Almost every project we've worked on started with a request for a thing. A new logo. New packaging. A mascot. Some merch.

Sometimes that's exactly right. More often, the thing is a symptom. Underneath "we need a new logo" there's usually something bigger: the brand doesn't feel like anyone in particular, it's been outgrown, or the packaging is letting a good product down.

Finding that real problem first saves time, money and a lot of redesigns.

Why the first request is rarely the brief

Founders know their business inside out, but they're often too close to it to see why it isn't landing. So they reach for the fix they can see. The logo is the face of the brand, so the logo gets the blame.

A new logo on top of an unclear brand still looks unclear, just newer.

Five questions to find the real brief

1. What made you start thinking about this now?

There's always a trigger: a new competitor, a launch, a move, slow sales, a comment from a customer. The trigger often points straight at the real problem.

2. What do people say about you today?

Forget what you'd like them to say. What do customers, staff and friends actually say when they describe you? If the answer is vague or generic, the issue is bigger than the logo.

3. Where do you lose people?

Is it on the shelf, on the website, at the counter, after the first visit? Knowing where things go wrong tells you which touchpoint deserves the attention.

4. What should someone feel when they meet your brand?

Pick three words. Then look at what you have now and ask honestly whether it says those three words. The gap between the two is your brief.

5. What will be different if this works?

More people picking you up on the shelf? A higher price that people accept? Customers who can finally say your name? A clear outcome keeps everyone focused and makes the work easier to judge.

What usually comes out of it

When we go through these questions with founders, the brief often shifts:

  • "We need a new logo" becomes "we need a point of view, and a look that shows it".
  • "We need new packaging" becomes "our range looks like five different brands".
  • "We want merch" becomes "we want our regulars to feel part of something".

The deliverable might stay the same. The thinking behind it gets much sharper, and the result works harder.

In short

Start with the problem, then pick the deliverable. If you're not sure what you need yet, that's completely normal, and it's a good place to start a conversation with us.