Visual Identity Brief

---
name: visual-identity-brief
description: "Creates briefs for designers with mood board direction, style references, do's and don'ts, and deliverable specifications. Use when hiring a designer for brand work."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Visual Identity Brief

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Brief a designer or agency on visual identity or brand design work
- Communicate your vision with enough clarity to get great results on the first round
- Define the scope, style, and deliverables for a design project
- Create mood board direction and style reference documentation

**DO NOT** use this skill for actual design creation, UI/UX wireframing, or marketing campaign creative briefs. This is for briefing designers on brand-level visual identity work.

---

## Core Principle

A BRIEF SHOULD ELIMINATE GUESSWORK — THE DESIGNER SHOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE BEFORE THEY OPEN THEIR DESIGN TOOL.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Project scope** | "What do you need designed? (logo, full identity, refresh, specific asset)" | Logo and basic identity |
| **Brand description** | "Describe your brand, audience, and personality in 2-3 sentences." | Must be provided |
| **Style preferences** | "Show me 3-5 designs you love (any industry) and tell me why." | Must be provided |
| **Anti-references** | "Show me 2-3 designs you dislike and tell me why." | None |
| **Deliverables needed** | "What files and formats do you need?" | Logo (SVG, PNG), color palette, font recommendation |
| **Budget and timeline** | "What is your budget and deadline?" | Must be provided |
| **Revision rounds** | "How many revision rounds are included?" | 2-3 rounds |

**GATE: Confirm inputs before writing the brief.**

---

## Phase 2: Structure

### Brief Sections

1. **Project overview** — what, why, and for whom
2. **Brand context** — positioning, personality, audience
3. **Style direction** — mood board references, aesthetic preferences
4. **Technical requirements** — formats, sizes, platforms
5. **Deliverable list** — every asset needed with specifications
6. **Do's and don'ts** — explicit creative boundaries
7. **Timeline and process** — milestones, check-ins, approval flow
8. **Success criteria** — how the final work will be evaluated

**GATE: Present the brief structure and confirm before writing the full document.**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### Writing Rules

- Be specific about what you like in each reference ("I like the bold typography and minimal color palette" not just "I like this")
- Separate "must have" requirements from "nice to have" preferences
- Include competitor examples with notes on what to differentiate from
- Specify file format and size requirements precisely
- Include the brand positioning statement if available

### Do's and Don'ts Format

**DO:**
- Use clean, geometric shapes
- Keep the palette to 3-4 colors maximum
- Design for legibility at small sizes (favicon, social avatar)

**DON'T:**
- Use gradients or drop shadows
- Include clip art or stock illustration elements
- Design something that looks similar to [competitor name]

### Deliverable Specification Table

| Deliverable | Format | Sizes | Variations |
|------------|--------|-------|------------|
| Primary logo | SVG, PNG, PDF | Original + horizontal | Full color, black, white, reverse |
| Social avatar | PNG | 400x400, 800x800 | Full color on light and dark backgrounds |
| Favicon | ICO, PNG | 32x32, 180x180 | Simplified mark only |

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### Final Brief Package

1. **Design brief document** — the complete written brief
2. **Reference collection** — organized folder or board of style references
3. **Brand context document** — positioning statement, audience profile, brand personality
4. **Technical spec sheet** — every deliverable with exact file requirements
5. **Feedback template** — structured format for providing revision feedback

### Feedback Framework

Teach the user how to give effective design feedback:
- Reference specific elements ("the icon feels too complex" not "I don't like it")
- Distinguish between subjective preference and objective problems
- Prioritize feedback — not everything needs to change in every round

---

## Example 1: Logo Design Brief (Solo Business)

**Scope:** Primary logo, social avatar, favicon. Budget: $500-1,000. Timeline: 2 weeks.
**Direction:** Modern, minimal, geometric. Inspired by Stripe and Linear. Avoid playful or cartoonish.

## Example 2: Full Visual Identity Brief (Growing Brand)

**Scope:** Logo system, color palette, typography, business card, social templates, email signature. Budget: $3,000-5,000. Timeline: 4-6 weeks.
**Direction:** Premium and refined with subtle warmth. Inspired by Aesop and Kinfolk. Avoid corporate or cold.

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Too vague** — "Make it look cool" is not a brief. Specificity is kindness to the designer.
- **Too prescriptive** — dictating exact colors, fonts, and layout leaves no room for creative expertise. Set direction, not solutions.
- **No anti-references** — knowing what to avoid is as valuable as knowing what to aim for. Include both.
- **Missing technical specs** — a beautiful logo designed at wrong dimensions or missing file formats requires rework. Specify upfront.
- **Skipping the feedback framework** — vague feedback like "Can you make it pop?" causes revision cycles. Structure your feedback.

---

## Recovery

- **User has no style references:** Browse Dribbble, Behance, or brand collections together. Ask them to react to 10 examples with "love it" or "hate it" to establish direction.
- **Brief keeps changing:** Establish a brief freeze date. Changes after freeze require a change order with adjusted timeline.
- **Designer delivers off-brief:** Review the brief together — if the brief was clear, request revisions. If the brief was vague, accept responsibility and clarify.
- **Budget does not match scope:** Scale back deliverables to match budget. Logo first, additional assets in a follow-up phase.