How to write a design brief that gets you better work

A clear brief is the cheapest way to get better design. It means fewer rounds of changes, a more accurate quote and work that solves the right problem the first time.

You don’t need to write anything formal. A page of honest answers is worth more than ten pages of jargon. Here’s what to cover.

1. Who you are, in plain language

What the business does, who it’s for and how long you’ve been going. Write it as you’d explain it to a friend, not as it appears on your About page.

2. Why now

What’s prompting the project? A launch, growth, a new market, a brand that no longer fits? The reason shapes the work. A business preparing for investment needs something different from one opening its first shop.

3. What you need

Be as specific as you can about deliverables: a logo, a full identity, a brochure, signage, a website, social templates. If you’re not sure, say so. Working that out together is part of a designer’s job.

4. Your audience

Who are you trying to reach, and who are you not? Ages, sectors, locations, what they care about. “Everyone” isn’t an audience. The more specific you are, the sharper the design can be.

5. What makes you different

Why do customers choose you over the alternatives? If you’re not sure, ask a few of them. Their answers are often more useful than your own.

6. Competitors and comparisons

List three to five competitors, and say what you like and dislike about how they present themselves. This gives your designer a map of where you need to stand out.

7. Things you like (and why)

Share brands, websites or pieces of print you admire, from any industry. The useful bit is the why. “I like how calm it feels” tells a designer far more than a screenshot on its own.

8. What must stay, and what must go

Is there anything with equity you want to keep: a name, a colour, a symbol customers recognise? And anything you’re keen to move away from?

9. Practical details

• Timeline: when do you need it, and is that date fixed?
• Budget: even a rough range helps a designer propose the right scope.
• Sign-off: who needs to approve the work? Name them early.
• Where it will be used: print, screen, signage, vehicles, merchandise.

10. What success looks like

How will you know the project worked? More enquiries, bigger clients, a team that feels proud of the brand, a successful launch? Agreeing this at the start makes feedback much easier later.

A simple template

Copy this into an email and answer each line in a sentence or two:

1. About us:
2. Why now:
3. What we think we need:
4. Who it’s for:
5. Why customers choose us:
6. Competitors:
7. Brands we like, and why:
8. Keep / lose:
9. Timeline, budget and who signs off:
10. Success looks like:

Don’t worry about getting it perfect

A brief is a starting point, not a contract. A good designer will ask follow-up questions and probably challenge a few of your assumptions. That conversation is where much of the value is.

If you’d rather talk it through than write it down, that’s what the first 30-minute call is for. Have a look at our brand identity process to see where the brief fits in.