Briefs come in different structures; this means the client
can present the brief in different ways. There are five different types of
structures, there’s the formal, informal, contractual, negotiated, and a tender
brief. These brief would normally be presented depending on who the client is
for example big companies would differ to independently working clients. The
differences between these structures are:
A formal structure is when the brief is presented to you in
a meeting and is agreed on by you and the client. In this time you would also
get to know the client and what they want and it will also let the client know
you better and what kind of person they’re trusting to get what they’re asking
for done on time and like they asked. The disadvantage of a formal brief is
that you can’t be creative.
An informal brief is either done over the phone or by email.
This would be the client calling and telling you what they want and by what
time they want it for. I think an informal brief isn’t the best way to present
your ideas because you personally won’t get exactly what the client wants and
it doesn’t give you enough ideas. For example you make dresses and a bride
calls and wants you to make her bride’s maid’s dresses. Which she explains to
you over the phone but you won’t really understand exactly what she wants which
is a disadvantage. The advantage is that you could be as creative as you want.
Contractual brief is when you and the client have to sign a
contract to say that you agreed on the brief and that you will get it done on
time. The advantage is that they would have to pay you even if they change
their mind. The disadvantage of a contract is that if you don’t meet the
deadline or if they’re not satisfied with what you’ve done there would be a
consequence.
A negotiated brief is when the client gives their idea but
you can also negotiate it to what you can actually produce. For example you are
a short film maker and the client wants you to make a short film about crazy
things to do in Middlesbrough and one of the things they want you to do is film
someone eating a snake, but for that scene you couldn’t find an actor to eat
the snake so negotiate changing the snake to something else with the client.
A tender brief is when the client presents their brief
online or to the public in anyway, and then they would see the people who reply
to their brief and pick the person with the best ideas to create what they
want. The advantage is that the client
would get a lot of ideas to pick from. The disadvantage is that you might not
get picked even after working really hard to get a good idea across to them.
These are the five structures of briefs.
What you would read on a brief is what the client needs in
detailed description, when they need it for and contact information. They key
thing that should be on a brief are what it’s about, what kind of things would
be needed (and if it will be possible to have), the costs, health and safety,
locations, times, how many people are needed to work on it any specialists in
anything, and the day the client needs
it. You should negotiate the brief with the client before signing anything so
you make sure that you can do what they’re asking for.
When working to a brief there are many opportunities, you
get to work with different people, create new things, get new ideas, make your
skills better it also gets you a better social life, and working on the
computer. The skills you gain when working on a brief are communication skills,
creative skills depending on what you do, such as art, fashion, cooking,
computing and a lot more depending on what it is you do.
