How to write a logo design brief that gets you the right logo
A clear brief saves rounds of revisions. Use this structure to tell a designer who you are, who you serve and what the logo has to do.
- Published
- Reading time
- 2 min read
Key takeaways
- Describe your business, audience and competitors before describing visuals.
- List where the logo will appear, so the designer plans for every size and medium.
- Share likes and dislikes with reasons, not just examples.
A logo designer can only work with what you tell them. Vague briefs lead to rounds of guessing; clear ones lead to concepts that fit from the start. Here is a structure that works for most businesses.
1. Who you are
Write two or three sentences about what the business does, how long it has been running and what makes it different. Include the exact name as it should appear, any tagline, and whether the name might change or be shortened.
2. Who you serve
Describe your customers: who they are, what they care about and where they encounter you. A logo for a children's tutoring service and one for an industrial supplier need very different personalities, even if both should look professional.
3. Where the logo will live
List every place it will appear:
- Website header and favicon
- Social media avatars
- Invoices, letterheads and presentations
- Signage, vehicles, uniforms or packaging
- Embroidery, stamps or engraving
This tells the designer which sizes, colour modes and simplified versions they need to plan for. A detailed mark that looks good on a poster may disappear in a 32-pixel browser tab.
4. Personality in a few words
Choose three to five adjectives that describe how the brand should feel, such as calm, precise, modern or warm, playful, local. Add one or two words it should not feel like. Opposites are often more useful than wishes.
5. Competitors and references
Name a few competitors and say what you want to avoid copying. Then share logos you like, from any industry, with a sentence on why you like each one. "Clean lines and confident spacing" gives a designer far more to work with than "I like this one".
6. Practical requirements
Mention existing colours you must keep, cultural considerations for your markets, languages or scripts the name must work in, and any deadlines. If you need trademark checks, say so early.
7. What you expect to receive
Ask for the file formats you will need: vector files for print, PNG and SVG for the web, and one-colour versions. Clarify how many concepts and revision rounds are included.
A good brief is also a useful document for your own team. If you want help shaping one, our brand identity design service starts with exactly this conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a logo brief be?
One to three pages is usually enough. What matters is that it answers the key questions clearly, not its length.
Should I include my own sketch?
You can, as a starting point for discussion. Explain what you like about it so the designer can keep the idea while improving the execution.
