Copy. Adapt. Keep a record.

Brand & design brief

For logo design and small brand identity projects. Start with the blank brief or learn from a complete worked example, then confirm your scope in the freelancer's offer.

See the filled-in example ↓

Your editable project brief

BRAND & DESIGN PROJECT BRIEF
Replace the prompts below with your project details. This is an editorial planning aid, not a contract.

1. BUSINESS AND AUDIENCE
Business name and spelling:
What we do in one sentence:
Primary audience and where they will see this design:
Project owner and final decision-maker:

2. OUTCOME AND SCOPE
What needs to change:
Service required (logo / visual identity / brand guidelines):
Exact deliverables and number of concepts:
What is explicitly outside this project:
Our deadline, timezone, and internal review dates:
Budget available for the complete agreed scope:

3. CREATIVE DIRECTION
Three attributes the design should communicate:
Existing brand assets we will supply:
References with an explanation of what we like:
Styles, colors, symbols, or references to avoid:
Required words, languages, or legal text:

4. FORMATS AND USAGE
Smallest intended use:
Print and digital uses:
Required color, monochrome, and reversed versions:
Required vector, raster, and editable source formats:
Who will edit the files, and with which software:
Third-party fonts, stock assets, or generated assets allowed:
Usage permissions and licenses to confirm in the offer:

5. PROCESS AND ACCEPTANCE
Concept selection checkpoint:
Included revision rounds and what counts as a round:
Who collects feedback into one list:
Acceptance checks: correct spelling; legibility at intended sizes;
usable backgrounds; agreed files open; licenses and asset list included.
Handover: final folder, source files, export guide, and usage notes.
Questions for the freelancer before quoting:

Download the original blank template

See how the decisions fit together

A small bookkeeping business commissions a logo

Fictional teaching example. The business, budget, and schedule illustrate planning choices; they are not a client case study, seller quote, or market-price estimate.

Read the complete worked example

WORKED EXAMPLE — BRAND & DESIGN BRIEF
Fictional teaching example by BestSift. Alder Ledger is an invented business for this scenario, not a client. This is not a seller quote, market-price estimate, purchase record, or contract. All scope and timing require agreement.

1. BUSINESS AND AUDIENCE
Name: Alder Ledger. No tagline in the logo.
Business: A bookkeeping service helping independent local businesses organize their monthly records.
Audience: Owners who want clear, approachable communication rather than a corporate financial-services look.
Uses: Website header at 160 px wide, invoice header at 35 mm wide, and a square profile image.
Approver: The business owner; one person collects and submits all feedback.

2. OUTCOME AND SCOPE
Goal: Create a legible identity that feels calm, organized, and approachable.
Commission: Two initial visual directions, then development of one selected direction into one final logo.
Deliverables: Horizontal name-and-symbol layout, stacked layout, and symbol-only version; each in color, black, and white.
Files: SVG and PDF vector exports; transparent PNGs at 1600 px wide for the two full-name layouts and 800 x 800 px for the symbol; editable Illustrator source with linked assets accounted for; one-page usage sheet.
Excluded: Naming, business strategy, social post templates, stationery layouts, animation, and trademark clearance.
Illustrative spending cap: USD 600 for the complete project, including any checkout charges and required licenses. Confirm what scope fits before ordering; this is not a typical Fiverr price.
Proposed schedule: Concepts within five business days after inputs are accepted; final files within five business days after direction approval. Confirm calendar delivery dates in the offer and allow two business days for each buyer review.

3. CREATIVE DIRECTION
Attributes: Clear, steady, welcoming.
Inputs: Exact spelling above, a plain-language business description, and samples of the intended header and invoice dimensions.
Reference direction: Generous spacing for legibility; restrained color for a calm tone. These are attributes to interpret, not instructions to copy a brand.
Avoid: Calculator icons, currency symbols, fine decorative lines, and lettering that disappears at invoice size.
Colors: Explore a dark green with a warm neutral; make the final design work in one color too.

4. FORMATS AND USAGE
Intended use: Owned website, invoices, organic business profiles, and printed flyers.
Fonts: Identify font names and licensing sources. Do not send font software unless redistribution is permitted. Explain any separate license the business needs to edit the source.
Assets: No stock logo symbols or generated assets in this proposed brief. Confirm the designer can meet that requirement.
Rights: State permitted business uses, any third-party restrictions, and any separate costs in the offer. The brief does not itself transfer rights.

5. PROCESS AND ACCEPTANCE
Feedback: Two proposed consolidated revision rounds on the selected direction; agree what a round includes. A new business name or a third creative direction requires a revised scope.
Review: Check spelling; view the full-name logo at 160 px and 35 mm; inspect black and white versions on appropriate backgrounds.
Handover: Open every promised format, confirm the source is editable in the agreed application, and receive a file inventory with usage and license notes.
Acceptance evidence: A checked inventory and a list of any mismatches tied to the agreed brief; mockups alone are not acceptance.
Question before ordering: Can you include all listed variants and files, and identify any exclusions or extra costs in the written offer?

Why this brief works

Name the actual surfaces and smallest sizes. “For print and web” leaves too much to guess.
Separate initial directions from final designs. Two concepts here lead to one finished identity.
List editable files separately from exports, and ask which font permissions your team needs.
The budget and schedule below are fictional planning choices. Ask for a quote for your own scope.

Read the related buying guide →