A design brief that starts the job (example and template)
What a design brief has to contain before a designer can start, a real example the way a client actually writes one, a template that gets the same information in five minutes, and how a tool can read it into a checklist.
Beginner4 min readUpdated 27 September 2026Studio · Brief reader
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An example, the way clients write them
“Hi! We need a flyer and some socials for our harvest thanksgiving at Grace Chapel, Sunday 12 October, service at 10am then lunch. Theme is "Rooted in Gratitude". Free entry, everyone welcome. Need an A4 flyer for the notice board, an Instagram post and a story. Must include the church logo and the food bank partner logo, and the hashtag #RootedInGratitude. Warm and welcoming, not too churchy. Deadline for socials is next Friday, flyer can be the week after. Logo attached.”
It reads like a message because it is one, and it is still complete: the headline (the event), the subheading (the theme), the date, the time, the venue, the price, the must-haves, the formats with their dates, the tone, and the assets. A designer can start. The template below produces the same thing on purpose rather than by luck.
The five-minute template
Send this to the client, or fill it in on a call. Labels matter: a line that starts with Headline: is never misread.
| Line | Example | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|
| Headline: | Harvest Thanksgiving | The one thing the piece says. Also the working name of the job. |
| Subheading or theme: | Rooted in Gratitude | The second line, if there is one. |
| Date: / Time: / Venue: | Sun 12 Oct / 10am, lunch after / Grace Chapel, Mill Lane | The facts that get reprinted when wrong. Labelled, so nothing is guessed. |
| Price: | Free | Or the amount and currency. "Free" is information. |
| Contact: | @gracechapel, gracechapel.org | Up to two: a handle, a web address, a phone number, an email. |
| Must include: | church logo, food bank logo, #RootedInGratitude | Logos, sponsors, partners, hashtags, disclaimers, a lineup. Comma separated. |
| Formats: | A4 flyer (by 24 Oct), Instagram post and story (by 17 Oct) | Every deliverable, its size or platform, and its own date. |
| Tone: | warm, welcoming, not too formal | Three words is plenty. They steer type and colour. |
| Audience: | the congregation and the neighbours | Who is reading it, in a phrase. |
| Assets: | logo attached as SVG; fonts and colours as in last year's flyer | What exists. Ask for vector logos and real font files. |
| References: | link or attachment | Anything they like, and one thing they do not. |
When the brief is three messages and a voice note
Most briefs arrive in pieces. Do not tidy them into a document for the client; that is your time spent on their job. Paste the pieces together in the order they arrived, pull the two lists out (what must appear, what is owed), and send those back as the brief: "Here is what I read. Anything missing?" Their yes is the sign-off. Keep the original text underneath, because when a detail is disputed later the original settles it.
How to do it in Voidcanvas
- In Studio press Start a job and paste the client's words as they sent them into The brief. Do not tidy first; the reader expects real messages.
- Under Read from the brief, check what Studio found: the headline, subheading, date, time, venue, price, contact and must-haves, plus the tone words and who it is for. This list goes to the Editor as a checklist that ticks itself off as the words land on the design.
- If the reader guessed wrong, add a labelled line to the brief (Headline: Harvest Thanksgiving). Labels always win.
- Under Formats, press the buttons for the formats the brief mentions, or Add all, then set a due date per format. Print formats carry their size in mm so delivery can add bleed and crop marks.
- Choose the client's brand under Which brand is this for? so the Editor checks colours, fonts and logo rules against it.
What is the difference between a design brief and a creative brief?
In practice, size. A creative brief for a campaign adds objectives, positioning, audience research and messaging hierarchy. A design brief for a piece needs the six things above. Most small-business jobs need the second and are slowed down by templates for the first.
Should the client write the brief or the designer?
The client supplies the facts and the intent; the designer shapes them into the two lists and sends them back for a yes. Whoever writes it, the designer owns checking it.
How long should a design brief be?
As long as the six things take. The example above is 90 words and complete. A brief that runs to pages usually hides the deliverables and the dates somewhere in the middle.