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Free template — 4 pages, A4 PDF

The Styleframe Brief Template

Eight short sections that turn the vague phrase "make me a styleframe" into a signed-off project with a clear palette, typography pair, mood board and revision cap. Print it, fill it, send it to the client. No signup wall.

Download PDF (276 KB) See the sections

Released to public domain (CC0). Use it, modify it, sell the work it helps you ship. No attribution needed.

What is inside

  1. 01

    Context

    One-sentence project description, background, the single problem this styleframe solves.

  2. 02

    Audience and tone

    Primary and secondary audience, three words for the tone, three words this should not be.

  3. 03

    Mood and visual references

    Six reference frames with notes on what specifically to borrow from each.

  4. 04

    Color palette

    Up to five primary swatches, three accents, and a paragraph on why this palette.

  5. 05

    Typography

    Display and body type choices with size ranges, plus one explicit pairing rule.

  6. 06

    Deliverables and milestones

    Concept frames, direction lock, final styleframes with due dates.

  7. 07

    Feedback rules

    Default revision rules that prevent feedback chaos. Two rounds included.

  8. 08

    Sign-off

    Both parties sign before concept work begins. Scope changes go through a change order.

Why a one-page brief, not a 20-page deck

Most creative briefs fail in the same place: too long to read, too vague to enforce. This template fits four printed pages on purpose. Each section asks a single question with one short answer field. If the answer does not fit, the brief is not ready. The point is to force decisions before concept work starts, not after.

The hardest field on the whole document is in section one: "the single problem this styleframe solves." If you can write it in one sentence, the rest of the brief falls into place. If you cannot, the project is not ready for design work yet — and the brief just told you that.

Quick questions

Is this actually free, or do you collect my email?
Direct download. No form, no email gate. CC0 license, do what you want with it.
Can I edit it in Figma?
The PDF is print-ready. To customize in Figma, import the PDF or open the source HTML in /scripts/styleframe-brief-pdf.html in the project repo and edit there. The grid is plain HTML and CSS.
Will this work for non-styleframe projects?
The brief structure (context, audience, mood, palette, type, deliverables, feedback, sign-off) is general enough for any visual-design project. Sections 3 and 4 are tuned for visual reference work, so it fits motion design and editorial illustration well too.
How many revision rounds should I quote?
Two rounds is the default in section seven. Three is usually a sign that the brief was incomplete. If you keep ending up in round four, the problem is upstream — in section one.

Grab the template

Scroll back to the top button or skip straight to the download link above.

CC0 — public domain. Read the blog for the thinking behind each section.