The most expensive design meetings are the ones where the designer guesses what you want. Here's a brief template that eliminates that.
A clear brief saves hours. A vague brief creates a loop of revisions that costs more than the original design fee.
Five things every design brief needs: (1) The use case: what is this for, where will it be worn? (2) The audience: age range, gender, professional/casual context? (3) Required elements: logo files, text that must appear, specific colors? (4) Style reference: three examples of designs you like, three you don't? (5) The one thing this must communicate: not ten things, one.
Colors: give Pantone values if you have them, not "our blue" or "something corporate." If you don't have Pantone values, give hex codes from your brand guide.
Feedback: be specific. "The font feels too casual" is actionable. "I don't like it" is not. "Make it more modern" gives the designer nothing to work with. "Try a geometric sans-serif instead of the script" is a direction.
Approvals: get written sign-off on every version before production. "Looks good" in a text message has ended supplier relationships.
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