"I'll know it when I see it" is the most expensive sentence in design. It leads to guessing, rounds of changes and frustration on both sides.
A good brief changes that. It is a short document that tells the designer what you need, for whom, and why. Here is how to write one in under an hour.
Why the brief matters
Designers are skilled, but they cannot read your mind. They do not know your customers, your history or your plans. A brief gives them that context, so their first draft is close.
It also protects you. When you have written down the goal, you can judge the design against it instead of against a feeling. Most packages include a set number of change rounds, so a clear start means you use them well.
The 8 parts of a good brief
1. About your business
Two or three sentences. What you do, who you serve, and what makes you different. Add your website address if you have one.
2. The goal
What should this design achieve? "A logo" is a task, not a goal. "A logo that makes us look professional enough to win larger clients" is a goal. Write the result you want.
3. The audience
Who will see this? Age, interests, how they find you, what they care about. A design for busy tradespeople differs from one for wedding clients.
4. Style and feeling
Choose three words that describe how it should feel. For example: warm, modern, trustworthy. Add words for what it should not feel like. If you are choosing a palette, our post on brand colors can help.
5. Examples
Send five to ten examples. Include things you like and things you dislike, and say why for each. "I like how clean this is" or "the font feels too playful" tells the designer more than any adjective.
6. What is included
List exactly what you need. For a logo that might be main logo, icon version, light and dark versions. For a website, list pages and key features. For a video, the length and where it will be shown.
7. Practical details
Sizes, file formats, text that must appear, colors or fonts you already use, and any legal lines. Provide your existing logo, photos and text files in one folder.
8. Timeline and budget
Say when you need it and what you can spend. This is not a trap. It helps the designer suggest what fits. A designer who knows the budget can propose the best option within it.
A brief template you can copy
Business: [what you do, who for]
Goal: [what this should achieve]
Audience: [who will see it]
Feeling: [3 words, plus 1 to avoid]
Examples: [links, with what you like or dislike]
Deliverables: [exact list]
Must include: [text, logo, colors, legal lines]
Deadline: [date]
Budget: [range]
Common briefing mistakes
- Being vague. "Make it pop" means different things to different people.
- Prescribing the solution. Tell the designer the problem, not the exact fix. "Make the logo bigger" may not solve what is really wrong.
- Adding opinions from everyone. Too many voices create a muddle. Gather feedback first, then send one clear message.
- Changing the goal mid-way. A new direction means starting over.
- Hiding the budget. It leads to proposals that miss the mark.
- Leaving out the audience. You are not your customer.
How to give good feedback
Once the first draft arrives, your feedback is just as important as your brief.
- Look at the goal first. Does it do the job? Ask that before whether you like it.
- Be specific. "The headline is hard to read on mobile" is useful. "I don't love it" is not.
- Explain why. The reason lets the designer solve the real issue.
- Send all comments at once. Several small rounds waste your change allowance.
- Name what works. Tell the designer what to keep.
- Ask people who match your customers. Their view counts more than your family's.
Briefs for different kinds of projects
Logo
Include the business name exactly as spelled, the tagline if any, where the logo will be used and the three feeling-words. Our guide on what makes a good logo shows what to aim for.
Website
List pages, main action (call, book, buy), content you already have, and sites you admire. Read how to build a homepage that sells to know what to ask for.
Video or 3D
Give the length, the platform, the message, and any product details or reference footage. For 3D, include measurements and photos of the product from every side.
What a designer does with your brief
It helps to know what happens next. A good designer reads your brief, checks your examples, and then often asks follow-up questions. Do not take that as a sign the brief was bad. It means they are taking the work seriously.
They will usually do four things:
- Research your market and competitors.
- Explore a few ideas before choosing the strongest.
- Present a first version with a short explanation of their choices.
- Refine it with your feedback.
The clearer your brief, the more of that time goes into polish instead of guessing. Answer questions quickly, and say so honestly if something in the brief has changed.
Before you send the brief
- Is the goal stated in one sentence?
- Do you name the audience?
- Are there examples with comments?
- Is the list of deliverables exact?
- Are files and text ready in one folder?
- Are the deadline and budget stated?
- Has everyone who needs to approve it read it?
Let us help you shape the brief
If you are not sure how to start, you do not have to write a perfect brief. Tell us your idea in your own words and we will ask the right questions. Browse our logo design and web design services, or contact us and we will reply within 6 hours.