Preparing a logo design brief

The purpose of a brief

A logo brief is not a specification of the mark. It is an account of the business the mark must represent: what the organisation does, for whom, in what context, and against what competition. A designer working from a good brief produces directions that fit the business; a designer working from a description of the desired logo produces an illustration of the client's preferences, which is a different and usually lesser thing.

The following sections describe what a useful brief contains. It need not be long. A page is usually sufficient, provided it answers the right questions.

The business

State plainly what the organisation does and how it earns its revenue. Describe the customers: who they are, how they encounter the business, and what they need to believe about it before they engage. Note the organisation's position relative to its competitors, whether it competes on expertise, on service, on price, on scale or on some other basis. A logo that must convey authority is designed differently from one that must convey approachability.

Where the mark will appear

List the applications in order of importance: website and social profiles, printed stationery, signage, vehicles, packaging, uniforms, presentation materials. The list determines the technical requirements of the mark. A logo that will appear principally as a browser icon and a social profile must work at very small sizes; one that will appear on a building must work at very large ones. Most must do both.

Existing material

If the organisation has an existing mark, provide it, together with an honest account of what works and what does not. If there are colours, typefaces or elements that must be retained for reasons of continuity or recognition, state them. If the intention is to replace everything, state that too. Provide any existing guidelines, however informal.

References, used carefully

Examples of marks the client admires are useful when accompanied by the reason for the admiration. "We like the confidence of this mark" is informative; a folder of logos without comment is not. Examples of marks the client wishes to avoid resembling are equally valuable, particularly competitors' marks. The purpose of references is to calibrate taste and context, not to specify the outcome.

What the brief should not do

A brief should not describe the logo. Statements such as "a circle with the initials inside" or "something modern in blue" constrain the work to the client's first idea, which is rarely the best available. The client's role is to define the problem; the designer's role is to propose solutions. A brief that reserves judgement until directions are presented produces better marks.

Decision-making

State who will make the decision, and whether approval must pass through a committee, a board or a partner. A mark that must satisfy several decision-makers should be reviewed by all of them at the direction stage, not at the end. State the timeline and what drives it: a launch, a rebrand of premises, a new venture. A realistic timeline allows two directions to be developed properly and one to be refined; a compressed one forces choices.

A brief in one page

A usable brief can follow this structure. The organisation: what it does, how it earns its revenue, and how it wishes to be perceived. The audience: who the customers are and what they need to believe. The context: the principal competitors and how the organisation differs from them. The applications: where the mark will appear, in order of importance. The existing material: current mark, colours, typefaces and any constraints. The references: marks admired and marks to avoid, each with a reason. The decision: who approves, by when, and what drives the date. Written plainly, this occupies a single page and gives a designer everything required to begin.

Common mistakes

The most common weaknesses in logo briefs are, first, describing the desired mark rather than the business; second, omitting the applications, so that a mark is designed for a screen and fails on a sign; third, providing references without reasons; fourth, involving additional decision-makers only at the final stage, after the direction has been refined; and fifth, setting a timeline that permits only one direction to be developed. Each is easily avoided, and each materially affects the result.

What to expect in return

From a brief of this kind, a designer should present two or more complete directions, each shown in context rather than in isolation, with a rationale for each. The selected direction is refined through a defined number of revisions and delivered as a complete set of files in every format required, together with guidelines for its use. Ownership of the mark should transfer to the client on completion.

Our approach

Our logo projects begin with a structured brief conversation covering exactly these points. Two directions are developed and presented on real surfaces, the selected direction is refined through two rounds of revisions, and the project concludes with complete exports and a single-page guideline document. Where an organisation also requires the palette, typography and wider system, a brand identity project includes the logo within a complete system.

After the brief

Once the brief is agreed, the most useful thing a client can do is respond promptly and decisively at each stage. Directions are presented with a rationale; feedback should address whether each direction fits the business described in the brief, not whether it matches a preconceived image. Revisions are most effective when consolidated into a single set of comments from all decision-makers rather than delivered piecemeal. A project run in this way concludes on schedule with a mark that the organisation understands and can defend.