Logo Design Brief Template: What to Send Your Designer
A Bad Logo Brief Leads to 10 Rounds of Revisions
You say “make it modern.” The designer interprets that differently. You get a design you hate. You ask for revisions. It still doesn’t feel right. You’re frustrated. Your designer is frustrated. The timeline slips.
A good logo brief is specific. It describes your brand, your audience, your competitors, and what you want to feel when you see the logo. With that, a designer can nail it in 2-3 rounds instead of 10.
What Goes Into a Great Logo Brief
Company Information
Your company name, what you do, who you serve, and your mission. Is this a luxury brand or a scrappy startup? B2B or B2C? Young and fun or mature and serious? A designer needs this context before touching a design tool.
Target Audience
Who will see this logo? CEOs? Millennials? Nonprofit donors? The audience shapes the design. A logo for venture capitalists looks different than a logo for college students.
Competitors to Avoid
Show 3-5 competitor logos and say: “Don’t make it look like this. We don’t want people confusing us with them.” This tells the designer which design territory you don’t want to occupy.
Logo Style Preferences
Do you want an icon + wordmark (like Nike), just wordmark (like Microsoft), or an abstract mark (like Apple)? Minimal or detailed? Geometric or organic? Provide examples you admire outside your industry.
Color Preferences
Don’t just say “blue.” Specify which blue. Show examples. Explain why that color matters: “We use navy because it conveys trust” or “We use bright orange because our audience is young and energetic.”
Usage Contexts
Where will this logo appear? Website header. Business cards. Packaging. A billboard. A small app icon at 32 pixels. Each context has different requirements—tell the designer all of them upfront.
The Logo Design Brief Template
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Copy this into a Google Doc, fill it out, and send it to your designer.
LOGO DESIGN BRIEF COMPANY INFORMATION Company Name: [Your Company] Company Tagline/Motto: [If you have one] What you do: [One sentence] Who you serve: [Customer description] Company mission/values: [Why the company exists] BACKGROUND Founded: [Year] Previous logos?: [Yes/No. If yes, link and what you liked/disliked] Why redesigning now?: [Honest answer] TARGET AUDIENCE Primary audience: [Age, job title, income, values] How do they perceive you: [Words they use to describe your company] Emotions the logo should evoke: [5 words: professional, playful, trustworthy, etc.] COMPETITORS & DESIGN CONTEXT Competitor 1: [URL] — Like: [What] | Avoid: [What] Competitor 2: [URL] — Like: [What] | Avoid: [What] Competitor 3: [URL] — Like: [What] | Avoid: [What] DESIGN PREFERENCES Logo type: [ ] Icon+wordmark [ ] Icon only [ ] Wordmark only [ ] Abstract mark Style: [ ] Minimal [ ] Detailed [ ] Geometric [ ] Organic [ ] Modern [ ] Classic Inspirations (logos you admire outside your industry): Logo 1: [URL] — Why you like it: Logo 2: [URL] — Why you like it: COLOR PREFERENCES Primary color 1: [Hex code] — Why: [Psychology/meaning] Primary color 2: [Hex code] — Why: Colors to avoid: [Any colors that don't fit] Must work in black and white?: [Yes/Required] USAGE CONTEXTS [ ] Website header (300px+) [ ] Mobile app icon (128px) [ ] Social media profiles (200-400px) [ ] Business cards [ ] Email signature (150px) [ ] Outdoor signage (large format) [ ] Packaging [ ] Merchandise [ ] Favicon (16px) BRAND PERSONALITY If your brand were a person: Age: [20s? 40s? 70s?] Style: [Casual? Business? Upscale?] Tone: [Formal? Friendly? Witty?] Values: [Trustworthy? Innovative? Caring?] ADDITIONAL CONTEXT Origin story: [Anything that should inform the design?] Symbolism: [Any specific meaning you want, or prefer abstract?] Budget: [$X range] Timeline: [When you need this] Other notes: [Anything else?]
How to Use This Template Effectively
Fill It Out Completely
Don’t skip sections. Every field gives the designer valuable context. The more specific you are, the closer the first round of designs will be to what you want.
Be Honest About Your Audience
“Our audience is young tech workers who value innovation and authenticity” is better than “everyone.” Specificity beats breadth every time.
Show, Don’t Tell
When you say “modern,” link to a modern logo you like. When you say “premium,” link to a premium brand logo. Images are 10x clearer than adjectives.
Explain the Why
Don’t just say “I like blue.” Say “I like blue because it evokes trust, and trust is core to our brand.” This helps the designer understand your decision-making, not just your preferences.
Include Real Examples of Bad Logos
If there’s a competitor whose logo you absolutely don’t want to look like, include it. Say why. “This logo looks corporate and cold. We want approachable and warm.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t Ask the Designer to Combine Everything
If you show 15 logo inspirations in 15 different styles, the designer will be confused. Pick 3 you truly love and explain what they have in common.
Don’t Specify the Exact Design
Don’t say “Make a circle with a triangle inside and the company name below in Helvetica.” That’s the designer’s job. Give direction, not instructions. Let the professional design.
Don’t Change Your Mind Midway
Fill out this brief, lock it in, and stick with it. If your brand strategy shifts during the project, that’s a new project—not a revision.
Don’t Hire the Cheapest Designer
A $50 logo isn’t good. A $50,000 logo might be overkill. Good logo design costs $2,000-10,000 depending on experience and complexity. You get what you pay for here.
After You Submit the Brief
Expect the designer to ask follow-up questions. Good ones. “When you say ‘premium,’ do you mean luxury fashion premium or financial services premium?” These questions show they’re thinking strategically about your brand.
You should have one discovery call before design starts. During that call you answer questions, clarify the brief, and align on vision. Then the designer creates. Not ten calls. One.
The Perfect Logo Brief Takes an Hour
Spend the time now. A well-thought brief cuts design time in half and gets you closer to a logo you love on the first round. That’s worth an hour of your time before the project starts.
Ready to design a logo that represents your brand? Book a free strategy call with our team. We’ll work through this brief with you, make sure it’s airtight, and create a logo that represents your brand the way you actually want it seen.
