Brief the image like a piece of communication
Start with the advertisement’s job and the viewer’s context. Then define a single visual idea rather than asking for a collage of every brand attribute.
- Subject and setting: exactly what appears and where.
- Visual story: the one idea the viewer should understand immediately.
- Composition: foreground, focal point, perspective and negative space.
- Lighting and materials: the atmosphere and physical treatment required.
- Placement: format, safe area and where the headline or CTA will sit.
A reusable original brief structure
A restaurant advertising example
Review before production or publication
- Can the idea be understood instantly without explanatory text?
- Does the image respect the actual product, brand and cultural context?
- Are logos, labels, hands, reflections and materials free of distracting errors?
- Is there enough safe space for legible copy in every placement?
- Would an authentic product photograph be more honest for this claim?
- Has a person approved the final exported asset rather than only the prompt?
Official and reference links