A useful AI creative brief describes what the image must communicate and which visible details will make it usable. Start with the reader or viewer's task. A homepage hero, a product listing, and a moodboard may share a subject but need different framing, accuracy, and finishing work.
State the intended use
Write one sentence about where the image will appear and what it should help someone understand. For example: “A landing-page hero that makes a reusable bottle easy to recognize and leaves room for a short headline.” This gives composition and clarity a purpose.
Identify the final orientation early. You do not need to commit to a platform's exact upload specification to know whether the subject must fit a narrow portrait crop or a wide hero. Verify final platform requirements separately when preparing the export.
Describe visible choices
- Subject: the object, person, or scene that matters most.
- Setting: the surface, environment, and background detail.
- Composition: placement, distance, and room for text.
- Lighting and material: concrete qualities a reviewer can inspect.
- Constraints: details that must remain accurate or absent.
Replace broad adjectives with visual decisions. “Fresh” might mean natural daylight and a pale green background. “Technical” might mean a clear view of a mechanism. If the team interprets an adjective differently, resolve that ambiguity before generating a large set.
Use an illustrative brief
“Create a portrait studio concept for a reusable water bottle. Place the bottle in the lower centre on a pale stone surface. Use soft daylight from the left and a calm cream background. Leave generous empty space above for a headline. Do not include campaign text in the generated image.”
If the bottle must match a real product, supply an approved reference through a compatible model and list the details that require comparison. Text instructions alone do not establish exact product identity.
Separate exploration from requirements
The ad-refresh examples distinguish changes in style, motion, copy, and format. Our guide to branching creative variations explains how to compare those directions while keeping shared requirements visible.
Keep non-negotiable requirements in one section and experimental choices in another. A correct product shape may be mandatory; a cream or green background may be open for exploration. Branch the optional choices while keeping the requirements visible in every variant.
In Nova Creative, start from the pipeline and use the brief as a shared input for the directions you want to test. Check each generator's capabilities rather than assuming every branch supports the same references or output settings.
Close the feedback loop
After the first outputs, write feedback as observable changes: “move the subject lower” or “reduce background objects.” Avoid “make it better,” which leaves the next run without a clear target. Change one important dimension, compare the result, and update the reusable brief only when the revision solves the original problem. Save an approved example alongside the written direction so future reviewers understand the intended standard.