I have a saying: «a vague brief, a vague result». This isn't about complex documents. A good brief can be written in 10 minutes — and it saves weeks of edits. Here's how.
Why you even need a brief
A brief isn't bureaucracy — it's a way to agree «on the shore». When the task is described in words, the designer makes what you need, not what they guessed. Without a brief, edits turn into endless ping-pong, and the deadline and budget grow.
The more precisely you describe the task, the more precise the quote and the fewer the edits. A brief is in your own interest.
The structure of a good brief
1. About the business
What you do, for whom, how you differ from competitors. The designer needs to understand the context.
2. The task
What specifically is needed: a logo, a business card, packaging, a banner. Where it will be used.
3. Audience
Who your clients are: age, lifestyle, what matters to them. Design for teenagers and for a premium segment are different worlds.
4. Technical details
The size and format of the layout, the text that must be there, mandatory elements (phone, QR, address), deadlines.
5. References
2–5 examples you like and a couple of «not like this». This is gold: one image saves a paragraph of explaining.
6. Stop list
What definitely shouldn't be there: disliked colors, forbidden associations, brand constraints.
A ready-to-use template — copy and fill in
- Company: who we are, what we sell, how we differ.
- Task: what to make and where it will live.
- Audience: who it's for.
- Text and mandatory elements: what must be on the layout.
- Format and size: e.g., a business card 90×50 mm, a post 1080×1350.
- References: links or screenshots + what exactly you like.
- Stop list: what to avoid.
- Deadline and budget: by which date and within what range.
A common mistake
«Make it beautiful, you're the designer.» That's not a brief — it's handing off responsibility. The designer will guess 50%, and then blind edits begin. Better to spend 10 minutes on a brief than a week on redos.
Not sure how to describe the task? I'll help you build the brief at the start.
Write me →You don't need to be a pro to write a good brief. Just answer the eight points above honestly — and the project will move fast and without stress.