A designer once received a brief that said, 'Make it look nice.' Another said, 'Like Apple but also kind of traditional.' Both projects ended in disappointment, and it was not the designer's fault. The brief was the problem.
A good brief is the difference between a design that delights you and a design that comes back wrong three times. It does not need design jargon or length. It needs clear answers to a handful of questions. Here is the template to use, built for Sri Lankan business owners.
Why the Brief Matters More Than the Budget
Designers are not mind readers. They are skilled professionals who work best with clear direction. A vague brief makes them guess, and their guess is based on what similar clients wanted, not on your business. A specific brief lets them use their skill to solve your real problem, and it saves everyone rounds of expensive revisions.
The brief also protects you. It records what you asked for, which makes scope and expectations clear on both sides.
The Eight-Section Brief Template
- Who we are — your business in two or three sentences, your industry, and how long you have been around.
- What we do — your product or service, your price range, and where customers find you.
- Who our customer is — age, location, and what matters to them. 'Colombo families aged 30–45' beats 'everyone.'
- The problem — why you need this design and what you want it to change, like 'our brand looks cheap next to competitors.'
- What we like — 3–5 examples of brands or designs you admire, with one sentence each on why. Show images, not just names.
- What we dislike — colours, styles, and trends you want avoided, and why.
- The deliverables — exactly what you need: logo, stationery, social templates, print files, in which formats.
- Practical details — timeline, budget, and who makes the final decision.
Fill in what you can honestly answer. If you cannot answer a section, that is useful information too, and a good designer will ask the right follow-up.
The Power of Examples and the Trap of Copying
Examples are the fastest way to communicate taste. Say 'I love the warmth of this bakery brand and the clean typography of this tech company' and your designer instantly understands your direction. But be careful: 'I want my logo to look like this competitor's logo' is a copy request, not a brief. You want the feeling, not the imitation. If you can point to what you like in an example, the designer can create something original with that spirit.
Mistakes That Ruin a Brief
- Describing the design instead of the business — 'make it blue and modern' tells the designer nothing useful.
- Asking for five different styles at once — pick a direction, or the result is a muddy compromise.
- Skipping the customer section — design made without knowing the customer is design made for no one.
- Not defining 'done' — agree in writing on the number of concepts and revision rounds before work starts.
- Changing the decision maker mid-project — decide who approves before you begin.
How to Give Feedback That Helps
When designs come back, feedback works best when it is specific and directional. Instead of 'I don't like it', say 'the colour feels too corporate for our warmth' or 'the logo feels too formal for a family bakery.' Describe the problem, not your mood. And give one clear direction, like 'push the friendly feeling, simplify the icon,' rather than a list of scattered thoughts.
Final Thoughts
A thirty-minute brief saves weeks of revision and delivers the branding you actually wanted. Write down who you are, who your customer is, what you like and dislike, and what you need delivered. Hand that to your designer, and let the professional do the professional work.