# LOGO DESIGN BRIEF

> **Disclaimer — not legal advice.** This template is provided free of charge, as is and with no warranty of any kind, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. It is jurisdiction-neutral: you are responsible for adapting it, for your own legal and tax compliance, and for having a qualified professional in your jurisdiction review it before you rely on it. Full terms: https://trycolo.co/terms-of-use

**Client:** [BUSINESS NAME]  |  **Contact:** [NAME], [EMAIL]  |  **Date:** [DATE]
**Designer:** [YOUR NAME / STUDIO]
**Final decision-maker:** [NAME]  |  **Also sees concepts:** [NAMES, or "nobody else"]

> Two pages at most. Skip anything you are unsure about and we will cover it on a short call.

## 1. Name and tagline

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| Exact name as it should appear in the logo | [NAME, with capitalization, e.g. "northfield & co."] |
| Legal or descriptor words to include or drop | [e.g. include "Studio", drop "LLC"] |
| Tagline (if any) | [TAGLINE] — in the logo? [ ] Always  [ ] Sometimes  [ ] Never |
| Common abbreviation or initials | [e.g. "NF"] |
| Is this a new logo or a refresh? | [ ] New  [ ] Refresh — what must stay: [ELEMENTS] |

## 2. The business in one sentence

[WHAT YOU DO] for [WHO] who [NEED], and unlike [ALTERNATIVES] we [DIFFERENCE].

**Founded / stage:** [YEAR / STARTUP / ESTABLISHED]  |  **Where you operate:** [LOCAL / NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL]

## 3. Brand attributes

Pick three to five pairs. The second half matters as much as the first.

| The logo should feel... | ...but not |
| --- | --- |
| [e.g. established] | [e.g. old-fashioned] |
| [e.g. friendly] | [e.g. childish] |
| [e.g. precise] | [e.g. cold] |
| [ATTRIBUTE] | [OPPOSITE] |

## 4. Audience

**Who needs to trust this logo first:** [e.g. property managers choosing a maintenance contractor]
**Where they first see it:** [e.g. van signage, a search result, a proposal PDF]
**What they expect a business like yours to look like:** [ANSWER] — **Do you want to fit in or stand out?** [ANSWER]

## 5. Applications

Rank the places the logo will appear (1 = most important).

| Rank | Application | Size or notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [ ] | Website header and favicon | Smallest size: [e.g. 32 px] |
| [ ] | Social media profile picture | Square / circle crop |
| [ ] | App icon | [YES / NO] |
| [ ] | Business cards and stationery | |
| [ ] | Signage (storefront, office, vehicle) | Viewing distance: [N] m / ft |
| [ ] | Uniforms or merchandise (embroidery, print) | Method: [EMBROIDERY / SCREEN PRINT] |
| [ ] | Packaging or labels | [SIZES] |
| [ ] | Documents and presentations | |
| [ ] | Other: [APPLICATION] | |

**Will the logo often appear on photos or colored backgrounds?** [ ] Yes  [ ] No

## 6. Mark style

| Type | Example description | Interested? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wordmark | The name set in custom lettering | [ ] Yes  [ ] Maybe  [ ] No |
| Lettermark | Initials only | [ ] Yes  [ ] Maybe  [ ] No |
| Symbol + wordmark | An icon beside or above the name | [ ] Yes  [ ] Maybe  [ ] No |
| Abstract symbol | A shape with no literal meaning | [ ] Yes  [ ] Maybe  [ ] No |
| Emblem / badge | Name inside a shape or seal | [ ] Yes  [ ] Maybe  [ ] No |

**Ideas, symbols or stories you would like explored:** [e.g. the river the company is named after]
**Ruled out (imagery, clichés, styles):** [e.g. no lightbulbs, no globes, no swooshes, no script fonts]

## 7. Color and typography

- **Colors we must use:** [COLORS / NONE]
- **Colors we must avoid:** [COLORS AND WHY, e.g. "red, because our main competitor uses it"]
- **Existing fonts to match:** [FONT / NONE]
- **Printing limits:** [e.g. must work in one color for embroidery / no limits]

## 8. Competitors and references

| Competitor | Logo link | What you think of it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [NAME] | [URL] | [REACTION] |
| [NAME] | [URL] | [REACTION] |
| [NAME] | [URL] | [REACTION] |

**Logos you admire from any industry (and why):**
1. [BRAND] — [REASON]
2. [BRAND] — [REASON]
3. [BRAND] — [REASON]

## 9. Deliverables needed at the end

- [ ] Primary logo (full color)  [ ] One-color black  [ ] One-color white (reversed)
- [ ] Horizontal lockup  [ ] Stacked lockup  [ ] Symbol / icon on its own
- [ ] Vector files (SVG, PDF, EPS)  [ ] PNG with transparent background  [ ] JPG
- [ ] Favicon and social profile sizes
- [ ] Simple usage sheet (clear space, minimum size, colors in HEX, RGB and CMYK)
- [ ] Full brand guidelines (quoted separately)

## 10. Timing and budget

**Needed by:** [DATE], because [REASON, e.g. signage order on [DATE]].
**Budget range:** [CURRENCY] [LOW] to [CURRENCY] [HIGH].

**Brief approved by:** ____________________  **Name:** [DECISION-MAKER]  **Date:** [DATE]

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### How to use this template

1. Send the brief after the project is booked and ask for it back within a week.
2. Use section 5 to set your minimum-size and one-color tests before sketching.
3. Present each concept against the attribute pairs in section 3, not against personal taste.
4. Confirm section 9 against your proposal so the file set matches what you priced.

*Template provided by Colo (trycolo.co). Not legal advice — review with a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.*