Published August 28, 2026
Most design delays are not talent problems. They are brief problems. If the first draft misses the point, the brief usually never stated the point.
Say what the piece has to do
“Make it look premium” is not a job. “This one-pager is handed to a facilities manager after a 12-minute meeting; it must show three service lines and a QR code to book a survey” is a job. Write the action you want from the person who sees the design.
List formats before anyone opens a canvas
A square social post, an A4 leave-behind, and a website banner are different layouts. If you need all three, say so in the brief. Otherwise you will pay to retrofit a composition that was never built for the second size.
Share constraints, not only inspiration
- Existing logo files (vector if you have them), colors, and typefaces you must keep
- Legal lines, disclaimers, or partner logos that cannot be cropped
- Examples you like and, just as useful, two examples you do not want to resemble
- The final copy, or a clear note that copy is still draft
Decide who approves
If three stakeholders will comment, collect their notes into one round. Sequential surprise feedback is how a simple graphic becomes a three-week project.
If you want this kind of work produced for you, see our graphic design services or request a graphic design quote with the formats you already know you need.