Gathering Brand Requirements: It’s like pulling teeth…

Ok, so maybe it's not that bad but in my experience clients really don't know what they want. Sometimes you get the people who just want a simple brand adaptation from an existing application, or public website. That's easy enough. Or they want to see some examples of designs that we have done for other clients. Sure no problem. Or you get clients that use the following terms when describing what they want their site to look like:

• Flashy
• Cool
• Clean
• Wow factor
• Easy on the eyes
• New Aged
• Techy
• Lots of white space
• Fun (Umm yea... OK...)
• Never allow anyone to put a requirement in the SRS that a portal must be fun…

So what does the client really mean when they want a site to be flashy, cool, or lots of white space? Well I have tried to streamline a few set of questions that draw those definitions out of the clients mouth and into my creative brief.

Sample Agenda for a branding JAD session:
You won't get through all of this but it is a nice take away for the client to pass onto their marketing folks.

1.) Accessibility (508 Compliancy) Standards: Is this required?

2.) Browser Standards

• Min Browser size: 800X600, 1024X768
  
• Browser Width: Full width (Liquid Design) vs. Fixed width

3.) Branding

Style guides: Ask for the most up to date version of their style guide

Site Name:

• Is there one defined?
• If so how is it represented: Text, Logo, Other?

Brand customization type

• Brand Adaptation: To what level
• Custom: Does not exists in clients environment

Brand Implementation: From top (Page) to bottom (All Site Collections)

• Site Only:
  
  • Content Editor Web Part - Using <Style> tag
  • Alternate Style sheet – Specified in sites Site Settings
  • Theme – OOTB or Custom
• Site and Option to push to Sub Sites:
  
  • Custom Master Page – In master page gallery
• Across all Site Collections
  
  • Custom Master Page – Server Side
  • Modification of Core files (Core.css, Portal.css, etc.)

Logo:

• Size
• Treatment
• Color
• Either corporate or site logo

Colors: To be either defined by style guide or custom

Imagery: Approved imagery that can be used throughout the site (Announcements, Links, products, etc.)

4.) Functional Standards

• Navigation Types:
  
  • Consistent Main Horizontal Navigation
    
    • OOTB the main navigation does not span across multiple site collections
  • Side Quick Launch (Tree view?)
• Dynamic Dropdowns: How many levels does it show? OOTB there is a max of 5
• External application links: Does it open in a new window or the same?

5.) Branding Mood Questions:

Q1. What type of treatments do you feel are appropriate?

• Gradations or flat colors
• Rounded corners
• Transparencies
• White Text on dark background
• Tabbed navigation
• Pixel lines for separation
• Shadows

Q2. Branding Moods Extremes

• Simple/Complex
• Soft rounded/hard squared
• Flat/gradients
• Light/Dark
• Open/filled in
• Heavy Imagery/soft color transitions
• Heavy/light web part title bars (Chrome)

Q3. Colors

• 1 color monotone
• Multi color complimentary
• Bold accent colors
  

Other Basic Questions that might help:

Q1. Has your company undergone any recent re-branding?

• If so will we have access to the design files?
• If not when was the last time?

Q2. Will there be a need to change or include additional Icons?

Q3. Who will be approving these designs?

• Marketing (how many?)
• Board Executives (how many?)
• Project Managers (how many?)
  

Q4. Will they be available for Q&A?

Q5. How many design reviews do you think is needed?

• 1st Round (2 comps) 1 day for review and 1 for revisions
• 2nd Round (1 comps) 1/2 day for review and 1/2 for revisions
• Final Round (1 comps) 1 day for review and 1/2 for revisions

Q6. Is there a specific need to have a different design for each area?

• Each Department or Office has their own design
• Each Site has its own color scheme
• Each Web Part has its own header style