
• Action Plan Formatting (p. 172)
• Chapter 14 Lessons from the Trenches (p. 174)
• DMI Seminars (p. 176)
• Using the Model as a Guideline for Change (p. 177)
• Appendix The Design Management Institute (p. 181)
• Selected Bibliography (p. 185)
• Index (p. 187)

Author notes provided by Syndetics