![Notebook and laptop on a work table during a briefing [Demo]](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhow-to-brief-a-design-studio-hero.jpg%3F2026-08-17T12%253A54%253A10.496Z&w=3840&q=100)
The fastest projects we run share one trait: the brief is honest. Not long — honest. You do not need a 40-page PDF. You need clarity on who buys, what must change, and how success will be judged.
Five things worth writing down
1) Who you sell to, in plain language. 2) What you sell that competitors do not. 3) Where the brand will live first — pack, website, Instagram, board. 4) What must stay (legacy mark, colour, founder story). 5) Timeline and decision makers.
References help — moodboards rarely do
Send three real examples of brands that feel right and one that feels wrong, with a sentence why. Vague adjectives (“premium but approachable”) without context create circular revisions. Specific tension creates better craft.