VickyA clear logo design project brief is one of the most important tools when you’re looking to hire a logo designer. Without one, even talented designers may struggle to deliver a logo that reflects your brand, goals, and audience. This guide walks you through what a logo design brief should include, why it matters, and provides a practical logo design brief example you can use as a template for your own project.
For more Business Tools, check out the Business Toolkit…
What is a Design Brief?
What is a logo design brief? How do I construct a design brief template so the person I hire can make me a quality logo?
What Should a Logo Design Project Brief Include?
A strong logo design project brief gives your designer everything they need to deliver the right result the first time. It should clearly outline your business context, design expectations, timelines, and constraints. The more specific your brief, the fewer revisions you’ll need and the smoother the design process will be.
Here’s a design brief definition:
An effective design brief will contain an overview of your entire project.
Key Elements of a Logo Design Project Brief:
Brief Element | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
Logo style references | Helps the designer understand your aesthetic preferences |
Key dates and deadlines | Keeps the project on schedule |
Target audience | Ensures the logo appeals to the right customers |
Deliverables | Clarifies exactly what files and assets you expect |
Project goals | Aligns the design with your business objectives |
The key to getting the logo design you want is to make sure your client brief template is fantastic, including everything your creative freelancer will possibly need. The truth is, it can be hard to know what to include in these design briefs when you’re planning your project. If you have no idea how graphic design brief templates work, how are your creative freelancers supposed to know what’s needed of them?
How do I get Logo Design ideas?
To gain some real logo design inspiration, check out our archive of freelance logo designer portfolios, or follow us on Instagram – where we share the latest and greatest in illustration projects!
Example Logo Design Project Brief:
Luckily, we’ve provided a graphic design brief example, so you’ll know how to write a design brief and bag yourself one strong logo!
This brief will provide the logo designer with everything they need to know about both your projectand your business.If you’re struggling to get off the starting block, feel free to use it as a template for your own brief:
Name: Twenty Seventeen company logo project
About our company: We are Neville and Ben, two independent filmmakers. Recently we set up our film production company, Twenty Seventeen. We make corporate videos for SMEs. The company is brand new, and we currently have a roster of 5 clients.
What do we need?: We need a logo for our company.
Why do we need it?: We’re looking to quickly grow our video business and need a company logo to get us going. We’ll use it to raise brand awareness and take us forward into the industry.
Our vision for the project: We don’t have any existing brand assets, so the logo needs to be created completely from scratch. It needs to represent our core brand values and be suitable for the industry we reside in. The logo needs to be attractive to our target audience. We’d like something slick, modern, robust and trendy but with a touch of corporate restraint. Since our company name is a number, we’d like to try out interesting ways of incorporating numerals into a logo.
Here are some examples of styles we like: https://dribbble.com/shots/256575-Sixbase-logo-proposal https://dribbble.com/shots/2761992-Turner-Broadcasting-TNT-Logo-Concepts https://dribbble.com/shots/2090950-clean-minimal-style-logo-design-monogram-workhouse-alentho
Where will the logo be used?: Firstly we’ll use it on our social media profiles (we don’t have a website yet), but eventually, it’ll be used on everything from websites to t-shirts to car livery.
What file types are required?: We’ll need to use the logo in both digital and print formats so please provide files that cover this, plus the original source files, should we need the logo edited in the future.
Target audience: Our primary customers are SMEs.
Deadline: We need this logo as soon as possible so we can get started with our business properly. Therefore we’ve set a deadline for two weeks’ time – 14th August.
Budget: $500
Point of contact: You’ll be dealing with both Neville and Ben.
Logo Design Brief Breakdown and Explanation:
Now, let’s break the brief down section-by-section so you know exactly how it works:
Name: Twenty Seventeen company logo project
The logo designer is probably working on lots of different freelance projects, so give yours a name to distinguish it. It’ll help you keep organised too.
About our company: We are Neville and Ben, two independent filmmakers. Recently we set up our film production company, Twenty Seventeen. We make corporate videos for SMEs. The company is brand new, and we currently have a roster of 5 clients.
Why does the freelancer need to know about you and your company? Giving them the whole picture helps the freelancer create the most appropriate design for you. A family-run business may want a very different logo style to a huge corporation. Tell the logo designer what you do and how you do it.
What do we need?: We need a logo for our company.
Be specific about what you want. Is it just a logo you need, or will you need extra branding such as a colour scheme or business card? Let your logo designer know upfront and this will help them work out how long your project will take to complete.
Why do we need it?: We’re looking to quickly grow our video business and need a company logo to get us going. We’ll use it to raise brand awareness and take us forward into the industry.
This might seem completely obvious to you, but sometimes spelling out the motivation for your project can be really helpful. It gives the freelancer extra insight into why you need a new logo; do you want to reach new customers, are you changing your business, is your current logo unsuitable? All this extra information will help the logo designer do a great job.
Our vision for the project: We don’t have any existing brand assets, so the logo needs to be created completely from scratch. It needs to represent our core brand values and be suitable for the industry we reside in. The logo needs to be attractive to our target audience. We’d like something slick, modern, robust and trendy but with a touch of corporate restraint. Since our company name is a number, we’d like to try out interesting ways of incorporating numerals into a logo.
If you already have an idea of how you want your logo to look, write it down in your project brief. This will help the freelancer hit the ground running and could shorten the delivery time. You and the logo designer can develop the logo concept together. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want yet – mention this to the logo designer and you can talk through ideas together.
Here are some examples of styles we like: https://dribbble.com/shots/256575-Sixbase-logo-proposal https://dribbble.com/shots/2761992-Turner-Broadcasting-TNT-Logo-Concepts https://dribbble.com/shots/2090950-clean-minimal-style-logo-design-monogram-workhouse-alentho
Sometimes it’s hard to describe a style you like, so show the logo designer the type of thing you like. Include images, links to other logos you’ve seen, colour pallets, fonts – anything that will help the logo designer get a good idea of what you want your finished logo to look like.
Where will the logo be used? Firstly we’ll use it on our social media profiles (we don’t have a website yet), but eventually it’ll be used on everything from websites to t-shirts to car livery.
Where you want to use your logo can affect the kind of design the freelancer creates. Try your best to future-proof your design. Even if you only need to use your logo on a website at the moment, who knows where you’ll need to use your logo in a year’s time. The logo designer should design your logo in a way that it can be used in any media or medium you require. The last thing you want is to rehire the freelancer in the future to adjust your logo for use on a t-shirt.
What file types are required? We’ll need to use the logo in both digital and print formats so please provide files that cover this, plus the original source files, should we need the logo edited in the future.
Granted, this may not be information that you know. But, depending on where you need to use your logo, you’ll need different file types. If you’re not sure about this, it’s something to ask the logo designer.
Target audience: Our primary customers are SMEs.
Your target audience is a vital piece of information that the logo designer should know. It’ll help them design a logo that specifically targets that section of the market and helps you draw in customers.
Deadline: We need this logo as soon as possible so we can get started with our business properly. Therefore we’ve set a deadline for two weeks’ time – 14th August.
When do you need your project to be completed? Don’t forget this crucial detail.
Budget: $500
How much will you pay for the project? If you have a budget in mind, include it in your project brief. If you have no idea, you can discuss costs with the logo designer.
Point of contact: You’ll be dealing with both Neville and Ben.
Who will the logo designer be dealing with? Make it easier for remote workers to communicate with you by making it clear who their point of contact is during the project. There will be extra questions and work that needs to be signed off, so make sure the logo designer gets straight through to the right person.
When you post a project brief on Twine, you can add a fully comprehensive project description. This will help you find the right creative freelancer and ultimately get the project you want.
We vet all of our logo designers and match them to clients using over 10 different criteria. This allows both parties to gain maximum results at the most effective price. We’re here to help along every step of the way and will do everything we can to make sure you have an awesome experience.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Logo Design Brief
Many logo projects fail due to vague or incomplete briefs. Avoid common mistakes such as setting unrealistic deadlines, skipping audience details, or failing to explain how the logo will be used long term. A well-prepared logo design brief template helps designers estimate costs accurately and deliver work that scales with your brand.
For a deeper dive, read our guide on What Makes a Good Project Brief
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! A top-quality graphic design brief template for your logo design project.
A well-written logo design project brief saves time, reduces revisions, and leads to stronger branding outcomes. By clearly outlining your goals, audience, and expectations, you give your logo designer the best chance to deliver work that supports your business long term.
If you’d like any extra help, here are some related reads:
- If you’re starting from scratch, this guide on How to Write the Perfect Project Brief is a helpful next step.
- You may also find these 11 Tips on Writing the Perfect Brief useful when working with creative freelancers.
- Logo designer job description template
Ready to bring your brand to life? Click here to connect with vetted logo designers who understand branding, deadlines, and business goals.
Iya Mendoza
Raksha