A good image brief means the designer finishes without a single clarifying call. Communicate the feeling you want, not just "make it look good". Colors, fonts, and logo usage come from the brand guideline (46-brand-guideline-global), never invented here.
Information gathering
Read .agents/product-marketing-context-global.md, the brand guideline, and the asset list (41-campaign-asset-list-global) if available. If information is missing, ask up to 4 questions:
- Image type and subject? Social post, ad banner, thumbnail, product shot, lifestyle, or infographic — attached to which campaign or content piece?
- Channel and dimensions? Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, website, or email — ratio 1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9, 2:3, or custom?
- Visual objective and copy? Stop the scroll, build trust, or drive the click — is the headline, subtext, and CTA written and approved?
- Constraints? Reference images (link or file), deadline, maximum number of revision rounds?
Principles
- Complete enough that nobody has to ask. Any blank field means the brief is not finished. If a decision is genuinely open, write "designer's call, per brand guideline".
- Copy is approved before it is set. Do not rewrite copy after the layout exists.
- References are mandatory. One reference image replaces a thousand words. "Make it look clean and professional" is not a brief.
- One image, one visual objective. Do not stack three messages into one frame.
- More than two revision rounds usually means the brief was unclear, not that the designer is weak.
- If multiple sizes are needed, state the adaptation rules for each one (see
50-asset-resize-global).
Workflow
1. Define the visual objective
Before briefing the concept, decide what this image must accomplish in the first three seconds of attention.
| Objective | Visual direction |
|---|---|
| Stop the scroll | Strong hook, high contrast, pattern interrupt |
| Build trust | Clean, professional, visible social proof |
| Drive the click | Prominent CTA, explicit offer, urgency if it is real |
2. Write the full brief
Fill every section of the template below. Leave nothing blank.
3. Attach references
Always include 2-3 specific reference images, each annotated with what to learn from it (color? composition? mood?) and what not to copy.
Output structure
File name: image-brief-[asset-name]-[YYYYMMDD].md
# Image Brief — [Asset name]
## Overview
| Item | Detail |
|------|--------|
| Project / campaign | |
| Image type | |
| Channel / placement | |
| Dimensions (px) + ratio | |
| Visual objective | Stop the scroll / Build trust / Drive the click |
| Export format | JPG / PNG / WebP |
| Number of deliverables | |
| Designer | |
| Deadline | |
| Max revision rounds | |
## Concept and mood
- One-sentence idea: [what this image is about — readable in one pass]
- Feeling to convey: [Professional / Warm / Playful / Urgent / Minimal / Bold]
- Mood board references:
- Ref 1: [link or file — learn: color? layout? photographic style?]
- Ref 2: [...]
- Ref 3: [...] — do not copy: [...]
- Colors (from the brand guideline):
- Primary: [primary color]
- Secondary / accent: [secondary color]
- Background: [white / solid / gradient / photographic]
- Text: [dark text on light ground / light text on dark ground]
- Avoid entirely: color [...], style [...], element [...]
## Composition
- Main subject: [real person / product / abstract / type-led / illustration]
- Background: [white / solid / lifestyle scene / studio / blur / texture]
- Focal point: [centered / rule of thirds left or right / full bleed]
- Clear space for text overlay: [yes/no — which corner, roughly which third]
- Visual hierarchy:
1. [most important element — where the eye lands first]
2. [second element]
3. [third element — CTA / logo]
## Overlay copy (approved before it is set)
| Element | Content | Font | Size | Color | Position |
|---------|---------|------|------|-------|----------|
| Headline | | [heading font] Bold | | | |
| Subtext | | [body font] Regular | | | |
| CTA button | | [heading font] Bold | | | |
| Logo | [version: horizontal / stacked / icon only] | — | — | — | [per brand guideline] |
Copy limits: headline max [X] characters, subtext max [X] characters, no more than three text colors in one image.
## Deliverables
- [ ] Source file (share link, not a flattened export)
- [ ] Export [format] — [exact dimensions]
- [ ] Variants if needed: [light/dark version, alternate crop]
- [ ] Remaining sizes per the asset list
## Review process
- Draft 1 due: [date] — feedback within [X] hours
- Max revision rounds: [X] — final approval by: [lead]
- Final deadline: [date]
Platform specs
| Channel | Dimensions | Safe zone | Export | Max file size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Feed (FB/IG) | 1080x1080 (1:1) or 1080x1350 (4:5) | 20px each edge | JPG, RGB | 30MB |
| Meta Story / Reels | 1080x1920 (9:16) | 250px top / 250px bottom | JPG, RGB | 30MB |
| Meta link/landscape | 1200x628 (1.91:1) | 40px each edge | JPG, RGB | 30MB |
| TikTok cover | 1080x1920 (9:16) | 150px top / 300px bottom | JPG | 10MB |
| LinkedIn single image | 1200x627 (1.91:1) | 40px each edge | JPG/PNG | 5MB |
| Pinterest pin | 1000x1500 (2:3) | 60px each edge | JPG/PNG | 20MB |
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280x720 (16:9) | 60px each edge, avoid bottom-right timestamp | JPG/PNG | 2MB |
| Email header | 600x200 | 10px each edge | JPG | 1MB |
| Website banner | 1440x500 | 100px each edge | JPG/PNG/WebP | 500KB |
Full size matrix, crop behavior, and resize strategy: read
50-asset-resize-global.
Condensed example brief
Image brief — Meta Feed 1080x1080 — TOFU, Q3 course launch
Type: single-image ad | Channel: Meta Feed | Objective: stop the scroll within 1.5 seconds
Feeling: bold, mild urgency, professional but not corporate
Subject: type-led, gradient background from [primary color] to [secondary color]
Headline: "[core message — max 60 characters]"
Subtext: "[product name + date window]"
CTA: "Enroll now"
Ref: [link to a bold type-led example — learn contrast and typography, do not copy the palette]
Deadline: [date] | Max revisions: 2
Related skills
41-campaign-asset-list-global: where this image sits in the asset list and its deadline.46-brand-guideline-global: source of colors, fonts, and logo rules — read before writing the brief.45-design-tool-brief-global: add step-by-step production direction when the designer works in Canva, Figma, or Adobe Express.43-carousel-brief-global: use instead when the deliverable is a slide sequence rather than a single frame.47-design-review-global: score the result once the designer submits.50-asset-resize-global: adaptation rules when the same master runs at several sizes.30-design-master-global: when the image should be AI-generated instead of designed by hand.
Quality checklist
- One clear visual objective (stop the scroll / build trust / drive the click)
- Concept has a one-sentence idea plus the feeling to convey
- 2-3 references included, each annotated with what to learn and what not to copy
- Colors and fonts read from the brand guideline — no invented hex values
- Overlay copy approved before handoff
- Visual hierarchy stated in 1-2-3 order
- Dimensions, safe zone, and export format match the channel spec
- Text is legible on mobile; no more than three text colors
- Deadline and maximum revision rounds stated
- No section left blank