How to write a Brand Design Brief: Tips to get the best from your Brand Design Agency
Why a strong Brand Brief makes all the difference
Your brand isn’t just a logo, it’s how your business looks, sounds, and feels across every touchpoint. If you want your brand identity to connect with the right people, you need a clear, strategic brief.
A strong brand brief gives your agency the insight to create meaningful, relevant design work. Here’s how to write one that leads to results.
1. Describe your business clearly
Start by sharing what your business does:
- What products or services do you offer?
- Who do you serve?
- Where are you located?
- What’s your mission?
Tip: Be specific about your place in the Irish market. Local context can influence colour choices, imagery, and tone.
2. Define your brand goals
Why are you investing in brand design now?
Common goals include:
- Launching a new business
- Rebranding after growth
- Modernising an outdated identity
- Differentiating from competitors
Tip: Set clear objectives. What does success look like?
3. Identify your audience
Help your agency understand who you're talking to:
- Demographics (age, gender, location)
- Occupation or industry
- Personality traits or buying behaviours
Example: A brand aimed at mid-sized agricultural firms in Munster will feel very different from one targeting tech startups in Dublin.
4. Share your brand personality
If your brand was a person, how would you describe them?
Examples:
- Friendly and down-to-earth
- Bold and professional
- Minimal and sophisticated
Tip: You can also list what your brand is not. (e.g. not corporate, not flashy, not trendy.)
5. Explain what you need designed
List the items you want:
- Logo design
- Colour palette
- Typography
- Brand guidelines
- Business cards or letterheads
- Social media templates
- Packaging design
Tip: Group deliverables into “essential” and “nice to have.”
6. Share examples you like (and don’t like)
Show 2–3 brands you admire and explain what you like:
- Visual style
- Use of colour or typography
- Messaging or tone
Tip: Include any competitors you want to distance yourself from.
7. Tell the story behind your brand
Every brand has a story to tell. Your customers will engage more if they have a connection with your brand.
- Is there a founder story?
- A unique origin?
- A family legacy?
Stories help designers create emotional connection. They also help guide creative choices.
8. Set budget and timeline expectations
For the budget, you don’t need an exact number, but give a budget range. Asking a design agency what a brand costs is like asking a garage what does a car cost. The answer depends on whether you are looking for a new car, second-hand car, luxury model, standard model, etc… In the case of a brand, it depends on several factors too. By providing a budget range, this helps your agency suggest what’s possible from your list of requirements/needs.
You also need to outline your delivery timeline expectations. Include important upcoming events:
- Ideal project start date
- Any key deadlines (launches, investor pitches, etc.)
9. Ask these key questions
Before hiring a brand design agency, ask:
- Have you worked with similar businesses?
- How do you research a client’s market?
- Will I receive editable design files and usage rights?
- Do you offer ongoing design support?
- How do you present and revise brand concepts?
10. Include contact details and next steps
Make it easy to move forward. Make sure you include the following in your brief:
- Your name and role
- Contact information
- How you’d like to receive proposals or responses
Designit helps Irish businesses build better brands
We help companies across Ireland create meaningful, strategic brand identities that support growth.
Our brand design services include:
- Logo and visual identity design
- Brand and logo guidelines
- Corporate identity materials
- Product launch branding
- Print and digital design
We tailor our process to your goals and support you every step of the way.
Start strong with a clear brief
Your brand is too important to leave to chance. A smart, focused brief gets your agency on the same page and sets your project up for success.
Need help putting it all together?
If you are unsure about putting together the right brief for your brand, we’d love to help. We can sit down with you and ask all the right questions to help you develop the right brief, the right brand, the right design solution for your business.
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