How to Write a Design Brief That Gets You Exactly What You Want

Every great design starts with a great brief. Get the brief right and you'll save time, reduce revisions, and end up with work that nails what you actually wanted. Here's how to write one.

Start with the goal, not the design

Before describing what you want it to look like, explain what it needs to do. Is this ad meant to drive sign-ups? Is this deck meant to close investors? The purpose shapes every design decision.

Define your audience

Design for a Gen-Z app launch looks nothing like design for an enterprise finance report. Tell the designer who they're speaking to.

Cover the practical essentials

• Format and dimensions — where will this be used, and at what size?
• Deliverables — how many versions, what file types?
• Brand assets — logos, fonts, colors, existing guidelines
• Copy — the actual text that needs to appear
• Deadline — when you need it

Show, don't just tell

Words like "modern" or "clean" mean different things to different people. Share examples you like — and a few you don't. Visual references close the gap between your imagination and the designer's interpretation faster than any description.

One good reference image is worth a paragraph of adjectives.

Be clear about must-haves vs nice-to-haves

Tell the designer what's non-negotiable (the logo must appear, the CTA must say X) versus where they have creative freedom. This prevents wasted effort and invites their expertise where it helps.

Leave room for expertise

You hired designers for a reason. A brief should give direction without dictating every pixel — the best results often come from giving a clear goal and trusting the team to solve it.

A simple brief template

Next time, just fill in these blanks: What we need, why we need it, who it's for, where it'll be used, brand assets attached, references we like, and deadline. That covers ninety percent of what any designer needs to do great work.