Design

Research Unit
Day 3.
Dr. Will Kurlinkus
Who Are Your Stakeholders
For Each Activity?
What is a Design Brief?
A document describing the design
problem and establishing a foundation of
objectives, principles, and requirements.
Single sentence problem statement,
followed by more complex and
researched problem description.
A description of objectives: KPIs (key
performance indicators) that show your
design has been successful
Examples that show what you mean in
your problem and solution statements
 What Belongs in Your Design
Briefs?
1. Describes the major general problem in a larger context (the readings and
research youve been doing about declining English enrollment)
2. Describes who you think the client is: Whats their brand? What are they
good at? What are you going to maintain?
3. Addresses Two Specific Problems (i.e. no student community and alumni
network)
4. Offers at least two researched solutions for two problems (we could do this
or this for each specific problem)
5. Competitor analysis: What are other English departments, university
departments, or businesses doing?
6. Stakeholder analysis and user personas (2 for each solution)
7. Research method proposal
8. Includes some kind of research at each step
9. Addresses the problem of exigence and inertia (the tendency for people
not to do things)
10. Addresses the problem of logistics: who will be running this solution? How will
it get done?
11. Give a timeline of events
12. Give a scope (we will do this not that. The project will be done when)
Specific to this Class
I want a one pager (executive summary) and a multi-
pager: see
https://designschool.canva.com/blog/effective-design-
brief/ for 1-pager examples
Design briefs must include images of competitors and
solutions. Show me what the things you propose look like.
You can also include info-graphics.
The majority must be easily actionable. We have no budget
or at least very little. Things you can propose are allowed to
cost money. But remember we your client will appreciate
free to cheap solutions.
The majority must be student led.
I will be extremely happy if anything can be solved by a
video or social media campaign (i.e. you link to other
assignments in this class)
Must quote at least two SMEs
Visual Style
This brief should be
the best looking
document youve
ever created.
If you dont create a
scannable and
visually appealing
brief I will punt it
back to you.
You must take the
time to style your
document.
Key Terms
KPI:Key performance indicator
Deliverable
Stakeholder
User Persona
SME: subject matter expert
Avoid Ta-da
In real world design briefs you talk to the
numerous stakeholders of the company
you are working for and bounce ideas off
them before you present a formal brief.
In this class you can ask me but you can
also bounce ideas off of other English
professors, students, people in this class,
etc.