A new identity can make a business feel different. The brief needs to explain what that difference should mean. Before choosing colours or reviewing logo directions, make the business decision behind the design visible.
AT A GLANCE
The useful takeaway.
A useful identity brief starts with the business change, the people you serve and the evidence behind the promise.
Name the change in the business.
Start with the reason you are considering the work. You may be entering a market, bringing separate offers together or finding that your current identity no longer represents the experience you deliver. Those are different problems. Write a short account of what has changed and what needs to stay recognisable. A useful brand brief should help you distinguish a strategic change from a preference for a different visual style.
Choose the people you need to be relevant to.
“Everyone” gives a creative team very little direction. Describe the customers you most want to reach, the situation that brings them to you and what they compare before making a decision. Include what they already understand and what needs explaining. If you serve different audiences, identify which one leads this brief. Your internal description of the business and the customer’s reason for choosing it may use very different language.
Separate the promise from the proof.
List the things you want to be known for, then place a real example beside each one. A product detail, a clear service process or a relevant piece of work can help substantiate the promise. Words such as innovative, premium and customer-focused need context. Ask what a customer would actually see, read or experience that makes each description believable. This exercise is also a useful way to identify claims that should not appear in the new messaging.
Describe the system beyond the logo.
An identity will need to work in real situations: a small social avatar, a proposal, a mobile page, a sign or a campaign. Gather the touchpoints that matter to your business and list the practical constraints. Include any language versions that will be required and who will approve them. Ask how typography, colour, imagery and tone will work together. A single attractive presentation should not be the only test of the direction.
Plan the introduction and the handover.
Think about what happens when the identity is approved. Which materials must change first? Who needs editable files, templates or usage guidance? Which existing assets should be retained? Record the people responsible for rolling out the work and the dependencies that could delay it. You can then review the proposed scope against a real introduction plan, rather than discovering missing formats after the design is finished.
Use a decision brief, not a moodboard alone.
Bring a one-page summary of the business change, priority audience, promise, supporting evidence and most important touchpoints. Add examples of what feels appropriate and explain why. Agree who makes the final decision and what criteria they will use. Visual references can open a conversation, but a clear brief gives everyone a more useful way to discuss whether a proposed identity is right for the business.
BRING THIS TO THE CONVERSATION
Your next-step checklist.
- Explain what has changed in the business.
- Choose a priority audience and a clear promise.
- Collect evidence that supports the message.
- List the touchpoints and handover files needed.
CONNECT THE THINKING TO THE WORK
Brand strategy & identity