Creating the Perfect Design Brief: How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage [Paperback]

Peter L. Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2004

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

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book offers plenty of solid advice on the means of effective design brief development. But its larger value lies in Phillips’ distilled wisdom in how to employ the design brief as a strategic design management tool. His is a virtually sure-fire formula for increasing design’s centrality to, and influence upon, corporate culture today.”
  (Michael Eckersley, Principal, Human Centered )

From the Publisher

According to a recent survey by the Design Management Institute, development of truly useful design briefs is one of the top ten issues that design professionals struggle with on an on-going basis. This book reveals what every design manager must know to build and develop a strategic, business relevant design organization and process.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581153244
• ISBN-13: 978-1581153248
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Production & Operations

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and valuable read, June 18, 2007

By 

AJT "Kiwi That Flys" (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating the Perfect Design Brief: How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage (Paperback)

I found this book after looking for a book that would help me in leading an in-house design firm at a non-profit. I think I instinctively knew some of the key principles in this book - however this book really spelled those out and gave me the tools to begin to implement them.

Fundamentally the author's point is that designers must learn to deliver real value for the organization and in a language non-designers understand and appreciate. A well constructed design brief is the vehicle through which much of this can happen. As a result, "do you like it" is less likely to be the question we ask, rather it should be "does this solve a business problem".

A simple but invaluable read, this book is designed for those of us who wrestle with the tension of leading designers who want space to be creative at the same time as we wrestle with "clients" who seemingly don't know what they want until they see the finished product - which of course they don't like.

Well worth the read and highly recommended

3.0 out of 5 stars No such thing as a "perfect design brief", December 21, 2010

By 

Zachary (Ann Arbor, MI, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating the Perfect Design Brief: How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage (Paperback)

The elements of a design brief are discussed, and for someone unfamiliar with them it provides a good overview of the various elements. I don't believe there is such as thing as the "perfect design brief." The book was purchased as a textbook, and the moral of the story for class was that a design brief should contain whatever you want it to contain, as long as it communicates the message. Unless you're working in design or product management I wouldn't recommend this book.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, June 13, 2009

By 

Carolyn A. Henry (Glendale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creating the Perfect Design Brief: How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage (Paperback)

This book goes into great detail about the aspects of a design brief and explains why briefs are good. I recommend it for those who are curious about writing briefs or who want to improve their skills in briefs.