Last updated: May 2026
You have decided to invest in a brand identity. You have found a designer you trust. Now they ask you for a brief and you stare at a blank document wondering what to write. This is normal. Most business owners have never briefed a designer before. Here is exactly what to include.
In brief: A good brand design brief covers five things: what your business does and who it serves, who your competitors are and how you want to differentiate, your brand personality and tone, practical requirements (deliverables, timeline, budget), and any existing assets or constraints. Keep it to two pages maximum. The designer will ask follow-up questions. That is the point.
What to include
Your business in one paragraph. What you do, who you do it for, and why someone would choose you over alternatives. Not your mission statement. Not your company history. The version you would give a stranger at a dinner party. If you cannot explain your business in one paragraph, the designer cannot either.
Your audience. Who are your customers? Be specific. "Small business owners" is too broad. "UK-based service businesses with 5 to 20 employees who are outgrowing their first website" is useful. The more specific you are about who the brand needs to appeal to, the more targeted the design can be.
Your competitors. Name three to five businesses that compete for the same customers. Include their websites. The designer needs to understand the visual landscape you are operating in: what your audience already sees, what conventions exist, and where there are opportunities to stand out.
How you want to be perceived. Not what you want the logo to look like. How you want people to feel about your business. Professional and trustworthy? Bold and disruptive? Warm and approachable? Premium and exclusive? Give three to five adjectives. These become the north star for every design decision.
What you do not want. This is often more useful than what you do want. If you hate a particular colour, say so. If your industry is drowning in blue gradients and you want to avoid that, say so. If there is a competitor whose look you actively want to differentiate from, include them.
Practical requirements. What deliverables do you need? (Logo, colour palette, typography, brand guidelines, social templates, business cards?) What is your timeline? What is your budget range? Being upfront about budget is not awkward. It helps the designer scope appropriately.
Existing assets. Do you have a current logo that needs refreshing or replacing? Existing brand colours you want to keep? Photography or imagery you like? A website the brand needs to work with? Include everything relevant so the designer understands the starting point.
What to leave out
Design solutions. "I want a blue swoosh with modern sans-serif typography" is a design solution, not a brief. Tell the designer the problem ("we need to look credible to enterprise clients"). Let them solve it. That is what you are paying for.
Committee opinions. If five people each add their preferences to the brief, the result is a contradictory mess. One person should write the brief representing the business perspective, not five people representing five personal tastes.
Your life story. The brief is not a business plan. It is a starting point for a conversation. Two pages maximum. The designer will ask follow-up questions during the discovery phase. That dialogue is where the real understanding develops.
The brief template
Copy this structure and fill it in. It takes 30 minutes.
- What does your business do? (One paragraph.)
- Who is your target audience? (Be specific.)
- Who are your main competitors? (Three to five, with website URLs.)
- How do you want to be perceived? (Three to five adjectives.)
- What do you not want? (Styles, colours, or approaches to avoid.)
- What deliverables do you need? (Logo, guidelines, templates, etc.)
- What is your timeline?
- What is your budget range?
- Any existing assets or constraints?
That is it. The designer takes this, does their own research, and comes back with strategic recommendations and creative directions. The brief starts the conversation. It does not end it.
What happens after the brief
A professional designer reads your brief, does independent research on your market and competitors, and comes back with questions. Good questions are a positive sign. They mean the designer is thinking about your business, not just waiting for instructions.
The discovery conversation that follows the brief is where the real work begins. The designer challenges assumptions, identifies opportunities, and develops a strategic foundation that the visual work will be built on. Read about what a full brand identity project looks like (/thinking/what-is-brand-identity).
Frequently asked questions
How long should a brand brief be?
Two pages maximum. The brief is a starting point, not a comprehensive document. The designer will ask follow-up questions during discovery. Brevity forces clarity.
Should I include visual references or mood boards?
Including two to three examples of brands whose look you admire can be helpful context. But label them clearly: "I like the typography approach here" is useful. "Make it look like this" is not. You are hiring a designer to create something original, not copy something existing.
What if I do not know my brand personality?
That is normal and it is part of what the designer helps you figure out. Provide what you can. If you can only say "professional but not corporate," that gives the designer a direction to explore. The discovery process fills in the rest.
Do I need a brief if the designer does a discovery session?
Yes. The brief gives the designer context before the conversation, which makes the discovery session more productive. Without a brief, the first meeting is spent gathering basic information. With one, it can go straight to strategic discussion.
How important is budget transparency?
Very. A designer who knows your budget can scope the project appropriately. Without a budget range, they either over-scope (wasting your time with a proposal you cannot afford) or under-scope (delivering less than you actually need). Being upfront saves both sides time.
Sources
- Design Council UK, Commissioning Design Guide: https://www.designcouncil.org.uk (https://www.designcouncil.org.uk)