Guide
How to Write a Brief That Gets You a 24-Hour Turnaround
13 June 2026 · 5 min read · Shaun, Founder
The single biggest cause of slow design work isn't the designer. It's the brief.
"Make it look professional" is not a brief. "Something modern" is not a brief. "You'll know it when you see it" is not a brief — it's a guessing game, and guessing games take longer than clear instructions, every single time.
At Ubuntu Logic, the turnaround clock starts the moment we confirm a brief is complete — not the moment you submit the form. That single rule exists because a complete brief is the difference between a 24-hour delivery and three rounds of "actually, can we try..."
Here's exactly what a complete brief includes, regardless of who's doing the work for you.
The six things every good brief contains
What it is, specificallyNot "some social content" — "one Instagram post, 1080×1080px." Not "a page" — "a landing page with hero, three feature blocks, and a contact form."
What it needs to sayThe actual words, or at minimum the key messages it must communicate. If you don't have final copy, give the gist — "headline should communicate that we deliver same-day" — not just a vibe.
Who it's forYour audience, not you. A flyer for first-time customers reads differently to one for existing clients. Say which.
What it should feel likeReference examples do more work here than adjectives. "Like this, but in our colours" beats "modern and clean" nine times out of ten.
What you already haveLogo files, brand colours (with hex codes if you have them), existing brand guidelines, past work to stay consistent with. Attach it all upfront.
What you don't wantThis matters more than people expect. "Not stock-photo looking" or "no clipart" saves a revision round almost every time.
A real example, written properly
Here's the difference between a brief that stalls and one that moves immediately.
Vague brief — gets sent back for clarification
"Need a flyer for our shop. Something eye catching. Let me know what you need from me."
Complete brief — starts production immediately
"A5 flyer, front only, for our spring sale. Audience: existing customers on our mailing list, not new walk-ins. Headline: '20% off all stock, this weekend only.' Include our address and trading hours (attached). Brand colours are navy #1a2c5e and gold #c9a23a — logo attached. Reference: similar layout to the Woolworths flyer I'm attaching, but less crowded. No stock photos of people — product shots only."
The second version takes maybe four extra minutes to write. It also means the first draft you receive is something you can actually use, instead of a starting point for a longer back-and-forth.
What happens when a brief is incomplete
The clock pauses, not stopsIf a brief comes in missing key information, we don't guess and hope. We reply with one specific question, and the turnaround window begins once we have everything needed — not before. This protects you too: a guessed deliverable wastes a revision round you'd rather not use.
The pattern that speeds everything up
Every revision round on a request usually traces back to one missing piece of information from the original brief. Audience wasn't specified, so the tone missed. Brand colours weren't attached, so the first draft used a guess. Reference wasn't given, so "modern" meant something different to both sides.
None of this is about being a difficult client or over-specifying. It's the opposite — a complete brief is what lets the first draft actually be the final draft, more often than not.
This applies whether you're briefing Ubuntu Logic, a freelancer, or your own internal team. Good briefs are a transferable skill, and they're worth getting right regardless of who's on the other end.
Written by Shaun, Founder of Ubuntu Logic.