HOW TO BRIEF A DESIGNER WITHOUT WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY.

Want great design fast and without drama? Brief your designer like you mean it. Vague briefs create endless rounds, missed expectations, and surprise invoices. Here’s a clean, direct process you can use right now.

WHY THIS MATTERS

A good design brief saves time and money. It gives your designer the constraints they need to be creative. Without guesswork.

START WITH ONE SENTENCE

Before anything else, write one clear line that defines the project:

“Design packaging for our new small-batch coffee roast that feels rugged and nostalgic, but polished enough to sit on the shelf next to Starbucks.”

If you can’t pin it down like that, your designer’s just decorating. Decoration fades. Brands stick.

THE 9 THINGS TO INCLUDE (AND NOTHING EXTRA)

1. PROJECT NAME + ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY

2. BACKGROUND / CONTEXT → Why this piece matters now.

3. TARGET AUDIENCE → Who they are, what they care about, outcome you want.

4. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE (MEASURABLE) → Example: “Increase signups by 15%.”

5. DELIVERABLES (EXACT) → File types, sizes, versions. No mystery.

6. MUST-HAVE CONTENT & ASSETS → Logos, fonts, colors, photography, copy. Provide links.

7. NON-STARTERS / RESTRICTIONS → “No purple.” “No mascots.” Accessibility standards.

8. TIMELINE & MILESTONES → Kickoff, first concepts, revisions, final delivery. Add buffer.

9. BUDGET & APPROVAL PROCESS → Fee or range, deposit, who signs off, how scope changes are handled.

HOW TO PREP BEFORE YOU HIT SEND

• Gather assets first. Don’t make your designer hunt.

• Pick examples you like and explain why.

• Name one decision-maker. Two is a committee. One gets results.

COMMON BRIEF KILLERS

• Meaningless or conflicting direction: “Make it pop, but keep it subtle.” Define it.

• No real audience defined: If you’re a coffee company, you can’t just say, “People who like coffee.”

• Open-ended scope: Expect delays and extra fees.

• Last-minute assets or scope changes: Expect to pay for more time.

• No deadlines: Urgent? Say why. Agree on tradeoffs.

EASY TEMPLATE YOU CAN PASTE INTO AN EMAIL

1. PROJECT NAME + ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY →

2. BACKGROUND / CONTEXT →

3. TARGET AUDIENCE →

4. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE (MEASURABLE) →

5. DELIVERABLES (EXACT) →

6. MUST-HAVE CONTENT & ASSETS →

7. NON-STARTERS / RESTRICTIONS →

8. TIMELINE & MILESTONES →

9. BUDGET & APPROVAL PROCESS →

FINAL TIP

Give the designer a tight problem to solve, not unlimited freedom. Constraints fuel creativity. Be decisive, be clear, and don’t treat the first concept as the last word.

Brief well, communicate cleanly, and you’ll get better design faster. With fewer invoices that make you wince.