How to Brief a Designer When You Don't Have a Brief (Yet)

You need design work done. You don't have a brief. You barely have a clear idea of what you want. This is normal. Most creative work starts here.

The Three Starting Questions

Every brief I write starts with the same three questions: What is this for? (the objective), Who is this for? (the audience), and What should they feel? (the emotional response). If you can answer these three questions in one sentence each, you have enough to start.

Notice what's not in those questions: specific colors, layout preferences, or design styles. Those come later. Starting with aesthetics before strategy is the number one reason design projects go sideways.

The Reference Collection

After the three questions, I ask for references — but with a twist. I don't ask 'what do you like?' I ask 'show me three things that feel right for this project, and tell me why.' The 'why' is everything. It tells me whether a client likes a reference because of the color palette, the layout, the typography, or the mood. Without the why, references are misleading.