Graphic Design Prompt Generator: Briefs to Practice On

Press New brief for a thing to design, an invented client, an audience, one constraint and a time box.

Graphic Design Prompt Generator: Briefs to Practice On: 30 briefs

Design a set of three matching icons for a late-night shuttle line that needs a name. Audience: delivery drivers on a tight route; tone: large and blunt. Constraint: must also work printed on a balloon. Time: a weekend, with a presentation page on Sunday.

Padlock: keep a part. Arrows: change only that part.

Designset of three matching icons
Clientlate-night shuttle line that needs a name
Audiencedelivery drivers on a tight route; tone: large and blunt
Constraintmust also work printed on a balloon
Timea weekend, with a presentation page on Sunday

History (0)

Every brief you make is kept here, newest first, up to the last 20. The list stays in this browser.

Brief of the day

Design a set of three matching icons for a late-night shuttle line that needs a name. Audience: delivery drivers on a tight route; tone: large and blunt. Constraint: must also work printed on a balloon. Time: a weekend, with a presentation page on Sunday.
Design a wordmark for a weekly soup lunch run by volunteers. Audience: teenagers who distrust adverts; tone: dry and honest. Constraint: must also work laser cut from thin plywood. Time: a ten-minute dash to three routes, then pick one.
Design a monogram of the client's initials for a popcorn stand at an outdoor movie night. Audience: school groups on a trip; tone: loud and quick. Constraint: must survive being cropped on any side. Time: two hours, ending with a mock-up in use.
Design a date stamp with the client's mark for a honey seller with twelve rooftop hives. Audience: busy cooks on a weeknight; tone: direct and appetizing. Constraint: a sign painter must be able to copy it onto brick. Time: a weekend, with a presentation page on Sunday.
Design a jar label for a neighborhood newsletter printed monthly. Audience: students new to the city; tone: friendly and clear. Constraint: must also read from a moving bus. Time: 30 minutes from blank page to one clean sketch.
Design a lettered panel for a van door for a beekeeper who collects swarms. Audience: exam-week students; tone: quiet and practical. Constraint: must also work embroidered on a cap. Time: 30 minutes from blank page to one clean sketch.
Design a square cover for a podcast for a breakfast counter at a bus station. Audience: transit drivers between runs; tone: straightforward and dry. Constraint: it must also work in plain black on white. Time: one hour to a finished comp.
Design a round sticker to close an envelope flap for a frame shop run by a retired carpenter. Audience: supporters of many years; tone: loyal and a little formal. Constraint: set everything on a slant. Time: a one-day project with a noon review.
Design a gift voucher for a small museum of things found in desk drawers. Audience: teenagers who distrust adverts; tone: dry and honest. Constraint: must also work cut from vinyl in a single piece. Time: 45 minutes, with the last 15 for a second version.
Design an A3 event poster for a garden club's spring seed swap. Audience: parents with one free hand; tone: fast and obvious. Constraint: must also work embroidered on a cap. Time: one hour to a finished comp.
Design a shipping label with a return address for a five-a-side soccer league that plays on Sundays. Audience: freelancers working alone; tone: companionable and light. Constraint: must also read from across a road. Time: 45 minutes, with the last 15 for a second version.
Design a loyalty card with ten spaces for a bicycle workshop in a former fire station. Audience: volunteers giving up a Saturday; tone: grateful and clear. Constraint: letters do the work, and any picture is built from type. Time: 15 minutes for ten postage-stamp roughs.
Design a two-sided A5 flyer for a bike courier collective. Audience: people moving in this month; tone: orderly and kind. Constraint: part of it must change with the seasons. Time: 15 minutes for ten postage-stamp roughs.
Design a logo mark for a fix-it stall that mends toasters for free. Audience: volunteers giving up a Saturday; tone: grateful and clear. Constraint: has to last ten years without looking dated. Time: two hours, ending with a mock-up in use.
Design a label for the top of an egg carton for a clock repairer in a market arcade. Audience: transit drivers between runs; tone: straightforward and dry. Constraint: must also work iced onto a cookie. Time: 90 minutes for three directions, each on its own page.
Design an A-frame sign for the sidewalk for a fix-it stall that mends toasters for free. Audience: gardeners with decades of practice; tone: modest and precise. Constraint: has to last ten years without looking dated. Time: a one-day project with a noon review.
Design a profile picture for a social account for a pancake truck that parks by the river. Audience: kids who collect things; tone: bright and numbered. Constraint: no more than seven words in total. Time: an evening to sketch, then sleep on it and finish tomorrow.
Design a roll of gift wrap with an all-over print for a swap meet for outgrown school uniforms. Audience: fourth graders; tone: playful but never babyish. Constraint: must also work embroidered on a cap. Time: two hours, ending with a mock-up in use.
Design an awning with stripes and a name for a youth orchestra short of viola players. Audience: students new to the city; tone: friendly and clear. Constraint: the smallest type no smaller than a newspaper's. Time: two hours, ending with a mock-up in use.
Design a full-bleed leaflet for a piano tuner who serves one valley. Audience: teachers at the end of term; tone: respectful and brief. Constraint: the smallest type no smaller than a newspaper's. Time: two hours, ending with a mock-up in use.
Design a single-month wall planner for a late-night shuttle line that needs a name. Audience: regulars who fear it will change; tone: steady and familiar. Constraint: only colors found in what the client sells or handles. Time: one hour to a finished comp.
Design a gift voucher for a visitor center at a bird sanctuary. Audience: readers who need large type; tone: generous and uncluttered. Constraint: cut-paper look, with no line thinner than a finger. Time: 90 minutes for three directions, each on its own page.
Design a set of four interface icons for a neighborhood tool library. Audience: delivery drivers on a tight route; tone: large and blunt. Constraint: negative space must form a second picture. Time: 30 minutes from blank page to one clean sketch.
Design an admission ticket with a numbered stub for a marionette troupe that travels by tractor. Audience: busy cooks on a weeknight; tone: direct and appetizing. Constraint: only colors found in what the client sells or handles. Time: a one-day project with a noon review.
Design an animated logo of three frames for a school cafeteria that wants to feel like a cafe. Audience: readers who need large type; tone: generous and uncluttered. Constraint: letters do the work, and any picture is built from type. Time: 45 minutes, with the last 15 for a second version.
Design a wayfinding sign for a fork in a path for a mobile dog groomer in a painted van. Audience: supporters of many years; tone: loyal and a little formal. Constraint: must also read from a moving bus. Time: 15 minutes for ten postage-stamp roughs.
Design a price list on one folded A4 sheet for a kite maker on a windy seafront. Audience: grandparents buying for others; tone: clear about ages. Constraint: edges made by color meeting color, never by a line. Time: one week for research, sketches, refinement and hand-off.
Design a round sticker to close an envelope flap for a late-night shuttle line that needs a name. Audience: people who knew it thirty years ago; tone: fond. Constraint: white space must cover half the layout. Time: two hours, ending with a mock-up in use.
Design a vinyl decal for a glass door for a sewing school with six borrowed machines. Audience: people moving in this month; tone: orderly and kind. Constraint: no red, because the neighbors all use it. Time: one hour to a finished comp.
Design a wordmark for a tutor who teaches mental arithmetic. Audience: new hires on a first day; tone: orienting and upbeat. Constraint: any type in capitals, widely spaced. Time: a weekend, with a presentation page on Sunday.

Next step Things to draw on a poster Try a concept art brief

Design: all 60 deliverables

Branding 12

date stamp with the client's mark One color and no fine detail. Thin gaps fill with ink.
livery for a delivery van The doors, wheels and handles cut through the design. Draw them first.
logo mark It must be recognizable alone, in one color, at the size of a coin.

Show all 60 deliverables (57 more)

Branding, continued

loyalty card with ten spaces The tenth space should feel like a reward before it is stamped.
mascot that a child could redraw If it takes more than a few lines, simplify.
monogram of the client's initials Let the letters overlap, or sit inside one shape.
one-page brand sheet with the mark and four colors Name each color and say what it is for.
repeat pattern for tissue paper Check the repeat by tiling four copies.
round sticker to close an envelope flap Round, small and readable upside down.
set of three matching icons Same line weight, same corner radius, same amount of detail.
staff uniform badge It is read from across a counter. Name first.
wordmark A wordmark is text only: the name itself, set or drawn so that it identifies.

Print 14

A2 wall chart A2 is 420 by 594 mm, twice A3. It is read from close up, so detail is welcome.
A3 event poster A3 is 297 by 420 mm. One message should read from across a street.
admission ticket with a numbered stub Both halves need the date. Mark the tear line.
bookmark Tall and thin. The top inch is all that shows in a closed book.
business card Two sides. Decide which one is kept facing up in a wallet.
full-bleed leaflet Run the background about 3 mm past the trim line, so no white edge shows after cutting.
gift voucher It stands in for money and still has to feel like a present.
hours-of-business card for the entrance Seven lines of type. Make closed days as clear as open ones.
little locator map for the back of a card Leave out every street that does not help.
masthead for a one-page newsletter It repeats every issue, so it must sit quietly above any headline.
postcard A6, at 105 by 148 mm, is one size to work to. Leave the address side plain.
price list on one folded A4 sheet A4 is 210 by 297 mm, and folded once it gives four A5 panels.
single-month wall planner The grid is fixed. The design happens in the margin.
two-sided A5 flyer A5 is 148 by 210 mm. The front asks a question and the back answers it.

Packaging 12

backing sheet with half a dozen stickers Six shapes that belong together and still work alone.
hang tag tied on with twine Punch the hole in your layout before anything else.
jar label It wraps a curve. The middle third is all a shopper sees.
label for the top of an egg carton Long and low, with a hinge on one edge.
lid for a round tin A circle with no top or bottom. It will be turned.
neck tag for a bottle Small and seen from above. One word may be enough.
roll of gift wrap with an all-over print It will be cut anywhere. The pattern must survive that.
shipping label with a return address Function first. One friendly touch in a corner.
sleeve for a plain box A band around the middle. The box color is part of the palette.
small envelope with a picture front A picture of what is inside and the name, readable in a rack.
stamp for a plain paper bag One color, pressed by hand, never perfectly straight. Design for that.
wrap for a paper cup The seam falls somewhere. Decide where and hide nothing important in it.

Digital 12

animated logo of three frames Draw the first and last, then the one between.
app icon A rounded square. Test it small, beside twenty others.
banner for an email signature Tiny and seen daily. Resist adding a slogan.
favicon A favicon can be as small as 16 by 16 pixels and sits on a browser tab. One shape.
header for a one-page website Wide and shallow. The name, one line and one image.
illustration for a page-not-found screen A small joke that does not blame the visitor.
loading screen Something to look at for three seconds that does not get old.
pin for an online map A point at the bottom and a symbol in the head.
profile picture for a social account It will be cropped to a circle. Keep the corners empty.
set of four interface icons Home, search, cart and help, drawn as one family.
square cover for a podcast Readable at thumbnail size. Big type, one image.
three-slide story for a phone Tall format. One idea a slide.

Lettering and signs 10

A-frame sign for the sidewalk Two faces. People approach from both directions.
awning with stripes and a name The fabric slopes and folds. Keep the name on the flat front edge.
banner for a market stall Hung high and seen through a crowd. Top half only.
glowing sign drawn as flat line art One continuous line where you can. Tubes cannot cross without a gap.
hand-lettered chalkboard White on black. Rule light guide lines first.
lettered panel for a van door The handle and the seam interrupt it. Plan the gaps.
main sign over the storefront Read from across the road and from directly below.
set of name tags for staff First names, large. The brand is a small mark in a corner.
vinyl decal for a glass door Seen from outside with reflections on it. High contrast and big letters.
wayfinding sign for a fork in a path The pointer is the message. The words come second.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, October 2026. Format facts in the notes were read on 2026-10-01 and again on 2026-10-03 in the English Wikipedia: ISO 216 for the A sizes in millimeters and for each size being half the one before (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_216, which now opens the article International standard paper sizes), Bleed (printing) for artwork running past the trim line, commonly by about 3 mm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleed_(printing)), Wordmark for a text-only mark (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordmark) and Favicon for the 16 by 16 pixel size and the browser tab (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon). The rest is our own design advice. Licence: own work

Client: all 91 clients

Food 19

apple orchard that presses its own juice Tree to bottle in one place. Show the journey or the fruit, not both.
bakery that sells only yesterday's bread, cheaper Honesty about age is the pitch. No fake rustic.
breakfast counter at a bus station Fast and early. The type should be readable while walking.

Show all 91 clients (88 more)

Food, continued

cheese counter in a covered market It competes with forty other stalls. One bold shape.
dumpling shop with only four seats Small is the charm. Leave space in the layout.
family bakery that delivers by bicycle The bicycle is the idea. A loaf alone could be any bakery.
farm stand with an honor box Trust is the brand. Keep it plain.
honey seller with twelve rooftop hives City and bees together: a skyline of hexagons, perhaps.
ice cream cart run by two cousins Two of something: scoops, spoons, initials.
mushroom grower in a railway arch The arch is a ready-made shape.
noodle stall open only at lunchtime Short hours are a selling point. Make the clock part of it.
pancake truck that parks by the river It moves, so the mark must read on a van door at a distance.
pickle maker using a grandmother's crocks Old method, new jars. Decide which one leads.
popcorn stand at an outdoor movie night It will be seen in the dark. Think about what glows.
school cafeteria that wants to feel like a cafe The same trays, a new mood. Start with the menu board.
spice shop the width of a doorway Tall and narrow. Let the format copy the shop.
tea room inside a greenhouse Glass, leaves and steam. Pick one.
tortilla press run by three sisters Three circles are hard to resist. Try something else first.
weekly soup lunch run by volunteers Warm and open to all. Nothing that looks like a charge.

Shops and makers 18

bicycle workshop in a former fire station Two histories. Borrow a color from one and a shape from the other.
cobbler with forty years on one street Long service. A date can be part of the mark.
costume rental above a dry cleaner Many characters, one rail. A hanger can carry it.
fix-it stall that mends toasters for free A tool and a cup. Avoid the wrench everyone uses.
florist who uses only local stems Seasonal means it changes. Design a system, not one picture.
frame shop run by a retired carpenter A rectangle inside a rectangle is the whole trade.
hardware store that still sells nails by weight Plain, exact and proud of it.
kite maker on a windy seafront Diagonals and tails. Let the layout lean.
letterpress studio with a single press The work is type. The mark should probably be type too.
plant shop that takes cuttings as payment Swapping is the story. Show two things changing hands.
pottery studio with open wheel nights Hands and a circle. Find a third thing.
record shop that stocks only singles Small discs with big holes. That is a shape nobody else has.
refill shop where you bring your own jars Empty containers are the image. Show the filling.
secondhand bookshop with a resident cat The cat will tempt you. Try the brief without it first.
sewing school with six borrowed machines Friendly, not fussy. A dotted line is a stitch.
stationery shop that tests every pen A scribble is their signature. Use a real one.
toy library that lends by the week It lends, it does not sell. Borrow from the look of a library card.
yarn shop with a big knitting table The table matters more than the wool. It is a place to sit.

Community 18

amateur theater in a converted barn Big doors and a curtain. Either could open.
chess club that meets in a laundromat Two grids: the board and the machines.
choir that rehearses in stairwells Steps and sound waves share a shape.
community garden on a former parking lot Painted lines and green shoots. The contrast is the idea.
community radio station on a hilltop A signal and a hill. The sound is local, so keep it homemade.
five-a-side soccer league that plays on Sundays Loud, fair and muddy. Avoid anything that looks professional.
garden club's spring seed swap Small envelopes with handwriting. Start there.
municipal swimming pool turning fifty An anniversary. Lane lines and a number.
neighborhood newsletter printed monthly A masthead has to work twelve times a year.
neighborhood repair fund for a leaking hall roof A fundraiser. Show the goal as something that fills up.
neighborhood tool library Borrowed tools. Outlines on a pegboard are a ready pattern.
small-town office for mislaid umbrellas and gloves Single gloves and umbrellas. Sort them into a pattern.
street festival organized by a single block One street, drawn end to end, can be the whole poster.
swap meet for outgrown school uniforms Useful and unembarrassing. Keep it bright.
town's yearly scarecrow contest Every entry is different. The frame must hold any of them.
volunteer fire brigade's open day A day for families. Friendly first, emergency second.
walking group that sets off at sunrise Slow, outdoors and early. Paths and a low sun.
youth orchestra short of viola players It is a recruiting job. Make one instrument the hero.

Services 18

beekeeper who collects swarms A rescue service. Reassuring, not alarming.
bike courier collective Speed and several riders. Avoid a single hero.
chimney sweep with a brand-new van An old trade made tidy. Brushes are great shapes.
clock repairer in a market arcade Gears are overused. Try hands, or a pendulum.
dentist's office with a fish tank in the waiting room No teeth with faces. Find the gentler image.
driving school with a single, elderly car Slow and proud of it. Nothing fast or sharp.
ferry with three crossings a day The timetable is the brand. Make it handsome.
late-night shuttle line that needs a name A line, a moon and a few stops.
laundromat with a reading shelf Circles of the machines, rectangles of the books.
locksmith who answers at night It will be read in a hurry in the dark. Big number, high contrast.
mobile dog groomer in a painted van The van is the billboard. Design for its side panel.
moving company run by former dancers Careful handling with a light step. Boxes in motion.
piano tuner who serves one valley Eighty-eight keys reduced to a few.
plant sitter with keys to forty homes Watering cans and house keys.
taxi firm with only two cars Small and proud. The number two can do the work.
tutor who teaches mental arithmetic Numbers without a calculator. A hand-drawn sum.
vet who sees only birds and reptiles Feathers and scales. Two textures in one mark.
window cleaner who photographs the views Two jobs in one frame: glass and what is beyond it.

Culture and learning 18

cinema with exactly thirty seats Count them out in the layout. Thirty dots can be a pattern.
city archive opening its map room Old paper, fine lines. Borrow a compass rose with care.
coding club that meets in a library Patient and respectful. No jargon and no tiny type.
language school that teaches through songs Speech bubbles and notes. Merge them once and stop.
library that lends only comics Panels and gutters are the grid.
local history walk with ten stops A route is a line with dots. Number them.
marionette troupe that travels by tractor Strings and a trailer. A stage that arrives.
movie club that projects onto a barn wall A rectangle of light on rough boards.
observatory open on clear nights only Weather decides. A sign that can say open or closed.
one-room museum that changes its exhibit monthly One room, twelve shows a year. The frame stays and the content changes.
planetarium in a school basement Stars below ground. Play with up and down.
poetry night held in a hardware store Words among tools. Set a line of verse like a price tag.
school for circus skills Balance. Stack the elements so they look about to fall and do not.
science fair held in a town hall Curious, messy and proud. Nothing that looks like a lab report.
small museum of things found in desk drawers A paper clip can be the hero. Treat it like a sculpture.
summer camp on a lake island Water on every side. A boat is the way in, and perhaps the mark.
visitor center at a bird sanctuary Quiet colors. The birds are the bright part.
zine fair in a parking garage Photocopied, folded and stapled. Let the design show its staples.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, October 2026. Every client is made up for this list and is described, never named. Left out: anything that sells alcohol, tobacco or betting, and any description that matched a real venue, exhibition or movement. No client fixes its own audience, so any audience can be dealt with it. The notes are our own design advice. Licence: own work

Audience: all 60 audiences

Children and teenagers 15

children waiting in a line; tone: curious and calm Give them something to count or find.
exam-week students; tone: quiet and practical No exclamation marks. Hours and prices first.
fourth graders; tone: playful but never babyish They notice being talked down to. Aim two years older.
kids spending their own pocket money; tone: exciting The price belongs on the front.

Show all 60 audiences (56 more)

Children and teenagers, continued

kids who collect things; tone: bright and numbered A set of something makes them come back.
newcomers who know nobody yet; tone: welcoming and brief First names, first steps, nothing else.
school groups on a trip; tone: loud and quick It will be seen by thirty people at once, for five seconds.
shy first-timers; tone: gentle and encouraging Show someone like them already doing it.
six-year-olds who cannot read yet; tone: bold and simple Shapes and colors must carry everything. Test it with no words at all.
students new to the city; tone: friendly and clear They do not know the local names yet. Add a landmark.
teenagers saving for something; tone: plain and respectful Treat the budget as serious.
teenagers who distrust adverts; tone: dry and honest Say less. One true fact beats a slogan.
toddlers at eye level; tone: soft and round Mount it low. Avoid sharp shapes.
twelve-year-olds who feel too old for it; tone: wry A little joke at the design's own expense helps.
young siblings sharing one copy; tone: fair and bright Nothing that looks like it belongs to only one of them.

Households 15

busy cooks on a weeknight; tone: direct and appetizing The decision takes ten seconds. Help it along.
dog owners out at dawn; tone: cheerful and short It is read at walking pace in poor light.
families on a tight budget; tone: warm and exact Prices are clear and nothing is hidden in small type.
first-time renters; tone: calm and practical They are overwhelmed. Order the information as steps.
gift buyers in a hurry; tone: reassuring and neat Say who it suits.
grandparents with grandchildren; tone: made for both Two reading heights and two type sizes.
households without a car; tone: practical and local Walking times, not driving times.
locals who stopped noticing it; tone: fresh and surprising They think they know it. Show one thing they do not.
new neighbors; tone: easygoing and unfussy An invitation, not an advertisement.
parents with one free hand; tone: fast and obvious It is read while holding a child. Three words.
passersby with ten seconds; tone: bold and single-minded One message. The rest goes on the back.
people moving in this month; tone: orderly and kind A checklist is a gift.
people who dislike being sold to; tone: quiet and factual No adjectives. Let the layout do the charm.
regulars who fear it will change; tone: steady and familiar Keep one thing exactly as it was.
weekend visitors from out of town; tone: helpful and proud Tell them where to stand for the best view.

People at work 15

builders on a site; tone: tough and legible Dust, distance and gloves. Big type.
commuters at a platform; tone: clear at a glance It competes with a timetable. Borrow its clarity.
delivery drivers on a tight route; tone: large and blunt Read through a windshield while moving.
farmers at a weekly market; tone: practical and unpolished Too slick and they will not trust it.
freelancers working alone; tone: companionable and light A little company in the tone.
market traders setting up at dawn; tone: sturdy and plain It will get wet and be taped to a pole.
new hires on a first day; tone: orienting and upbeat A map and three names.
night-shift workers heading home; tone: low-key and warm Nothing bright. They are tired.
nurses between shifts; tone: calm and kind No urgency. They have had enough of that.
office workers on a lunch hour; tone: appetizing and fast Where, how long and how much.
people who work outdoors all year; tone: tough and plain Think about rain on the surface, in the design and in fact.
shop staff on a short break; tone: friendly and quick Five minutes, standing up.
teachers at the end of term; tone: respectful and brief They have read enough this week.
transit drivers between runs; tone: straightforward and dry They have seen every poster. Be useful.
volunteers giving up a Saturday; tone: grateful and clear Thank them before asking for anything.

Older readers 15

early risers at the market; tone: brisk and good-humored They are up before anyone else. Say the opening time first.
former regulars being invited back; tone: warm and specific Name what has stayed the same.
gardeners with decades of practice; tone: modest and precise No beginner tips. They know.
grandparents buying for others; tone: clear about ages Say who it suits and what is in the box.
lifelong locals; tone: proud and unsentimental They will spot a wrong detail. Check the street names.
people new to retirement; tone: lively and open Not a brochure for slowing down.
people who knew it thirty years ago; tone: fond An echo of the old look, redrawn.
people who write letters by hand; tone: quiet and well made Paper weight and margins count with them.
readers who keep things in a drawer; tone: made to last Design it to be kept, with a date on it.
readers who need large type; tone: generous and uncluttered Fewer words at a larger size. White space is not waste.
retirees who distrust apps; tone: plain and courteous Give a phone number and an address before any web link.
supporters of many years; tone: loyal and a little formal Tradition matters. Change one thing at a time.
those who phone before they visit; tone: direct and plain The number is the largest thing after the name.
visitors with grandchildren in tow; tone: patient and bright Seats, shade and what it costs for two ages.
walkers who carry paper maps; tone: exact and handsome They respect a well-drawn map.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, October 2026. Each entry names who the design must reach and the tone to take with them. The audiences are described by what they are doing, never by a body, a belief or a background. The notes are our own design advice. Licence: own work

Constraint: all 70 constraints

Color 14

a bright color in one place and nowhere else Decide what deserves it.
a single hue, solid and at half strength Two values from one color.
the client's existing green must stay Build around a color you did not choose.
dark background, light type Thin strokes fill in when reversed. Go a weight heavier.

Show all 70 constraints (66 more)

Color, continued

it must also work in plain black on white Design that version first, then add color.
must also work on unbleached brown card Every color looks darker and duller on it. Plan for that.
no gradients anywhere Flat areas only. Suggest depth with overlap.
no red, because the neighbors all use it Look at the street first. Then pick what is missing.
only colors found in what the client sells or handles List five, then cut to three.
pastel palette that still reads in bright light Pale colors wash out in sun. Add one dark anchor.
three colors that a color-blind viewer can tell apart Check it in gray. If the three values differ, it holds.
two colors and whatever lies behind them Paper, glass or a screen: the surface counts as a third. Use it on purpose.
warm hues only Find your contrast in value, since hue will not give it.
white space must cover half the layout Half. Measure it.

Type 14

a serif face for the name and nothing else decorative Let the letterforms be the ornament.
any text runs around a circle Letters around a curve need more space between them.
any type in capitals, widely spaced Short words only. Long ones turn into a fence.
any type in lowercase only Friendly and quiet. Proper names will look odd, so test them.
any words appear in two languages, equally Neither is the translation. Set them as partners.
hand lettering, no fonts Draw it large and reduce it. Wobbles shrink.
letters do the work, and any picture is built from type Size, weight and spacing are your tools. A letter can be an eye, a wheel or a roof.
must also read from across a road Print it, tape it up and cross the road.
the name must fit on one line If it is long, the type gets small. Solve that.
no more than seven words in total Count them. Dates and prices count too.
numbers are the hero A date, a price or an address at ten times the size of the rest.
one typeface in a single weight Hierarchy has to come from size and position.
set everything on a slant One angle for every element, or it looks like an accident.
the smallest type no smaller than a newspaper's Small print must still be read without effort.

Shape and image 14

a photograph is not allowed Draw it, cut it or set it in type.
an image made only of dots Bigger dots read as darker. That is all a halftone is.
cut-paper look, with no line thinner than a finger Imagine scissors. No detail they could not cut.
drawn on a grid of squares Every edge follows the grid or cuts a square corner to corner.
edges made by color meeting color, never by a line Edges come from one color meeting another.
it has to read either way up Useful on lids, coasters and anything that turns.
made of a single continuous stroke Find where the stroke starts and where it ends.
the most obvious image is off the table No loaf for the bakery, no book for the bookshop. Find the second idea.
negative space must form a second picture The gap between shapes is a shape. Use it.
no faces and no hands People can still be shown by what they leave behind.
nothing may touch the edge A clear margin all around. The space is part of the design.
only circles, or only squares, or only triangles Choose one of the three and stay with it.
only shapes found where the client works Tiles, windows, a door handle. Go and look, or imagine the visit.
symmetrical, left to right Then break the symmetry in one small place.

Printing and making 14

a sign painter must be able to copy it onto brick Give them shapes they can square up and copy.
must also print well on a home printer No color to the edge. Leave a margin all around.
must also work as a one-color ink stamp No fine lines, no small gaps. Ink spreads.
must also work as a woven label a thumb wide Perhaps eight letters. Choose them well.
must also work cut from vinyl in a single piece Every part must connect, or it falls out.
must also work embroidered on a cap Thread cannot do small type. About three colors.
must also work iced onto a cookie Thick lines, two colors, nothing smaller than a pea.
must also work laser cut from thin plywood Thin necks snap. Keep every part as wide as a pencil.
must also work pressed into wet clay Depth, not color. Light from the side is what shows it.
must also work printed on a balloon It stretches. Keep the design small and central.
must also work screen printed in two passes The two colors will sit slightly out of line. Allow an overlap.
must also work stenciled with spray paint Islands drop out. Add bridges to hold the centers of letters.
must be quick to redraw in chalk each morning It must be quick to redraw by someone who is not you.
must survive a bad photocopy Solid shapes and heavy type. Test it by copying a copy.

Size and use 14

the client will add text later, without you Leave an obvious, well-shaped space for it.
has to last ten years without looking dated Remove whatever belongs to this year.
must also read from a moving bus Three seconds. One word and one image.
must also read in a mirror Think of a window sign read from inside. Symmetry helps.
must also work as a 16-pixel icon That is the size of an icon on a browser tab. One shape and one color.
must also work on a round badge Corners are gone. Push the weight to the middle.
must be easy to describe over the phone If it takes more than one sentence to describe, simplify it.
must be recognizable from its outline alone Fill it in solid. If the blob still says who it is, it works.
must look right beside the client's old sign The old one stays up for a year. The two have to get along.
must read in poor light High contrast and no fine detail.
must stand out among five competitors Draw the other five first, roughly. Then be the odd one.
must survive being cropped on any side Keep everything that matters in the middle third.
part of it must change with the seasons A system, not one picture. Decide which part changes and which never does.
works both tall and wide Design the pieces so they can be stacked or set in a row.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, October 2026. Each entry is one limit a client or a printer might set. A limit that belongs to one way of making or one place of use is worded must also, so it can be dealt with any thing to design. That a browser-tab icon can be as small as 16 by 16 pixels follows the English Wikipedia article Favicon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon, read 2026-10-01). The notes are our own design advice. Licence: own work

Time: all 12 time boxes

Sprints 4

15 minutes for ten postage-stamp roughs Ninety seconds each. Do not pick a favorite until the tenth.
30 minutes from blank page to one clean sketch Ten to explore, ten to choose, ten to tidy.
a ten-minute dash to three routes, then pick one Force the third. It is usually the one that is not the obvious answer.
twenty minutes, pencil only No screen. Shapes and words on paper.

Show all 12 time boxes (8 more)

One sitting 5

45 minutes, with the last 15 for a second version Two answers teach more than one polished one.
90 minutes for three directions, each on its own page Make them truly different, not three colors of one idea.
an evening to sketch, then sleep on it and finish tomorrow The break is part of the method.
one hour to a finished comp Stop exploring at the twenty-minute mark.
two hours, ending with a mock-up in use Show it on the bag, the door or the screen it is for.

Longer 3

a one-day project with a noon review Show someone at midday. Use what they misread.
a weekend, with a presentation page on Sunday The page explains the idea in three sentences.
one week for research, sketches, refinement and hand-off Give each stage its own day and do not skip the first.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, October 2026, from ten minutes to a week. The notes are our own advice on how to spend the time. Licence: own work

How it works

This graphic design prompt generator writes a practice brief: something to design, an invented client, the audience it must reach, one constraint and a time box. Every client is made up for this page.

Read the full guide

Read it as a client would send it

A brief reads: Design a jar label for a honey seller with twelve rooftop hives. Audience: gift buyers in a hurry; tone: reassuring and neat. Constraint: no gradients anywhere. Time: one hour to a finished comp. The constraint is the test. A design that ignores it has not answered the brief.

Sizes and terms are in the lists

Every thing to design has a note in the list below. Posters, flyers and price lists carry their ISO paper size, such as A3 at 297 by 420 mm. A wordmark is the name as text only. Bleed is artwork run past the trim line, commonly by about 3 mm.

The clients have no names. Give yours one before you sketch.
Work small first. Ten thumbnails cost less than one finished mistake.
When two parts fight, such as a web icon that must also be embroidered, design the one version that does both.

Questions and answers

What is a graphic design brief?

A short statement of what to make, for whom, and within what limits. A working designer is given one by a client. This page deals practice briefs from five fixed lists, for anyone who has no client to set one.

Are the clients real?

No. Every client is made up for this page and described, never named, such as a fix-it stall that mends toasters for free. You give the client a name as part of the work.

Does it give logo design prompts?

Yes. The things to design include a logo mark, a wordmark, a monogram and a mascot, beside posters, packaging, icons and signs. Press New brief until one comes up.

How long should a practice brief take?

Each brief ends with a time box, from ten minutes for three rough routes to a project of one week. The short ones are for ideas and the long ones for finish. Change the time and keep the rest if it does not suit you.