How to Brief Us on a Custom Idea (So the First Design Lands)

Five things to tell us — and why the story matters more than the specs.

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The gap between "I have an idea" and "it's on my doorstep" is one good conversation. Here's how to give us a brief we can run with — whether it arrives as a paragraph, a sketch, or three excited voice-memo sentences transcribed by your phone.

1. Tell us the story first

Not the product — the story. "It's my dad's 70th and he's spent forty years pretending to hate the family lake trips he secretly plans all winter." Now we're designing that, and the product almost picks itself. (This is the question we always ask anyway — answering it up front skips a whole email.)

2. Name the moment it's for

A date changes everything: what's possible, what ships in time, whether we suggest one piece or a matching set for the whole crew. If there's a deadline, say it early — we'll work backwards from it.

3. Show us anything visual — even bad sketches

A napkin drawing, a screenshot of something close, colors you love, colors you hate. None of it needs to be good; all of it is signal. If you have real artwork or photos, our photo and design guide covers what makes a file print-ready.

4. Tell us who's wearing or keeping it

Sizes, how many people, whether it's a surprise. "Seven adults, two kids, one dog bandana, absolutely a surprise" is a beautiful sentence to receive.

5. Then let go a little

You bring the meaning; we bring the making. You'll see the design before anything gets produced — every piece gets your yes first. The best briefs aren't the most detailed ones. They're the ones where the story is clear and the trust is real.

Big ideas → Lasting impressions.