How to Brief a Designer (Even If You’ve Never Worked with One Before)

Hiring a designer can feel a little intimidating if you’ve never done it before.

You know you need a logo, a website, or perhaps a complete brand identity, but when someone starts asking questions about your audience, competitors, or brand personality, it can suddenly feel like you’re sitting an exam you didn’t revise for.

The good news? You don’t need all the answers.

A good designer will guide you through the process, but spending a little time thinking about your business beforehand can help make the project smoother and lead to better results.

Here are a few things worth considering before you get started.

Start with Your Goals

Before looking at colours, fonts, or design styles, think about what you’re actually trying to achieve.

Ask yourself:

• Are you launching a new business?

• Refreshing an existing brand?

• Trying to attract a different audience?

• Looking to appear more established or professional?

Having a clear goal helps your designer create something that’s built around your business, rather than simply creating something that looks nice.

Think About Your Audience

One of the most useful things you can tell a designer is who you’re trying to reach.

You don’t need a detailed marketing document. Even a simple description can help:

• Who are your ideal customers?

• What do they care about?

• What problems are they trying to solve?

• What kind of brands do they already trust?

The better your designer understands your audience, the easier it becomes to create branding that feels relevant and appealing.

You might also enjoy my blog on How to Make Your Brand Speak to Your Customers, which explores this in a little more detail.

Gather Inspiration

You don’t need to know design terminology.

In fact, some of the most useful feedback comes from simply collecting examples of things you like.

This could be:

• Websites

• Packaging

• Social media accounts

• Logos

• Colours

• Photography styles

The important part isn’t to try copying another brand. It’s identifying what you’re drawn to and why.

Sometimes, a few screenshots can communicate more than a page of written feedback.

Be Honest About What You Don’t Like

Knowing what doesn’t feel right can be just as helpful as knowing what does.

Maybe you don’t want your business to feel corporate.

Maybe you dislike overly trendy design.

Maybe you’re tired of seeing the same styles used by your competitors.

Sharing those thoughts early can help avoid heading down the wrong path.

And don’t worry if your feedback isn’t “designer language”. Comments like “this feels too formal” or “I’d like it to feel a bit friendlier” are often more useful than technical design terms.

Don’t Worry About Having All the Answers

This is probably the biggest one.

Many business owners think they need to arrive with a fully formed vision and a complete strategy.

You don’t.

At Brandl, branding projects usually start with a conversation, but you’ll also be sent a digital questionnaire to complete in your own time. So if you’re the kind of person who thinks of the perfect answer three hours after a call, you’re absolutely fine.

The questionnaire gives you space to think through your goals, audience, style preferences, and anything else that might shape the project, without feeling put on the spot in a meeting.

Part of a designer’s job is asking the right questions and helping you uncover things you may not have considered before. A good branding project should feel collaborative, not like you’re expected to have everything figured out from day one.

Trust the Process

I know, it’s tempting to want everything figured out immediately.

But good design usually develops in stages.

Ideas evolve, concepts get refined, and details are adjusted along the way.

It’s completely normal for a project to look different at the end than it did at the beginning. In fact, that’s often a sign that the process is working.

The best results happen when clients stay open-minded and allow space for ideas to develop naturally.

Ultimately though..

The reality is that most designers don’t expect a perfect brief.

What helps far more is a willingness to share ideas, answer a few questions, and be open about what you’re hoping to achieve.

If you’re thinking about investing in branding but aren’t quite sure where to start, don’t let that stop you. Most designers would much rather help you shape an idea than receive a perfect brief that never gets acted on.

If you’d like to learn more about how branding projects work at Brandl, take a look at my Branding Services page or explore What to Consider When Working with a Branding Agency for more tips before getting started.