Getting started / Guide
How to write a design brief
A design brief explains what you need, who it is for and what a successful handover should contain. You do not need to arrive with a design solution.
Describe the business and the reason for the project
Explain what you offer, who it is for and where people encounter the business. Use concrete information rather than a list of adjectives such as “bold” or “premium”.
For an existing identity, explain why you are considering a change. Has the offer expanded? Is the logo difficult to use? Do current materials feel inconsistent? Include what works and what you would like to retain.
If the name, audience or offer is still undecided, say so. Those decisions can affect the scope and the order of the work.
Share existing materials and useful references
Collect current logo files and a few examples of real materials. Screenshots help explain the situation; editable or vector files may also be needed for the work itself.
Share a few references and explain each choice. You might like the clarity of a layout or the restraint of a colour palette. A reference should communicate a quality you want to explore, rather than ask for another brand’s design.
Include practical constraints such as an existing sign, a required language or a supplier’s production specification.
List deliverables, priorities, budget and timing
Separate what must be ready at launch from later possibilities. Be specific about formats and how the files will be used.
- Which materials do you need first?
- Which need to remain editable, and who will edit them?
- Who supplies the text, photography and other content?
- What budget is available, and are any dates fixed?
- Who approves the work and gathers feedback?
For example, “Instagram graphics” could mean one campaign image or a reusable post-and-story template set. Those are different scopes. If you are unsure what to request, describe the use and ask the designer to help define the deliverables.
A simple design brief example
This fictional example shows the level of detail needed for a first conversation:
Business: A neighbourhood barbershop opening a second location.
Reason for the project: Our existing logo is difficult to read on the shop sign, and our printed materials do not match.
What should stay: The business name. We are open to changing the mark and colours.
First applications: Shop sign artwork, a price list and editable social post and story templates. Sign production is arranged separately.
Practical details: We will share the current files, sign dimensions, copy, available budget and opening date.
Approval: One owner gathers feedback and approves each agreed stage.
Your brief can be a short email. Its purpose is to make the starting point clear, not to prescribe the design.
Give feedback against the brief
Gather feedback into one response where possible and explain the concern. “The contact details are hard to read at this size” is actionable. “Make it pop” leaves the problem unclear.
Before work starts, agree the scope, feedback stages and handover. Update the brief together if priorities change. It should remain a useful reference for decisions throughout the project.
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