The quality of a logo project often depends on the quality of the brief. A clear brief helps designers explore the right ideas from the start, instead of guessing.
Start with the business, not the look
Explain what you do, who you do it for and what makes you different. A designer can only create a mark that represents you if they understand you.
Describe your audience
Who are your customers? What do they value? What would make them trust a business like yours? A logo for a children’s brand and a logo for a law firm solve very different problems.
Share three words
Pick three words that describe how you want people to feel about your brand: for example, “trustworthy, modern, warm”. These give the designer a practical filter for every decision.
Show what you like and dislike
Collect a few logos and brands you admire, and a few you do not. Explain why. The reasons are more useful than the examples themselves.
List where the logo will be used
- Website and social media profile images
- Signage, vehicles or uniforms
- Packaging and printed materials
- App icons and favicons
A logo that must work as a tiny favicon and a large shop sign needs a different approach from one that only appears on a website.
Be clear on practical details
Include your name exactly as it should appear, any strapline, existing colours you need to keep, your deadline and your budget.
What you should get back
A professional identity project should deliver a full logo suite (horizontal, stacked and icon versions), a colour palette, typography and simple guidelines, in formats for print and screen.
Planning a new identity? See our branding service.
