Graphic Design Brief Checklist for Hobart Businesses

The short answer: a useful graphic design brief explains the business goal, audience, message, deliverables, content, technical specifications, budget, timeline, decision-makers and ownership terms. It gives the designer enough context to solve the right problem without dictating every visual decision. For a Hobart business, it should also identify where the work will appear—such as shop signage, menus, tourism material, social media, a website or local print advertising—because each format has different requirements.

A brief does not need to be a long corporate document. A clear two- or three-page brief can be more useful than a folder of unexplained examples. The purpose is to reduce assumptions, keep feedback connected to the goal and make the quote, schedule and final handover easier to understand.

What is a graphic design brief?

A graphic design brief is the agreed starting point for a visual communication project. It tells the designer what the business needs to communicate, who needs to understand it, where the design will be used and what must be delivered.

It is not the finished creative solution. Statements such as “make the logo bigger”, “use this exact layout” or “copy this competitor” may restrict the work before the underlying problem is understood. A stronger brief explains the required outcome and genuine constraints, then allows the designer to propose an appropriate visual response.

DanSol’s graphic design service in Hobart covers brand and marketing material for print and digital use. Providing a considered brief helps the initial conversation focus on scope, priorities and practical production needs.

Graphic design brief checklist

1. Business background

Give the designer a concise explanation of the business, what it sells, where it operates and why this project is happening now. Include relevant history, but avoid sending pages of general company information that does not affect the design.

• business and trading name;
• location and service area;
• main products or services;
• current brand position;
• reason for the project; and
• known constraints, such as an opening date, venue approval or existing packaging size.

2. The business goal

Describe the result the business needs, not only the item being designed. “Create an A5 flyer” is a deliverable. “Help nearby office workers understand our weekday lunch offer and order before 2 pm” is a goal that guides the content and hierarchy.

The Australian Government’s marketing-plan guidance recommends defining the target market, message, channels, goals, time frames and budget. Those decisions should appear in the design brief when the project supports a campaign.

3. Target audience

Define the people who need to notice, understand and act on the design. Use information the business can support—customer type, buying situation, location, language needs and common questions—rather than inventing a fictional personality.

A Hobart tourism operator may need separate consideration for interstate visitors planning months ahead and travellers already in the city. A trade service may need to speak differently to facility managers and household customers. If two audiences require different messages, ask whether they need different versions instead of compressing everything into one design.

4. Core message and action

Write the single most important point the audience should understand. Then define the action: call, book, visit, scan, buy, register, ask for a quote or remember the brand.

List supporting information in priority order. This helps the designer create hierarchy. When every sentence is labelled “most important”, the result is usually crowded. Identify what may be shortened, moved to a website or removed if the format is small.

5. Exact deliverables and versions

Name every required item rather than asking for “some social graphics” or “a brochure”. Specify quantities, sizes, orientation, platforms and whether the artwork must work as a family.

6. Content and assets supplied by the business

List who will supply the copy, prices, product details, photos, logos, legal text, QR-code destination and contact information. Mark each item as final, draft or missing. A design schedule cannot be reliable when the content handover date is unknown.

Supply original files where possible. A logo copied from a website or a photo saved from social media may be too small for print. Confirm that the business has permission to use every photograph, font, illustration and testimonial. IP Australia warns that material found online is not automatically free to reuse and that attribution alone does not necessarily make copying acceptable.

7. Brand direction

Provide the current logo files, colour values, typefaces, photography direction and any brand guide. Explain which elements are fixed and which can change. If the business has no consistent system, say so—the project may need a small identity stage before repeated marketing materials are produced.

DanSol’s guide to brand identity packages for Hobart businesses explains the difference between a logo file and a usable set of brand assets. If the current identity is no longer suitable, use the logo refresh versus rebrand guide to decide whether the problem is a small visual update or a wider strategic change.

8. Visual references

Share a small number of references and explain the useful quality in each one: restrained typography, strong product photography, clear information hierarchy or a particular tone. Avoid “make it exactly like this”. A reference is a conversation aid, not permission to copy another organisation’s work.

Also identify what should be avoided. This may include colours already used by a direct competitor, imagery that misrepresents the service, visual clichés or styles that do not reproduce well in the required format.

9. Accessibility and readability

State where the design will be viewed and any accessibility requirement. A menu in a dim venue, a roadside sign and a PDF read on a phone need different decisions about type size, contrast, spacing and information density.

For digital content, W3C guidance requires sufficient contrast between text and its background, including text placed over images or gradients. W3C also recommends using real text instead of images of text where possible because users cannot adjust text embedded in an image. When a graphic communicates information online, plan an appropriate text alternative or equivalent page content.

Accessibility should be reviewed in the intended format, not only on a large design monitor. Ask for a printed proof where size matters and test digital files on the devices customers actually use.

10. Technical production requirements

Record practical specifications before design begins:

• finished dimensions and orientation;
• bleed, safe area and fold positions;
• CMYK, RGB, spot-colour or greyscale requirements;
• minimum image resolution;
• printer or publisher templates;
• maximum digital file size;
• required PDF standard or export settings;
• editable source-file requirement;
• web image dimensions and compression needs; and
• any translation or alternate-language versions.

When the supplier is unknown, ask the designer whether a printer, signwriter, packaging manufacturer or developer should confirm specifications first. Designing to assumptions can lead to rework or unusable artwork.

11. Budget and quotation assumptions

Share a realistic budget range or request options for different scopes. The quote should state the deliverables, number of concepts, revision rounds, meetings, content responsibilities, licensed assets, production liaison, source files and exclusions.

Budget is not only a negotiation number. It helps the designer recommend a practical approach. A short campaign may suit a focused template system; a growing brand may benefit from reusable components and a guide that reduces future design time.

12. Timeline and dependencies

Give the actual launch or print date, not only “as soon as possible”. Work backwards to include content delivery, first concepts, consolidated feedback, revisions, final approval, supplier proofing and production.

Identify dependencies. A menu cannot be finalised before prices are approved. Signage cannot be released before measurements and permissions are confirmed. Packaging may need a supplier template. A campaign graphic may need a working landing page and verified QR code.

13. Decision-makers and feedback process

Name the person who can approve the work and the people who must be consulted. Ask stakeholders to combine feedback into one clear response. Conflicting comments sent separately create delay and can push the design away from the agreed goal.

Feedback is most useful when it explains the problem: “the booking deadline is hard to find” or “this image suggests dine-in when the offer is takeaway only”. Personal reactions can still matter, but connect them to the audience, message or brand requirement where possible.

14. Ownership, licensing and handover

Agree in writing who will own or license the final work, what the business may edit, whether the designer can display it in a portfolio and which third-party fonts, photos or templates have separate licence terms.

Business.gov.au states that when hiring a contractor, the contract should clearly address ownership of intellectual property if the business wants to own the rights. IP Australia also notes that IP may be sold, transferred or licensed. This guide is practical planning information, not legal advice; obtain professional advice for valuable or disputed rights.

Define the handover package. Depending on the project, it may include print-ready PDFs, web-optimised images, vector logo files, editable source files, linked assets, font information, colour values and a short usage guide.

A copy-and-paste graphic design brief structure

1. Project name: a clear internal name.
2. Business background: two or three relevant paragraphs.
3. Project goal: the outcome the business needs.
4. Audience: who must understand and act.
5. Core message: the single most important point.
6. Call to action: the desired next step.
7. Deliverables: exact items, sizes and versions.
8. Content supplied: final, draft and missing items.
9. Brand assets: files, rules and fixed elements.
10. Visual direction: explained references and exclusions.
11. Accessibility: contrast, size, format and alternatives.
12. Technical specifications: print, digital and source-file needs.
13. Budget: range, inclusions and optional stages.
14. Timeline: milestones, dependencies and final deadline.
15. Approvals: decision-maker and feedback process.
16. Rights and handover: ownership, licences and final files.

Three practical Hobart examples

A restaurant launching a weekday offer

The brief should name the offer, valid days and times, conditions, audience, store address and ordering action. It should separate social-post, story, counter-poster and letterbox-flyer sizes. Prices and conditions must be approved before final artwork, and the business should test any QR code from the printed proof.

An accommodation business preparing summer material

The designer needs the booking route, room or package details, genuine photography, cancellation context and channel specifications. A brochure for visitor centres and a mobile ad may share a visual system but should not contain the same amount of information.

A trade service updating its vehicle and digital graphics

The brief should identify the service area, priority services, contact route, vehicle measurements and viewing distance. The vehicle artwork, social graphics and website banners need related branding but different layouts. Confirm what information must remain readable while the vehicle is moving.

Common briefing mistakes

• starting with a favourite style before defining the audience and goal;
• requesting “all formats” without listing actual uses;
• providing draft prices or unapproved copy as if they were final;
• assuming the designer will write, photograph or proofread everything;
• sending low-resolution screenshots instead of source assets;
• adding new deliverables during revision without updating scope;
• collecting feedback from many people without one approver;
• leaving printer, platform or sign specifications until the end; and
• failing to agree on source files, licensing and ownership.

From brief to final artwork

1. Confirm the brief. Resolve missing content, specifications and ownership questions.
2. Agree on scope. Approve deliverables, price, timeline, concepts and revision rounds.
3. Review direction. Assess early concepts against the audience, message and use—not only personal taste.
4. Consolidate feedback. Submit one prioritised response from the authorised stakeholders.
5. Proof the final design. Check spelling, prices, dates, phone numbers, URLs, QR codes, dimensions and accessibility.
6. Approve production. Confirm the correct files go to the printer, publisher, developer or installer.
7. Store the handover. Keep source files, exports, licences and brand references in a controlled business folder.

If the project also involves a new or redesigned website, use DanSol’s website design brief checklist for page structure, functionality, integrations, migration and launch requirements.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a graphic design brief be?

Use the shortest document that removes important assumptions. A focused social campaign may need two pages; a packaging, signage or multi-channel project may require more detail and supplier specifications. Clarity matters more than length.

Should I tell the designer exactly what the design must look like?

State fixed brand rules, production limits and genuine preferences, then explain the business problem. Allow room for the designer to propose hierarchy, composition and visual direction. References are most useful when you explain why they work.

What files should I ask for?

Ask for files matched to the intended uses. Common outputs include print-ready PDF, web-ready JPG or WebP, transparent PNG and scalable vector files such as SVG or EPS. Confirm whether editable source files are included and what software they require.

Who should provide the words and images?

The brief and quote should say. The business may provide approved copy and original photography, or the designer may coordinate writing and image sourcing as additional work. Assign an owner and due date to every content item.

How many design revisions are normal?

There is no universal number. The agreement should state the included rounds and what counts as a revision. Two considered rounds after an agreed direction may be enough for a focused project; a broader identity system may need staged approvals.

Last reviewed: 21 October 2026. Intellectual-property and accessibility notes are general planning guidance; obtain professional advice for legal or formal compliance decisions.