Graphic Designers across the world, employ a range of varied creative processes and methodologies, in their endeavour to create identities for genuine and lasting brands. However a large percentage of these professionals skip this one crucial yet unpopular step on the way — writing a robust Design Brief. It is rather curious that while a profession such as law or medicine, which would require one to choose from a more or less fixed range of activities, base their processes intensely upon written evidence.

Whereas the profession of Branding, that requires a dynamic collusion between the worlds of fierce logic and unshackled imagination, all too often sees professionals diving blindly into projects that, despite their sincere efforts and ungodly work hours, result in a lukewarm branding outcome, that has filtered down the gaps between the client’s projection and the designer’s interpretation.

There seem to be two influencing factors commonly observed in this regard. On the part of Designers, every new project inadvertently manifests in a surge of spontaneous creative enthusiasm. This in turn, makes the exercise of rigorous writing and critical inquiry seem like an obstacle for those restless to get their hands dirty. Many clients on the other hand, regard the complex process of Branding as a woo woo ‘stroke-of-inspiration’ artsy or intuitive phenomenon, not deserving of their solid and in-depth input, as accorded to other departments or vendors. In the absence of a brief, one finds frequent misalignment of thought between the Client and the Designer, leading to a state of friction and paralysis of ideas.