Artists working in concept art regularly receive briefs that say things like make it look cool or something futuristic but also classic. These descriptions feel meaningful to the person writing them, but they give an artist almost nothing to work with.
The following table compares weak brief elements with stronger alternatives.
| Brief Element | Weak Version | Stronger Version |
| Visual Style | Modern and clean | Flat design, limited palette, similar to Nordic product packaging |
| Mood | Friendly but professional | Approachable - think community library, not corporate reception |
| Character Description | A strong female character | Mid-30s, practical clothing, carries tools - not a warrior archetype |
| Colour Direction | Earthy tones | Warm ochres and muted sage greens, no bright primaries |
| Reference Images | None provided | Three to five images showing tone, not necessarily the same subject |
| Deliverable Format | Just the final image | PNG at 300dpi, layered PSD file, and one web-optimised version |
The most useful thing you can do before writing a brief is collect reference images. Not images of what you want the final art to look like, but images that capture the feeling you are after. That distinction matters enormously to a working artist.
A brief that takes you 45 minutes to write properly can cut the revision cycle from four rounds down to one.