Template:Requesting
the Information
You Need
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Does your brief still feel incomplete, even after following the five steps
outlined in our Warm Up? That can happen. From time to time, you
may find yourself in a situation where a client has given you some, but
not all, of the information you need to get started on a project. Thefollowing email templates are designed to help you ask for what’smissing. There’s one for each step of the Warm Up, so that no stone isleft unturned. Feel free to edit and adapt the details to suit your needs!

This template came from Tyrus, a free digital toolkit from Airbnb Design.
To learn about Tyrus and find more downloadable templates, visit tyrus.design.
Feel free to edit this template and utilize it for your own purposes.

:Belo: Tyrus

1.

Use this template if you’re having trouble identifying stakeholders.

Hello _________________,
I’m excited to be learning more about this project!
Before we get started, I’d love to know more about who I’ll be working with. Will
you be my primary point of contact throughout, or should I expect to also
communicate with other stakeholders?
Also, I want to make sure I understand who will be giving final approval as theproject wraps up. This information helps me understand where feedback will
be coming from, and will allow me to set aside the appropriate amount of time
for the revision process.
Looking forward to next steps!

2.

Use this template if you need help understanding big-picture goals.

Hello _________________,
I’m looking forward to learning more about this project.
Before we get started, would you mind providing more backgroundinformation about the project? I’d love to know more about the problems theseillustrations will be helping to solve, so I can get a holistic sense of thebroader goals at hand.
Specifically, I’m interested in learning [insert topics here].
Any further context would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

3.

Use this template if you’d like to get clearer on copy.

Hello _________________,
I hope this finds you well!
As I’m looking through our brief, I’m realizing I don’t see a description of thecopy that will appear alongside this illustration.
Knowing what the copy is will help me verify that the look and feel of theartwork matches the tone of the text. If copy isn’t final yet, would it bepossible to schedule a phone call to discuss what you have in mind?
I prefer to start projects after copy is complete, since changes that occur
further down the line can lead to added fees for extra revisions.
Let me know what you think.
Excited to get started!

4.

Use this template if you’re wondering where your illustrations will live.

Hello _________________,
Thanks so much for sending me the brief.
As I’m looking through, I’m realizing there aren’t any sizing specs or adescription of where the illustration will ultimately live. Understanding thesethings helps me figure out exactly how I should compose an illustration, andthe level of detail I should plan to incorporate. (For example, a lush, detailed
piece of work like [insert work here] would not work if it was ultimately going toappear on a phone screen.)
The complexity of the illustration will also factor into my budget and timeline
proposal, so I’d like to make sure I have as much information as possible. Iknow sizing matters can get pretty technical, so if you’d like to hop on a call tofigure out the details, I’d be more than happy to—let me know!
Thanks!

5.

Use this template if you’re looking for more detailed brand guidelines.

FOR A CLIENT WITH EXISTING BRAND GUIDELINES:

Hello _________________,
Thank you for sending along your brand guidelines.
Now that I’ve had a chance to take a look, I’d love to ask a few clarifying
questions before moving forward.
To start, it seems that your brand book focuses mainly on design—do you have
any rules in place when it comes to illustration? Regarding color palette, isthere room for flexibility or should I plan on sticking to the colors shown? On a
more high-level note, I’d like to get a sense of what your brand hopes toconvey with each illustration.
My work encompasses a full range of sentiment, and I want to be sure to avoid
anything that could come across as off-brand.
Excited to get to work!

FOR A CLIENT WITH NO BRAND GUIDELINES:

Hello _________________,
Thank you for sharing the brief with me!
After taking a look, I realized there aren’t brand guidelines in place for thisproject. Because we’ve never worked together before, I want to make sure I
understand the look and feel of what you have in mind, so I can avoid
producing work that comes across as off-brand. Are there any foundational
aspects of your brand that you can share with me?
I’m especially curious about color palette, how you prefer to depict people, thegeneral tone of your work, etc. Knowing these things will help me craft anillustration that feels true to you.
Happy to schedule a call if it’s easier to chat that way—let me know!