When a design project goes wrong, it rarely goes wrong at the end. It goes wrong at the start, with a brief that says "something modern and clean, a bit like Apple".
A clear brief doesn't limit creativity. It points it at the right problem. Here's how to write one.
What a brief is for
A brief answers one question for the designer: what does success look like for this business? It should explain the problem, the people you want to reach and the constraints. It should not try to design the solution.
The brief template
1. About the business
What you do, who you do it for, and how long you have been doing it. Two or three sentences in plain language. If you can't explain it simply, the brand will struggle too.
2. The problem or opportunity
Why now? Common answers:
- "We're launching and need to look established from day one."
- "We've grown, but our brand still looks like a side project."
- "We're moving upmarket and our look doesn't match our prices."
- "Our materials are inconsistent and we look like five different companies."
3. The audience
Who must this work for? Describe your best customers: what they care about, what they're afraid of, where they spend time and what they already buy. "Everyone" is not an audience.
4. What makes you different
Why do customers choose you over the alternatives? Be specific. "Quality and service" is what everyone says. "We deliver in 48 hours and answer the phone on Sundays" is a difference.
5. Personality
Pick three to five words for how the brand should feel, and three it should never feel. For example: warm, confident, expert, but never corporate, cheap or loud. The "never" list is often more useful than the "always" list.
6. Competitors
List three to five competitors and what you think of their branding. This shows the designer the landscape you need to stand out in.
7. Examples you like, and why
Share brands, websites or images you admire, from any industry. The important part is the why: "I like how calm this feels," or "I like that the photos show real people." Without the reason, a designer can only copy the surface.
8. What you need delivered
The concrete list: logo suite, colour and type, social templates, website design, guidelines, and so on.
9. Practical constraints
Budget range, deadline, any must-keep elements (an existing colour, a name you can't change), and where the brand will mostly be seen.
10. Decision-making
Who approves the work? Name one person. Committees produce beige.
Mistakes to avoid
Designing in the brief. "Blue logo with a circle" closes off better answers before they exist. Describe the feeling and the problem instead.
Hiding the budget. A range helps the designer propose the right scope rather than guessing.
Asking everyone's opinion. Get input during discovery, then let one person decide.
Judging on personal taste alone. The question isn't "do I like it?" but "will this work for our customers?"
How to give feedback that helps
When you see the first concepts:
- Start with your gut reaction, then explain it. "This feels too serious for our customers" is gold.
- Describe problems, not solutions. "The name is hard to read on mobile" is better than "make it bigger and red".
- Refer back to the brief. Does it feel like the personality words? Will it stand out from the competitors?
- Consolidate. One set of feedback from the decision-maker, not five emails from five people.
The payoff
A good brief takes a couple of hours to write. It saves weeks of revisions, keeps the project on budget and gives you a brand that fits your business rather than someone's guess.
If you'd like a hand writing yours, book a free 30-minute call. We'll walk through these questions together.
