Interpreting a Client Brief

LO2 - Be able to interpret client requirements and target audience considerations.

Interpreting the client breif carefully is important because:

- the end product must be what the customer wants to create more sales.
- everyone on the production team must be working towards the same goal with the same understanding of the project.
- wasting time and resources must be avoided.

Types of Requirements:
Implicit - These are inferred from the brief. The brief must be interpreted from this.
Open - There is freedom for decisions to be made to fit the client brief.
Constraints - These are boundaries that the project must remain in (ethical, budget).
Explicit - These are clearly stated in the brief for the product.

Examples of Requirements

'Must use bright colours to appeal to children' - Explicit and Open
'Consent from all actors must be received' - Constraints and Explicit
'We wish to introduce a new range of children's footwear' - Implicit
'The advert must be made for our website' - Explicit and Open
'The new shoes will be for ages 8-14' - Implicit and Open
'Must be filmed in a fashionable area' - Explicit and Open

Tools used for Interpreting Client Brief

- Mind Map
- Mood board
- Blue-Sky Thinking
- SWOT Analysis


Blue Sky Thinking
- initial ideas
- no idea is discounted
- ideas expanded on

Blue sky thinking is helpful for the original thinking of ideas. In blue-sky thinking no idea is discounted or considered wrong as it is a general though process of openness towards the brief when first given.


Children's Shoes Brief: Blue Sky Thinking



I think using catchy sayings and cartoons is a good idea to make the advert appealing and rememberable to children. Including sweets/food in the shoe box and creating an animated advert are also good ideas for the children's shoe brief. Bright colours in the adverts along with a tagline is a good idea to make the advert stand out and make the brand memorable.

The ideas that I think should not be used are making to advert like a video game as that may not appeal to both genders and the advert will only be relevant to a specific audience. Another idea that I think should not be used is spray-on shoes as that idea will not appeal to a wide enough audience.



Mind Maps
- colour
- symbols
- branches
- word along the branches
- central point (website: mindmup)

 Mindmaps are useful for linking together ideas and exploring further detail from the client brief. They allow for a more organised exploration of ideas than blue sky thinking and allow for ideas from the client brief to be fully explored without drifting away from the brief too much. Mind maps also allow for the generation and grouping of ideas.

Children's Shoes Brief - Mind Map

Mood Boards

- visual ideas

- lots of images, colours and textures

- locations

- examples of the final product.

Mood boards are useful for creating a visual aid to accompany the original ideas from the brief. It can include location, texture and key colours that may be used within the media product. Mood boards are helpful in order to take inspiration from other people, adverts and media products.

Children's Shoes Brief - Mood Board

SWOT Analysis

- four step process

- identify any challenges 

- analyses all parts of a media product

- threats are out of control

SWOT analysis is helpful to analyse the process of planning and identify any challenges that may occur in the media product. It is a simple four-step process to think of any challenges and any strengths. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis's are useful as they help to identify weaknesses or threats and eliminate them. This allows for the advert to be created as efficiently and productively as possible. For example, if a threat such as low light is not controlled, the advert may need to be re-filmed. These are all helpful to find opportunities to exploit to make the advert as good as possible. 

Children's Shoes Brief - SWOT Analysis