How to Write a Design Brief: Template and Example Questions

A design brief is a document that explains to a designer why the project is needed, who it is for, what problem it must solve and how the result will be judged. A good brief includes the goal, an audience description, competitors, mandatory requirements, annotated references, deadlines and the person responsible for approval. It does not describe a ready-made solution — it describes the problem.

Why write a brief if everything can be discussed in a meeting?

Meetings matter, but without a written brief details get lost: one person remembers one thing, another remembers something else, and two weeks later it turns out "that is not what we meant at all". A brief solves several problems:

• it forces the client to articulate the task — sometimes at this stage it becomes clear a different project is needed;
• it gives the designer a basis for decisions and arguments;
• it becomes the acceptance criterion: results are compared with the goals in the brief, not with the mood on presentation day;
• it reduces the number of iterations and therefore time and budget.

What a brief must include

1. About the company. What you do, for how long, key products, values. Links to your website and social media.
2. Project task. What needs to be made (logo, website, packaging, presentation) and — most importantly — why. Which business problem it solves: entering a new market, rebranding, a product launch, sales growth.
3. Target audience. Who your customers are: age, city, income, language, occupation, what matters to them when choosing. If there are several audiences, name the priority one.
4. Positioning. How you differ from competitors and why customers choose you. One or two sentences.
5. Competitors. 3–5 competitors with links and a short comment: what you like and dislike.
6. Mandatory requirements. What cannot change (colours, logo, name), which elements are required, technical constraints, languages.
7. References. Examples you like and dislike — with an explanation of what exactly.
8. Where it will be used. Media and formats: website, social media, print, signage, packaging.
9. Timeline and budget range. The target date and whether there is a hard deadline (trade show, launch).
10. Who decides. The contact person and who gives final approval.
11. Success criteria. How you will know the project worked.

A brief describes the problem, not the solution. "We need a blue logo with a bird" is a solution. "Corporate clients need to trust us" is a problem.

How to describe taste without saying "modern and beautiful"

"Modern", "stylish", "premium", "not boring" — everyone reads these words differently. Better approaches:

• Give annotated references. Not just a link, but "I like the generous white space and calm colours here" or "I like the bold typography but not the bright gradients".
• Use scales. For example: classic — contemporary, restrained — bold, mass-market — premium, serious — friendly. Mark where your brand should sit on each.
• Include anti-references. What you definitely do not want to resemble often tells a designer more than what you like.
• Describe feelings through the audience. "Customers should feel this is reliable, with no surprises."

Questions for different project types

Beyond the general section, specific projects need their own questions:

• Logo and identity: where the logo will be used most, whether there is a story or meaning to reflect, whether versions in different languages or scripts are needed. More on our branding page.
• Website: the main goal (leads, sales, information), page structure, required features, who will update content, whether copy and photos exist.
• Packaging: dieline, print method, mandatory labelling, point of sale, competitors on the shelf.
• Presentation: the audience and format, time available, whether text and data are ready.

Brief vs technical specification: what is the difference

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but the documents do different jobs:

• A brief answers "why" and "for whom": business goal, audience, positioning, desired feel, success criteria. The client fills it in, sometimes together with the studio.
• A technical specification answers "what exactly and in what form": the list of website pages and features, layout sizes and formats, number of slides, file requirements, integrations. For complex projects it is usually written after the brief, together with the contractor.

For a logo or a small series of posts, a good brief is enough. For a website, an app or a large catalogue, it is better to have both.

Example: a weak brief and a strong one

Take a hypothetical coffee shop chain that needs a new logo.

Weak version: "We need a modern logo for a coffee shop. It should be stylish and memorable. Any colours, but not too bright."

Strong version answers the same questions specifically:

• goal — opening new locations in business centres; the brand should read as a place for fast, quality coffee on the way to work;
• audience — office workers who value speed and consistent quality;
• difference — in-house roasting and a consistent taste at every location;
• the logo will appear on cups, signage, a pre-order app and coffee bean packaging;
• references — two brands with minimalist typography; anti-reference — a "homely" style with flourishes;
• the founder approves, and a decision is needed by a set opening date.

With the second brief the designer can test ideas against the task straight away instead of guessing the client's taste.

What materials to attach to the brief

• your current logo in vector format and brand guidelines, if you have them;
• examples of past materials — what to keep and what to move away from;
• copy, product photos, data for tables and charts;
• technical requirements from the printer, platform or developers;
• access to accounts and the website if the work involves them.

If some answers are still unknown, say so: "we don't know yet, we need help". That is more honest than filling the field with generic phrases, and it shows the studio where extra analysis or research is needed before design starts.

Common brief mistakes

• The brief is a formality — generic phrases that could describe any company.
• The audience is "everyone" — meaning no one in particular.
• References without comments — the designer has to guess what you liked.
• Several approvers with different opinions who only meet at the final presentation.
• Requirements change mid-project without the brief being updated.
• Missing materials: copy, photos and a vector logo arrive at the last minute.

What happens after the brief

The brief is only the start. Usually the studio then asks follow-up questions, proposes a timeline and cost estimate, and records the scope in a contract or appendix: how many concepts, how many revision rounds, which files are delivered at the end. To keep the project running smoothly:

• Discuss the brief in a meeting and ask the studio to restate the task in its own words — it shows straight away whether it was understood.
• Agree on the format and timing of feedback from your side.
• Collect revisions from all stakeholders in one document instead of sending them separately.
• Judge proposed solutions against the goals in the brief, not only personal taste.

A short brief template

If time is short, answer at least these questions:

1. What needs to be done and why?
2. Who is it for?
3. How are you different from competitors?
4. What is mandatory and what is off-limits?
5. Three examples you like, and why.
6. Where will it be used?
7. When is it needed and who approves it?
8. How will we know it worked?

A good studio will still ask follow-up questions — a brief does not replace the conversation, it makes it productive. At Dasta Creative we start every project with a brief and a meeting, and we help fill it in if the task is not yet fully defined. Learn more about ongoing collaboration on our design support page.