The fastest way to get a bad design is to give a bad brief. I’ve been on the receiving end of thousands of briefs, and the difference between a great one and a frustrating one comes down to a few simple things.
What a great brief always includes
Start with the goal, not the execution. Don’t say “make me a banner.” Say “I need to drive sign-ups for our October webinar targeting HR managers.” That context changes everything — the tone, the visual weight, what the CTA says.
Reference images are worth a thousand words
Even three screenshots that say “this energy, not this energy” saves two rounds of revision. You don’t need to know design — you just need to know what you like.
Tell me what you don’t want
Constraints are a gift. “No stock photos,” “nothing too corporate,” “we never use gradients” — these things help more than you think.
The brief format I recommend
Goal: What is this asset trying to do?
Audience: Who will see it?
Format/Size: Where will it live?
Deadline: When do you need it?
References: What do you like?
Don’t: What should we avoid?
That’s it. Six fields. Every great design brief I’ve ever received fits in those six boxes.