What a usable brief contains — one page is enough
Offer in one sentence, cities, languages, buyer (who pays), three liked brands (why), three disliked (why), surfaces in 90 days, success in 90 days (not “go viral”), and constraints (colours you cannot use, religious/political no-gos).
Attach URLs. Screenshots of “we like this” without why are how we accidentally copy a competitor. Mistakes.
Write the job, not the adjective
“Look official on WhatsApp and match the clinic board” is a job. “Modern luxury vibe” is a fight waiting to happen.
Competitors and “not this” are more useful than Pinterest
Local competitors matter more than a Milan studio. Say who you lose deals to. Say the flex you never want to resemble on your street.
National references are fine if you explain the piece you mean (type, photo style, restraint) — not the whole company.
Do not ask us to clone a protected mark
We will refuse. Brief the feeling and the market position. Trademark is how you protect your own result later.
Audiences in rupees and cities, not fake personas
“CFOs in Guindy who already use Tally” beats “Priya, 28, aspires.” Indian SME work dies in imported persona theatre. Name the price band they already pay.
B2B vs clinic vs D2C changes proof, not just colour. Startup vs SME; clinics.
Who must not confuse you with whom
If you must not look like a spa, a lender, or a political party, write it. Colour and type will thank you. Colour and typography.
Assets you already own — dump the messy folder
Old logos, GST letterheads, photos, the intern Canva, the printer CDR. Mess is diagnostic. Hiding it so we “are not biased” wastes money. We need the crimes to write guidelines.
If a freelancer still holds source files, say so. Ownership is part of the brief. Logo vs identity.
Photography honesty
If the office looks like a back room, say whether we must work with that or a shoot is planned. Brand photography.
Decision makers and revision rules
One approver. A date for freeze. A round count. Family group veto without a named owner is how projects die in week six. Write it in the PO.
Feedback format: marked PDFs or a single compiled WhatsApp list — not 11 conflicting voice notes at 11 pm.
Unlimited revisions are not kindness
They hide indecision. We would rather a paid extra round than a fake unlimited that turns bitter.
Legal constraints belong in week one
Frozen legal name? Pending MCA? Words you cannot use? Class conflicts you already know? Naming in India. We are not counsel; we still need the fence.
If a rename is likely, say so. We may recommend waiting or a limited Starter. Rebrand vs refresh.
Claims on pack and ads
If you cannot legally say “organic” or “guaranteed results,” the brief should ban those lines so voice and pack do not fight. Voice.
Timeline vs the festival calendar
Identity is not a Diwali overnight job if you still argue the name. Campaign skins can be faster once tokens exist. Say the hard date and what happens if you miss it (old kit vs silence).
SMM and media should not be booked to a new end card you have not approved.
Print lead times are the real deadline
Boards, cards, pack. Work backwards from the printer, not from the Instagram announcement you already promised.
Budget honesty maps to a real product
₹25,000 Starter vs ₹60,000 Full vs adding UI ₹50,000 vs a website is a product choice. “As per industry standards” is how you get a quote you cannot compare. How much branding costs.
If ads must run this month, say so — brand vs performance ads may change sequence.
GST invoice and file ownership in the same breath
Chennai SMEs need both. Ask who owns AI/Figma at the end. If the answer is vague, the brief is incomplete on your side too — demand it in writing.
How Brevia runs the first week
Read the pack, kickoff on a call, confirm Starter vs Full, show directions (not 20 logos), freeze, then system and files. WhatsApp for marks; a written freeze for colours and type.
If UI or web is in the brief, we sequence tokens before UI/UX or Website Development. Pack-led brands: packaging vs digital.
What you will not get in week one
A finished guidelines PDF, a trademark, or a film. You will get decisions. Media and SMM come after tokens if they are in scope.
What to send before the call — a checklist
One-sentence offer, cities, languages, competitor links, not-this examples, current files, decision maker name, date, budget band, legal name status, surfaces list. That is enough to consult.
Then Contact Us if you prefer email. We reply within one business day from Thousand Lights, Chennai. After kickoff, vendors on brand is how the kit survives the printer.
If you only remember one line
Facts and fences first, adjectives last. A Chennai studio can design. We cannot telepath a family argument into a logo.
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