What you should own after a brand project
Many businesses find out what they didn't receive when a brand project finished only years later, when the printer asks for a vector file and nobody can find one. Here's what to agree on before the project starts, not after it ends.
The files
Logo in every useful format. You want vector master files (SVG plus AI or EPS) and PNGs with transparent backgrounds. Each version of the logo (primary, secondary, icon) should come in full colour, black and white.
Colour specifications. Digital values (HEX and RGB) and print values (CMYK, plus Pantone if you use spot colours). They shouldn't just be listed: someone should have checked that they look right on screen and on paper, because they won't always match on their own.
Fonts, with licences. This one catches people out. A font is licensed software, and web, desktop and app use can each need separate licences. Find out exactly which licences you need, who holds them, and what they cost each year.
Source files. Editable originals of anything made for you, including templates, illustrations and icons. Without them, every small change means going back to whoever made it.
The rules
Guidelines people will actually open. A short document beats a beautiful two-hundred-page PDF that nobody reads. It should answer the everyday questions: minimum logo size, clear space, which colours go together, what to do with photos.
Real examples. Rules are easier to follow with examples: a social post, an email signature, a slide. If you have to create these from scratch each time, the identity won't stay consistent for long.
Templates. Editable versions of whatever you make often, in tools your team already uses.
The paperwork
Copyright assignment. Paying for design doesn't automatically mean you own it. The rules vary by country, so get it in writing: what transfers to you, when, and whether the designer may show it in their portfolio.
Trademark status. Most studios don't handle trademark clearance unless it's agreed, so ask. A basic search and a conversation with a lawyer before you commit to a new name or logo is cheap insurance.
One simple test
Ask yourself this: if your designer vanished tomorrow, could someone new pick up your brand files and carry on within a day? If yes, the handover did its job. If not, now is a good time to ask for what's missing.