What makes a good project brief?

So you’ve got a fresh project lined up and now you need to communicate the idea clearly to your freelancer. Understanding what makes a good project brief is the easiest way to ensure you get the results you expect. A project brief outlines your goals, requirements, timeline, and deliverables—but the way you structure it can dramatically affect the quality of work you receive.

The challenge is that there’s no single “right” way to write a brief. Some projects require strict creative direction, while others benefit from flexibility. Below, we break down how to craft a project brief that sets your freelancer up for success.

What Makes a Good Project Brief? (Key Elements Clients Should Include)

A strong project brief gives your freelancer the clarity needed to deliver high-quality work. At a minimum, a good project brief should include your project objective, creative direction, required deliverables, timeline, and budget. Missing any of these elements can lead to misunderstandings, unnecessary revisions, or delays.

How much creative control do you want?

You can vary your project briefs to give you as much or as little creative control as you like. If you want to take creative control, or if you have a strong vision for your project, then a detailed, focused brief is the way for you to go. Your freelancer will be guided by you and won’t stray from your instructions.

If you’re happy for your freelancer to have more creative control, you should craft a project brief that allows them to apply their creativity. Your creative will explore different avenues and come up with ideas that you didn’t even think of. A looser brief will bring an entirely new perspective to the project.

For more guidance on matching creatives to your brief style, read our Brand Designer Job Description Template.

Detailed project brief:

Detailed project brief.

Relaxed project brief:

Relaxed project brief.

Detailed vs. Relaxed Project Brief: Quick Comparison

Brief Type	Best For	Pros	Cons
Detailed Brief	Projects requiring precision (logo, web design, branding)	Ensures accuracy, reduces revisions	Limits creative freedom
Relaxed Brief	Projects seeking fresh ideas or creative concepts	Encourages experimentation, new perspectives	Higher risk of misalignment

It’s clear from the detailed brief that the client has a strong idea about how they want their logo to look. In fact, they’ve even included a mood board for some direct visual inspiration. If you want to create something similar, you could make a Pinterest board.

From the relaxed brief, we can tell that the client is happy for the freelancer to do their own thing. The client has deliberately left out examples of what they like and gives only brief details about their business. There are fewer constraints and the creative is pretty much left to their own devices.

So, you’re beginning to see how these two different brief types could have very different outcomes for your project. But, bear in mind that these types of briefs are suited to different projects entirely. If you need something specific, use a detailed brief. I would say that in this case, the client should go for a detailed brief over a relaxed one. If the designer were to take inspiration from the wrong decade or create a masculine-looking logo, it wouldn’t be right for their shop.

Remember, neither a detailed nor relaxed brief is “better”. The right choice depends on your project goals. Branding, UX, and technical work typically require a more structured brief, while illustration, conceptual design, or music composition often benefit from a more open creative direction. The more clarity you provide upfront, the smoother the production process will be.

Don’t forget the not-so-small stuff:

If you’re new to writing project briefs it can be easy to overlook important details that could potentially have a huge impact on your project.

Timeline:

It’s important to mention when you need your project completed. In a lot of cases this will be obvious, but if it’s a larger project, such as whole websites, can be harder to estimate a day of completion. If you don’t know, be honest and instead try to estimate a ballpark figure. For example, say January 2027 rather than 20th January 2027.

It’s important for the freelancer to be able to estimate how long they will be working for. They need to line up new projects to start as soon as yours finishes. What you don’t want is your freelancer starting on a new project on 21st January 2027 if you expect yours might overrun.

A clear timeline in your project brief also helps the freelancer assess whether your project fits into their current schedule, preventing delays or bottlenecks later.

Need help estimating project duration? Check out our guide to hidden costs of hiring freelancers.

Budget:

Again, some projects are easy to estimate a budget for. Others, not so much. The larger and longer the project, the more difficult it is to price. But, this information is super important for the freelancer. They need to work out whether it’s going to be cost effective for them to take on.

Being transparent about budget doesn’t just help pricing, it helps freelancers propose solutions that fit your expectations, whether you need a simple deliverable or a full creative package.

Payment:

Payment is another important area that often gets overlooked. You should decide with your freelancer on the method of payment too. Our article on how to pay a freelancer will give you more information.

Your project brief should state when the freelancer will be getting paid and how much. Will they be paid in one lump sum? Or will you be using milestone payments? Will a deposit be issued before the project start date?

The more specific you are about payment terms in your project brief, the easier it is to avoid confusion or disputes once the project begins.

Deliverables:

Make sure to include what you expect to receive from your freelancer once the project is finished. For example, if your project is design-related, you might need your files in a number of different formats:

Clear deliverables also make it easier to compare quotes between freelancers, because everyone is estimating work based on the same requirements.

Deliverables:

Logo files in .ai, .eps, .jpg, and .png.
Logo files in black and white/white on black.
Logo files with transparent background.
Logo files with white background.
Logo files with black background.

Be sure to get this down before the project is completed. Any subsequent variations your freelancer makes after the project is finished may cost you.

Not sure what to request? Here are 11 tips on writing the perfect brief.

A good project brief eliminates guesswork, reduces unnecessary revisions, and keeps your project moving smoothly. By clearly outlining expectations and giving your freelancer the direction or creative freedom they need, you dramatically increase your chances of receiving work that fits your vision. Spend the time upfront and your project will run faster, smoother, and with far fewer surprises.

What makes a good project brief?