A useful visual identity brief explains what needs to change, who it needs to reach and the conditions in which it must work. It gives the studio criteria for making decisions. You do not need to arrive with a logo, typeface or art direction already chosen.
A few pages can be enough to start. The important part is to make the information specific and the unknowns visible. An open question is more useful than an uncertain answer presented as a settled fact.
Explain why the project is happening now
Describe the trigger: a new offer, a growing product range, a different audience, combined business activities or materials that have become inconsistent. Then identify the practical difficulty.
“We want a more modern image” leaves a great deal open to interpretation. “Our team now sells three services, but our materials do not explain how they relate” gives the design team a problem to explore.
Identify the audience and their decision
People encounter an identity in a particular situation: a buyer comparing suppliers, a customer considering a product, a partner looking through a presentation. Identify the priority audience and the question they bring to that moment.
Explain what they need to understand: your specialism, the way you work, the difference between offers or a product’s place in a range. Rather than listing “premium, innovative, human”, provide the facts that make those qualities credible.
Share evidence and constraints
Bring examples of your work, current materials and information that has already been approved. Identify what needs to be preserved: an established name, a familiar colour, a symbol or a product structure.
Add the conditions of use: small formats, monochrome printing, frequently edited documents, Arabic and Latin scripts, dense information or viewing from a distance. These details influence the design more usefully than a list of styles to reproduce.
Show where the identity will appear first
Choose three to five priority applications. For each, describe the format, the content available and the person who will use it. A mobile screen, a product sheet and a sign test very different requirements.
Visual references are useful when you explain them. You might value a calm hierarchy, a recognisable colour or a particular approach to photography. That explanation gives the studio direction without asking it to imitate another brand.
Set up the decisions
Name the person who approves the work and the people who need to be consulted. State the real deadline, what creates it and what must be ready. Separate an internal presentation date from the day the identity goes into public use.
Share the investment range you are considering. It helps establish a realistic scope and prioritise applications. If it is still undecided, say so and explain the constraints you already know. Our guide to planning a visual identity investment explains which decisions affect the scope.
A brief your team can complete together
- Our business does… for…
- This project is happening now because…
- Customers currently find it difficult to understand…
- We want to be recognised for… and can demonstrate this through…
- The elements we need to preserve are…
- Our first applications and required languages are…
- The content we have, and the content still missing, are…
- The approval lead, deadline and proposed investment are…
Discuss these answers before trying to agree on a visual style. Differences become visible earlier, while there is still time to address them. Where people disagree, record the decision that needs to be made rather than smoothing it over with broad language.
At Brandegree, the brief opens the conversation. We develop it with you so that the information becomes a clear creative direction. If you are unsure how much needs to change, compare a focused brand refresh and a deeper rebrand.
