How to Write a Logo Design Brief
Give designers what they need from the start: project basics, brand traits, usage needs, examples, files, and feedback that leads to better results.
By the Hylance editorial team · Updated
Key takeaways
- Describe your business in three lines, and pick three brand traits to judge every concept against.
- List everywhere the logo will appear, and mention any colors you never want used.
- Attach three logos you like and three you do not, with a short reason for each.
- Agree in advance on the delivery files and on full transfer of usage rights to you.
The sentence that drags out logo projects more than anything else is: “Design something nice and I’ll choose.” At that point, the designer has to guess, and you end up rejecting concepts without really knowing why. A good design brief does not require design experience. It just requires honest answers to a few questions.
Describe your business in three lines
- What you sell or offer, and in which city or market.
- Who your main customer is: roughly their age, and what matters to them when buying.
- What makes you different from your closest competitor.
Choose three brand personality words
Is your brand premium or everyday? Serious or playful? Traditional or modern? Pick only three traits, such as “trustworthy, warm, simple.” These words become the standard you use to judge every concept later, instead of relying on whatever feels right in the moment.
Where will the logo appear?
A logo that looks great on a large sign might disappear in an Instagram profile picture. List every place you plan to use it: signage, bags and boxes, social profile images, the website icon, embroidery on uniforms, and stamps. Each use case creates its own limits on detail and color.
Name, language, and colors
- Write the name exactly as you want it in Arabic and English, or specify that you want only one of them.
- Mention the colors you like, and more importantly, the colors you never want used.
- If you already have an old logo, explain what you want to keep from it and what you want to change.
Examples you like and examples you do not
Attach three logos you like and three you do not, with a short reason for each one. Rejected examples help the designer just as much as approved ones. And remember: examples are for inspiration only. Asking to copy a well-known brand’s logo can create a legal problem and weaken your own identity.
Files you should receive
- A vector file (SVG, AI, or PDF) that can scale to any size without losing clarity.
- PNG images with transparent backgrounds in different sizes.
- A horizontal version and a square version or social icon.
- A one-color version for black and white and for stamps.
- The color codes used and the font name, if there is one.
Agree on this list before the work starts, and make sure full rights to use the logo transfer to you after delivery.
How to give useful feedback
“I don’t like it” does not help anyone. Go back to your three words and say something like: “The second concept feels more premium than we want, and the font looks too heavy on small bags.” Put all your feedback into one message, and ask to see the logo at a small size and in black and white before you decide.
Once your brief is ready in this form, browse logo design services on Hylance, choose a designer whose past work matches what you want, and send the brief as it is.
Example: a ready-to-send design request
“We are a home bakery in Madinah selling pastries through Instagram and delivery. Our main customers are mothers aged roughly 25 to 40 looking for a homemade taste and familiar ingredients. Our brand traits are warm, simple, and trustworthy. The logo will appear on boxes, bags, the profile picture, and a small sticker on the bag. We want the name in Arabic only. We like earthy colors and do not want red or black. Attached are three logos we like and three we do not, with the reason for each.”
A brief this clear takes a designer two minutes to read, and tells them what to draw and what to avoid before they even open their software.
How many concepts and revision rounds should you expect?
Read the service description before ordering: how many initial concepts the price includes, how many revision rounds come after that, and whether the vector file is included in the package or sold as a paid add-on. Two or three well-considered concepts are more useful than ten rushed ones, because too many options delay the decision without improving it. And if you need more revisions than you both agreed on, ask for them as an add-on instead of expecting them for free.
Common mistakes when requesting a logo
- Showing the concepts to ten people and collecting all their opinions. Pick two people who understand your customer, and keep the final decision yours.
- Changing the whole direction after the second round. If you do not like the core idea, say so from the first concept.
- Judging the logo only when it is large on screen, without trying it small and on a dark background.
- Asking for a logo that “looks like” a famous brand. Similarity weakens your distinctiveness and may expose you to a legal problem.
- Forgetting to agree on the files and rights, then discovering you received a single image that is not suitable for printing.
After delivery: use the logo as it is
Keep the files in one place your team knows, and do not change the colors or stretch the logo to fill space. Consistent use is what helps people recognize your brand over time, and it matters more than the beauty of the logo itself.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I write in a logo design request?
Write a three-line description of your business, three brand personality traits, where the logo will be used, the name exactly as you want it in Arabic and English, the colors you like and the colors you do not want, plus examples you like and others you do not like.
What files should I receive with a logo?
A vector file (SVG, AI, or PDF), PNG images with transparent backgrounds in different sizes, a horizontal version and a square version, a one-color version, plus the color codes and font name if there is one.
How do I give a designer useful feedback?
Go back to the three traits you chose and give a specific reason instead of saying “I don’t like it.” Put all your feedback in one message, and ask to see the logo small and in black and white before you decide.
Ready to put this into practice?
Browse Graphics & Design services on Hylance and order what your business needs, with escrow that protects both sides. Or create an account and list your first service in minutes.
