Working to a Brief: Planning and Responding

Making what the brief asks for

In the exam part of this subject you do not choose your own project freely. Instead you are given a brief: a set task from the exam board that says what should be made, who it is for and what limits apply. Working to a brief is a skill in itself. You have to read the task carefully, work out exactly what is being asked, research ideas, develop and test them, and then make a response that truly fulfils the brief within the time and materials allowed. This module covers how to understand a brief, how to investigate and develop ideas towards a response, and how to keep checking your work against what was asked, so that your finished piece answers the task and not just your own preference.

Brief words

Learn these five terms before you take on a brief.

Match each craft step to what it does

A free choice against a set brief

Working to a brief is not the same as pleasing yourself. Know the difference.

Who is the client?

A brief asks you to make a bowl for an elderly person who has a weak grip. Who is the client here?

• The elderly person who will use the bowl
• Only the exam board that set the task
• The maker who makes the bowl
• There is no client at all

Read the brief before you make

The most common mistake in a set task is to start making before truly understanding what has been asked. A strong response begins on paper, not at the bench. Read the brief slowly and pull out its parts: what must be made, who it is for, what it is for, and the limits you must work inside. Write these down and keep them beside you, because every idea you develop should be checked against them. It is far better to spend the first part of your time making sure you understand the task than to make something beautiful that does not answer it. When you review your progress, the question is always the same: does this meet what the brief actually asked for?

Pick the true facts about a brief

Select every statement about working to a brief that is true.

• A brief sets out what to make and for whom
• Constraints are limits such as time, cost or materials
• Research into other makers helps you develop ideas
• A brief lets you ignore the client entirely
• The best response ignores all the requirements

Order how to respond to a brief

Put the steps of responding to a craft brief in a sensible order.

• Read the brief and list its requirements
• Research relevant makers and ideas
• Sketch and develop possible responses
• Test an idea with a maquette
• Make the final outcome that fulfils the brief

Complete the brief facts

A set task that says what to make and for whom is a _____. A limit such as time or materials is a _____. The person the work is made for is the _____. A small rough model made to test an idea is a _____.

A tailor making a suit to measure

Think of a tailor asked to make a suit for one particular person. The tailor cannot just make any suit that pleases them. They must listen to what the customer wants, take exact measurements, work within the cloth and the budget agreed, and have it ready for the day it is needed. A rough tacked-together version is often tried on first, so any problems show up before the good cloth is cut. Working to a craft task is the same. You find out exactly what is wanted and for whom, you work inside the limits you are given, you try your ideas out before committing your best materials, and you judge the finished piece by how well it meets what was asked, not simply by whether you happen to like it.

Tap what a brief tells you

Tap every item below that a brief actually tells you.

• what to make
• who it is for
• the limits to work within
• your favourite film

The brief run

Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Choose the best answer.

Respond to the brief

Read each situation and choose the best move.

• You are given a craft brief with a tight deadline and a set budget. What should you do first?
• Your favourite idea does not actually meet the brief. What should you do?
• You want to test an idea before using your best materials. What is the smart move?

Build a brief point

Choose the word for each gap to complete one accurate point about working to a brief.

Explain how to work to a brief

A friend has been given a craft brief for an exam and does not know how to approach it. Explain clearly how to work to a brief.

• Explain what a brief is and what it sets out
• Explain what constraints are, with an example
• Explain how research and sketches help you develop a response
• Explain why a maquette is useful
• Explain how to check your final outcome against the brief