A clear brief leads to better initial concepts, fewer rounds of revision, and a final result that actually fits your business. Here's how to put one together.
Start with your business, not your design preferences
Before you think about what the logo should look like, write down what you need it to communicate. What does your business do? Who are your customers? What's the one thing you want people to feel when they see your brand?
This context gives the designer something to work with. Design decisions — colour, typography, shape — all flow from this foundation. A logo for a children's nursery needs to communicate very different things to a logo for a structural engineering firm.
Be specific about your audience
"Anyone in the local area" isn't a useful brief. "Homeowners in South Wales aged 35–60 who are planning renovation projects" is. The more precisely you can describe your target customer, the better the designer can pitch the visual identity to appeal to them.
Collect reference examples
Find 3–5 logos — in any industry — that you find appealing. You're not asking the designer to copy them; you're showing them your aesthetic instincts. Reference images communicate style preferences far more efficiently than written descriptions.
Do the same for logos you dislike, if there are particular styles you want to avoid.
Note practical requirements upfront
Where will the logo be used? A logo that lives primarily on a website has different practical constraints to one that needs to appear on vehicle livery, embroidered uniforms, or printed at large scale. The designer needs to know this before starting.
What to leave out of the brief
You don't need to brief the designer on what to design. That's their job. Overly prescriptive briefs ("I want a circle with a hammer in the middle and blue text below") leave the designer no room to find a better solution. Brief the outcome you need, not the specific execution.
Giving feedback on concepts
When you receive initial concepts, give specific, directional feedback rather than subjective reactions. "The colour feels too light — can we go darker?" is more useful than "I'm not sure about this one." Tell the designer what's working and what isn't, and why where you can.
See our related guide on what information to give a logo designer for a full list of what to pull together, or get in touch to start your logo project with NC Digital.