The Advantages of a Personal Creative Brief

How to shed light on your future

Discovering yourself is a difficult task, yet crucial to many near-graduates or graduated individuals entering the professional world. I found myself being asked (both by others or more often, by myself) what I wanted to do with my shiny new college degree. I found that the idea of many different jobs seemed alluring, but more and more questioned the meaning behind so many of the potential positions that called to me during my foray into the business market. The ideas, the concepts of vaguely titled positions like “advertiser” for X company, or “marketing specialist” for Y company blended together in description and features, and many times I felt at the very least overwhelmed, if not entirely lost.

I entered the IMC class in the Western Washington University Marketing Program thinking that I was simply going to experience a simulated vertical hierarchy of business, and maybe learn some neat tricks for things like content development and planning (which I have learned, and used to spectacular effect at real-world internships and jobs). I didn’t think that I would find an answer to many of the questions that largely make up the general bulk of the query that troubles so many people of my age at this particular time in their lives: “Who am I, what do I like to do, and how can I use that to better the world around me?”

The answer put itself forth in the form of a document called a Personal Creative Brief. Methodically thorough and painstakingly crafted, a creative brief is designed to lay out all aspects of a product or brand, and describe the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the aforementioned product or brand. In the case of a Personal Creative Brief, that product/brand is you- concerning who you are, what you offer, why you are unique and valuable, who you hope to cater to, and a plan to do all of it. Daunting to create from scratch (considering the breadth of all these questions, this is a no-brainer), a Personal Creative Brief can be challenging to make. However, the end result has been rewarding; I have found myself chasing opportunities I feel real passion for, and driving myself to learn skills and concepts that will help me for the rest of my professional life. As I myself am impressionable when reading articles or texts like this, I won’t tell you what I am shooting for- that is for you to find for yourself, and hopefully come to love as much as I love what I do.

Comprised of a Creative Strategy (designed to lay out the composition of your offerings, AKA the “What” and “Why” of your brand ) and a Media Mix (the “Who”, “How”, “Where”, and “When), a creative brief has all sorts of details and fountains of information for you to reference constantly over the course of your career development. I myself refer back to my Creative Brief constantly, to remind myself where I’d like to work, who I’d like to work for, or for things like my Brand Elements, for example- a makeup of not only brand designs and colors, like a logo, but associations and emotions to be evoked. I find that I associate myself with the cool, lush trees and mosses of a misty Washington forest, and find myself wanting not only to stay here, where I feel the most at peace, but to also bring that feeling of peace, of calmed, natural splendor to those who observe my brand and myself in a professional aspect. That kind of direction in making a life for yourself is nothing to sneeze at- it is priceless, in my opinion (otherwise I wouldn’t be writing about it!)

As I mentioned before, asking these questions can be daunting. The question of what you like to do, who you’d like to be, and all the rest can be not only challenging but downright painful. The creation of a path for yourself to take is a difficult task. The good news is that a Creative Brief is not law- you are not governed by it, but rather it by you. It is as modular and flexible as it is thorough, and changes can be made whenever you find new passions and details about yourself. Life shouldn’t be rigid or stale, so why would a document guiding you be immobile or inflexible? You only need to take the time to alter it, as you alter yourself (my IMC professor would call this an Agile mindset). I myself am not nearly done changing my worldviews, my passions, and my ways of living; I never will be, and my Creative Brief will never stop growing and changing with me.

My hope is that anyone who reads this takes the time to at least reflect on their passions and potential, and think about the future which lies ahead. Moving forward is the only option, and a document that acts as a lantern to hold on your journey down the path to greater heights is something I have never, ever had- that is, I didn’t until I made my Personal Creative Brief. Taking the time (and enduring the anxieties that can come with the task) to create your CB is rewarding and assuring. I hope yours is as intriguing and thoughtful as all the rest I have read through, and I wish you the best of luck in making it.