Your questions answered

From finding the right consultancy to creating a great brief, Jonathan Sands answers some frequently asked questions about packaging design

How do I find a design consultancy?

Do your homework!

• The Design Business Association keeps a database of design consultancies. However don't just pick from a list, make sure you take references from satisfied clients.
• Check out past winners of the DBA's Design Effectiveness Awards. Nothing beats having an agency with an established and demonstrated record of commercial and creative success, both of which these awards measure.
• See the 'Where Next?' section for lists of good websites and trade magazines. Make sure you look hard before picking a consultancy to work with. And, above all, make sure they are people you will enjoy going through the process with.

Once you have decided on a shortlist of design agencies to speak with make sure that the chemistry between you is right. The skill set and price of a design consultancy are certainly important but by making sure you like, trust and can work with them on a day to day basis will really help your project succeed.

How do I know which design route to pick?

Remember that good design is not about individual, subjective taste. When deciding which design route to follow, go through the 10 Golden Rules and see how your solution measures up. Most of all, listen to your designer and refer back to the objectives of the project outlined in the brief. Doing this should help you when making your choice.

How do I write a good brief?

Great design is a collaboration. The focus of this collaboration is the brief - a simple, concise document that should stimulate and define the work in hand. It should give everyone the opportunity to discover precisely what the job requires and the very best chance of getting it right first time. The best place to begin a collaborative working relationship with your agency is to work on the brief together. By laying the foundation together the project will be more well rounded and each party will be better grounded in what needs to be achieved from the beginning.

The following outline describes some of the vital elements of a good brief. This checklist will help everyone produce a brief that will prepare you for a creative, rewarding and effective outcome - every time.

• Project requirements and overall objective
  There are two parts to this. The first asks you to define precisely what you want your agency to produce. The second part should set out what you want it to achieve.
• Purpose
  Ask yourself how you are going to actually put the results to use. Will it form part of a larger campaign or should it stand alone? Will it be specific to a particular function or multi-purpose? This will change the way the agency approaches the project and the way marketing strategy and design combine to meet your needs.
• Target audience
  When you communicate, you communicate with human beings. So although agencies are happy to be given a generic or demographic description of your target audience or market, it is useful to give a more precise image of the typical person to be communicated with.
• Background
  To help you talk to people, your agency needs to understand you. The more they know about you, the more confident they can be in creating a powerful way to speak for you.
• Competitors
  Tell your agency all about them - which ones are doing it better, which are chasing your tail. Once they know what you are up against, they can more easily help you get your message heard.
• Brand values
  Ideally brand values should be concise, fixed and carefully controlled because they define how others see you. If you have something formal, and up to date, you should share it. If not, provide a concise summary that you can all agree on.
• Character
  Call it 'tone of voice' or 'look and feel' - it is probably best to tackle this in two stages - visual and verbal.
  Visual - what overall visual impression do you want to make – for example, challenging, quirky, professional, accessible, intense, friendly.
  Verbal - how would you like it to read? Should it be technical or jargon-free, emotive or functional?
• Benefits
  What's in it for your consumer? Tell your agency what you think your audience would like to get out of the work they're doing, and they'll make sure they get it.
• Mandatory requirements
  This is simply a list of all the things that absolutely must be included. Let your agency have copies of any guidelines that must be followed, make a note of logos that must be used, and any colour restrictions or other vital aspects of the project. It is also vital that you tell your agency upfront about any print or production resrictions that may influence the design outcome. This will save you a great deal of time and possible heartache as the project progresses.
• Timings
  Agencies need to know your proposed schedule so they can prioritise your work and ensure your deadlines are met. Give as much detail as you can.
• Budget
  Your agency will need to have an idea of budget in order to set the scope of what they are going to do.
• Additional information
  This means anything you think could help - references, web addresses, existing design material, brand guidelines, competitors' material - it all helps get a handle on your project.

How much does it cost?

You will find that prices vary widely on the face of it, so make sure you are comparing like with like. The more detailed the brief is, and the more it is broken down into design stages and/or costed by hourly team rates, the better able you will be to judge one company against another and the better the position you will be in to negotiate. Just be wary of prices that are too cheap, and check that the consultancy concerned really does have the right credentials.