THE 5 THINGS EVERY DESIGNER NEEDS FROM AN EVENT PLANNER, AND WHY THEY MATTER

You’ve just landed an event branding gig. Exciting stuff! But before you even start sketching ideas or firing up Canva or Illustrator, here’s a real truth: the success of your work doesn’t just depend on your design skills; it heavily depends on how well you and the event planner/organizer collaborate.

In my experience working in Nairobi’s event scene, one of the biggest challenges designers face isn’t a lack of creativity, it’s the lack of information. So if you’re a junior designer or an event planner trying to understand how to work better with creatives, this post is for you.

Let’s get into it.

1. A Clear Brief (and Not Just Vibes)

“We’re not sure what we want, so we’ll leave it up to your creativity”,  won’t cut it.

Every designer needs a clear brief before diving in. That means:

• What’s the event about?

• Who’s attending?

• What’s the vibe or theme?

• Any brand inspiration or reference points?

  
  

A brief sets the tone and ensures that you’re not shooting in the dark. It also helps the planner clarify what they actually want, a win-win.

2. Brand Assets That Actually Work

One of the most common issues I see? Getting a pixelated logo sent via WhatsApp or as a Word document.

Designers need:

• A high-resolution or vector logo (PDF, PNG, AI or EPS)

• Brand colours (preferably with hex or CMYK codes)

• Fonts, if they’re custom

• Any past branding for consistency

• Design size and preferred final files (talk to your printer to confirm what they need)

  
  

If there’s no brand guide, don’t worry; just having these basics helps a lot. And if you're the planner, sharing this with your designer from the jump avoids back-and-forth and delays. Your printer can also be a helpful source of information.

3. Key Timelines (That Everyone Respects)

Here’s the thing: we can’t design to our full potential if we’re rushing the night before print. Timelines matter for drafts, feedback, printing, and setup.

And let’s be honest, printers in Nairobi are good, but they’re not magicians. If signage is due on Friday, final files should not be sent on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Clear timelines mean better design, fewer mistakes, and less stress for everyone.

4. Feedback That’s Clear, Not Cryptic

We’ve all gotten vague feedback like  “It’s not giving” or “Just make it pop.”

Good feedback is specific. Instead of “this isn’t working,” say, “Can we try a bolder font?” or “Let’s make the logo more prominent.”

Also, consolidated feedback from one point of contact (not four people texting at random times) makes a huge difference in turnaround time and quality.

5. A Rough Flow of the Event

Even a quick sketch of the program helps a lot. Even better, if you also organise a site visit to your venue.

Why? Because designers need to know:

• Where the signage will go.

• What’s happening when?

• What materials are being printed and where they’ll be used.

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We don’t need every little detail, but knowing there’s a photo wall, a cocktail hour, or a stage moment helps us design with purpose.

Final Word

At the end of the day, great event branding is a team effort. When planners and designers are aligned, the results are more cohesive, and your audience notices.

👉 Want to make sure your next event design project runs smoothly? Click below to get my free Event Branding Design Brief.

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Let’s keep raising the bar one beautifully branded event at a time.