How to Build a Creative Brief in ClickUp

ClickUp makes it easy to turn messy project details into a clear, repeatable creative brief workflow your whole team can follow. This guide walks you step-by-step through planning, building, and using creative briefs based on the best practices shown in the original ClickUp creative brief examples.

Why Use ClickUp for Creative Briefs

A strong creative brief keeps everyone aligned on goals, audience, and deliverables. When you build your brief directly in ClickUp, you can connect it to tasks, assignees, and timelines, so nothing gets lost in emails or chat.

Creative briefs in ClickUp help you:

• Centralize project information in one place
• Standardize project intake across teams
• Set clear expectations for scope and deliverables
• Give creatives the context they need to do great work
• Speed up approvals and reduce rework

Plan Your ClickUp Creative Brief Structure

Before you build anything in ClickUp, define the sections you want in every creative brief. The source examples highlight a few key elements that work for marketing, design, and content teams.

Core Sections Every Brief Should Include

Use these core sections as the base of your ClickUp creative brief:

• Project overview: A short summary of what you are creating and why.
• Objectives and success metrics: How you will measure success.
• Target audience: Who the work is for and what they care about.
• Key message and tone: What you must communicate and how it should feel.
• Deliverables and formats: Exact outputs, sizes, and channels.
• Timeline and milestones: Start date, due date, and review stages.
• Stakeholders and approvals: Who requests, who creates, and who signs off.

Optional Sections Inspired by the Examples

Depending on your work, you can extend your ClickUp brief with:

• Background or problem statement
• Competitive landscape or inspiration links
• Brand guidelines and assets
• Budget or constraints
• Risks, assumptions, and dependencies

Document this structure first so you can translate it cleanly into ClickUp fields, custom fields, and templates.

Create a ClickUp List for Creative Briefs

Next, create a dedicated space where all creative briefs live. This is the foundation of your system.

1. Create a Space: In ClickUp, add a new Space for Marketing, Design, or Creative Operations.
2. Add a Folder: Inside the Space, create a folder named something like “Creative Briefs” or “Project Intake.”
3. Create a List: Add a List called “Active Briefs” to hold all open projects.

Each task in this List will represent one creative brief. This makes it easy to filter, sort, and report on all briefs in ClickUp.

Build a Reusable ClickUp Creative Brief Template

To avoid starting from scratch, set up a task template that mirrors the creative brief examples.

Step 1: Configure Task Fields in ClickUp

Open a new task in your “Active Briefs” List and configure it as your master brief layout.

• Task name: Use a naming pattern like “Campaign – Channel – Month.”
• Description: Add all your core sections as headings in the description.
• Custom fields: Add ClickUp custom fields for structured data, such as:
  • Project type (dropdown: campaign, blog, video, ad set, etc.)
  • Priority (low, medium, high)
  • Budget (number or currency)
  • Primary channel (dropdown)
  • Due date (date field if you want more than the default)
• Attachments: Add placeholders or example links for brand guidelines, logos, and reference files.

Step 2: Add a Creative Brief Description Framework

In the task description, paste a clear framework modeled after the article’s examples. For instance:

• Project Overview: [1–2 sentences]
• Objective & KPIs: [Goals and how you’ll measure them]
• Target Audience: [Demographics, behaviors, pain points]
• Key Message: [Single most important takeaway]
• Tone & Voice: [Friendly, authoritative, playful, etc.]
• Deliverables: [List each asset with specs]
• Timeline & Milestones: [Key dates and review steps]
• Stakeholders & Approvals: [Names and roles]
• Background & Context: [Relevant history, campaigns, or data]
• Inspiration & References: [Links or uploads]

This ensures every brief created in ClickUp captures the same level of detail.

Step 3: Save as a ClickUp Task Template

1. In the task menu, choose to save as a template.
2. Name it something clear like “Standard Creative Brief.”
3. Include description, custom fields, assignees (optional), and attachments.

Now anyone can create a new creative brief in ClickUp with a single click.

Set Up ClickUp Views for Brief Management

Different views in ClickUp help stakeholders and creatives find what they need fast.

• List view: Show all briefs with columns for status, due date, project type, and owner.
• Board view: Group briefs by status (Intake, In Review, In Production, Complete).
• Calendar view: Visualize deadlines and launch dates.
• Form view: Turn your brief template into a request form for non-technical stakeholders.

These views mirror the organized workflows implied in the creative brief examples, but bring them to life directly in ClickUp.

Turn Your Brief Into a ClickUp Request Form

One of the most powerful ways to scale intake is to convert your creative brief into a ClickUp Form.

1. From your “Active Briefs” List, create a new Form view.
2. Map form fields to your existing custom fields and description sections.
3. Use clear labels and help text so requesters know what to provide.
4. Set default assignees and statuses for new submissions.

Non-ClickUp experts can submit detailed creative requests via the Form, while your team still receives structured tasks that follow the brief format.

Use ClickUp to Manage Creative Brief Workflows

Once your brief is created, use ClickUp features to keep execution on track.

Assign Owners and Collaborators

In each brief task, assign:

• A project owner responsible for the outcome
• Creative leads for design, copy, or development
• Stakeholders as watchers to keep them informed

Break the Brief Into Subtasks

Translate the deliverables section of the brief into ClickUp subtasks, such as:

• Write copy for landing page
• Design hero image and banners
• Set up tracking and analytics
• QA and final approvals

Each subtask can have its own assignee, due date, and checklist.

Track Feedback and Approvals Inside ClickUp

Use comments, proofing, and attachments in ClickUp to handle reviews where the brief lives. This keeps all context tied to the original creative brief instead of scattered across tools.

Analyze and Improve Your ClickUp Brief Template

Over time, refine your creative brief structure in ClickUp based on what works and what causes confusion.

• Review completed briefs to see what information was missing.
• Ask creatives which sections helped them most.
• Adjust custom fields and description prompts accordingly.
• Create specialized templates for different work types (for example, blog posts versus video campaigns).

Because you are working in ClickUp, updating a template instantly improves every future project.

Next Steps: Connect ClickUp Briefs to Strategy

To get even more value, connect your creative brief process to broader strategy and planning. For advanced consulting around systems, SEO, and workflow design, you can look to partners such as Consultevo, and then operationalize those strategies directly in ClickUp.

By structuring your briefs, turning them into templates, and managing them end-to-end inside ClickUp, you create a repeatable system that keeps teams aligned and campaigns on track.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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