How we created "Design the Brief" and why every great project needs one
Design the Brief is a physical card deck and collaborative methodology created by Piquant to help clients and creative teams build a brief together. It turns brief-building into a structured, hands-on conversation built around five questions: Who, What, Where, Why and Why Now? The result is a shared understanding from day one, fewer late-stage surprises and a stronger foundation for any design, video, campaign or brand project.
How can Design the Brief help your creative project succeed?
Across our industry, the brief is often treated as a formality: something to finish before the exciting part starts. But if you want to get the absolute best out of any project, you need to get the best out of the brief first.
Hugh Heffernan, Piquant Head of Strategy & Brand, explains that the first step to any successful project is sitting down collaboratively to design the best possible brief for the best possible outcome. Without that shared effort, there is no common understanding between the creative team and the client team.
“Without an effective brief, eventually, what is read as an implicit assumption on one end gets missed on the other. A problem that perhaps won't show itself immediately, but will raise its head later down the road as a major bottleneck”
To solve this, we developed Design the Brief, an in-house designed collaborative methodology designed to help teams identify challenges clearly so they can work together to create better solutions.
To explain how Design the Brief came to be in the best way possible, here is the origin of the project itself, answered through the very core questions that guide our framework: Who, What, Where, Why, and Why Now?
Who created Design the Brief and who can use it?
Design the Brief was created internally by the Piquant team, drawing on our collective experience working with clients.
“Design the Brief also grew out of a slightly nerdy, very personal love of board games, Dungeons & Dragons, and tactile media.”
While it originated as our internal approach to client onboarding, we designed it to also be used outside of a Piquant context altogether. It can be used by any team, individual, or business owner, either working directly with us, or running an internal project within their own organisation, or just chatting through a problem over coffee.
What is Design the Brief?
Design the Brief is a physical, interactive action card deck and collaborative methodology. From the beginning, we knew what outcome we wanted to achieve, but it was through conversation, we landed on a tactile deck of cards, something tangible that feels good in the hand, is engaging to navigate through, and turns brief-building into a structured, hands-on activity.
Where can you use Design the Brief?
Design the Brief lives everywhere a challenge needs addressing. On day one of a creative project, it can take the shape of an in-person workshop, a survey, a questionnaire, or an email exchange.
Crucially, because it is a physical take-home piece, it lives on desks, in meeting rooms, and in conversations between projects. It provides a portable framework that clients and teams can carry back into their own businesses to use whenever a new challenge arises.
Why was Design the Brief created?
In the simplest sense, we built it to create better briefs and put in place a smoother creative process.
We realised early on in Piquant’s journey that a brief isn't something a client should just provide in isolation; it’s something we have to work at together. Having refined this approach internally over time, we saw a pressing need to turn our learnings into an accessible tool right now so that teams can put their best foot forward on every single project, building a rock-solid foundation to anchor the creativity.
Why does collaborative briefing matter now?
It has never been easier to communicate, but it is getting harder to communicate well. In large group settings, getting everyone aligned on a path forward is tough. So Design the Brief creates early consensus on the fundamental facts, ensuring everyone is on the same page from day one. That early agreement maintains vital momentum, reduces the possibility of late-stage surprises, and helps teams identify what they are truly trying to achieve through a piece of design, video, campaign, or brand. The strategic core that AI and new technologies simply cannot answer for you.
Key takeaways
Every great project starts with a shared understanding. Here’s how Design the Brief helps you get there:
- A brief works best when the client and creative team build it together
- Without a solid brief unspoken assumptions can become bottlenecks later in a project
- Design the Brief is a physical card deck and collaborative methodology created by Piquant
- It's built around five questions: Who, What, Where, Why and Why Now?
- Anyone can use it, whether you're working with Piquant or on your own project
- You can request a deck, and we'll post one out to you
Fancy getting your hands on a Piquant Design the Brief card deck?
Design the Brief is available now, and we'd love to send one your way. Fill in our contact form and tell us a little about your upcoming creative project: a new brand, a website, a campaign or an idea still taking shape. We’ll post you a deck and work through it with you, helping turn your ideas into a clear brief for your next creative project.
