Art Directors, Advertising and Agency Folks - or marketing people who works with them - need advice please..

[Earlybird]

I need to have a logo designed for a company, and have been asked to give the art director and designer at the agency a 'written brief'.

Can anyone shed light on what the brief should entail - format, content, length, etc?

Are there any 'how to' online sources that might be useful?

Advice, examples and links much appreciated. Don't want my 'novice status' to ruin my credibility!

Bump for the afternoon crowd.....

I keep briefs short - if the design company are worth their salt they'll appreciate that.

I would include:
Company info - how long the company has been established, core business, target market.

Details of any existing branding/logos, if there are any - if so, why the company wants to change/update.

Practical details - what the logo will be used on, e.g. print, online, stationery, etc, does it need to work in mono and colour, do you need a reversed out version, does it have to have a strapline or qualifier.

Anything you want to specify, e.g. company colours, crest, etc, if you want something v contemporary and cutting edge, or classic.

Whether you want them to supply you with full brand guidelines for its use (some companies have books! Some have a few pages).

I think that's probably the basics. You can also include things like look and feel, tone of voice, what you're trying to communicate (e.g Earlybird Company is young and funky, and that should be taken into consideration).

Ditto what BoS says but to add - talk about your client base. It depends what you are selling, but also who you are selling it to. If your client market is 5 year old girls then you might want it funky and friendly, if your client market is surgeons then you will want something sleeker and more professional. I'm sure its not quite as cler cut as 5 yr lds vs doctors, but your target market should influence your logo.

just found this

www.touchmarketing.co.uk/docs/Touch%20Marketing%20&%20Design%20-%20Ten_Quick_Logo_Design_Considerati ons.pdf

but if you google logo + design + considerations you'll gte loads more in the same vein which might help.

NB sorry BoS just realised that you did specify target market in first line, My bad.

actually just realised there are loads and loads of templates and samples online as well, such as

www.net-essens.com/dokument-att-ladda-ner/category/1-general?download=1%3Alogo-design-brief

just quick google search will bring up loads more.

Hi I'm a copywriter so very used to written briefs. Try to keep it to one page if you can, but 1.5 at the absolute most.

Key area to cover are:

:: Background info on who the logo is for

:: What the logo will be used for (ie to make sure it will work across all media - internet, print, stationary etc) also, would it be helpful if the logo could be animated?

:: why the logo is needed (whether it's a new company, or a re-brand)

::Preferences on typefaces, colours (one colour, lots of colours etc), imagery - be specific about what is NOT allowed

:: think about the tone of the logo - serious, business-like, funky, friendly, approachable

:: state target audience - mums, families, teenagers etc

:: What you want people to get from the logo - think of this as a single-minded proposition ie. this company is the no.1 resource for savvy mums

:: include a short list of words that help describe the company (ie dynamic, friendly, funky etc) in terms of it's personality

Can't think of much else of the top of my head - sorry I don't have an example I can link to. But hope that helps a little!

Thanks very much for the helpful information.

Once I submit the brief, what could I typically expect:
how long before I see something back from them,
would they give me a few design options/variations
is there usually a back/forth conversation with adjustments made before final design is agreed,
Anything else to know about the 'process'?

And perhaps the most idiotic question of all: once we have agreed the logo, what exactly will I receive from them that I will then take to printers? Sorry to be such a non-geek.

Set them a timescale - when do you need it back? It depends on how big the job is - if it's a full branding, they may need a while, and it depends on how big the agency is - a smaller one may need more time.

You could ask to see two or three different rough suggestions and then get them to work up the preferred one to a finished visual. Yes, there should be plenty of opportunity to make adjustments.

Have you set a budget? Are you happy with the agency - you can do a pitch between several - they submit their ideas and present for you to choose which you prefer.

They should supply a suite of materials - hi res and lo res jpegs, tiffs, etc in all the different variations (mono, colour, single colour if appropriate) either by email or on a disc, and then they can be used by whoever is putting together print for you.

Thanks everyone for the useful information. With your experience and guidance, I can now give the impression of knowing what I'm doing!