Brand Identity Handover Checklist for Dubai Businesses

Agree the delivery list before the final export

Start with the work your team needs to produce. A small consultancy may need a website logo, proposal template and presentation deck. A retailer may also need packaging artwork, product labels and supplier-ready files. The handover should reflect the agreed project scope rather than an impressive-looking folder count.

Separate ready-to-use exports from editable source documents, and record which of each are included. Ask who can open the source files and which software is required. A file that only the designer can use may be an appropriate production master, but it is a poor everyday template for a team working in different tools.

If you are still deciding how much design work you need, read our logo versus full brand identity guide. This checklist focuses on delivery and everyday use after that decision.

Give each logo version a clear purpose

Ask for a small, labelled set of approved versions: the main logo, any agreed compact alternative, light-background and dark-background options, and single-colour artwork where needed. Avoid making your team guess whether a white file is empty or intended for a dark background.

Include a vector master or export appropriate to the destination, plus practical raster exports at the sizes your team needs. MDN explains that SVG describes vector graphics that can scale cleanly; a screenshot of a logo is not an equivalent master. For print, confirm the supplier’s requested format rather than assuming one export works for every process.

Where English and Arabic versions are part of the scope, label each approved lockup separately. Check the exact business name, letter connections, spacing and reading order with a competent Arabic reviewer. Place both versions in a real layout before approval; do not rely only on a large isolated logo preview.

Document colour, typography and practical limits

A concise guide should tell someone how to apply the identity without needing the original designer beside them. Include colour values for the intended screen and print workflows, font family names and weights, spacing rules, minimum logo sizes, and a few useful examples of what to avoid.

Check how the palette behaves on the actual materials and screens you will use. A screen preview does not establish what a printed sign or uncoated business card will look like. Ask the supplier about the required colour setup and proof a representative application before a larger production run.

Record where the fonts come from and how the business can obtain the access it needs. For example, Adobe’s font-packaging guidance distinguishes permitted embedding from sharing font files. Check the terms for the actual fonts and workflow; receiving artwork does not automatically mean receiving redistributable font software.

Test the templates your team will actually edit

Choose a few repeatable applications rather than a long catalogue of untouched mockups. Useful examples might be a proposal cover, a presentation section divider, a social post and an email signature. Make the editable parts obvious, and show which elements should stay consistent.

Give a team member a realistic task: replace a heading, insert a photograph and export the result. Look for missing fonts, cropped Arabic text, overflowing prices, unreadable small type and images that cannot be replaced easily. Test the exported file as well as the editing view.

For a bilingual template, use realistic English and Arabic content of different lengths. Specify whether the languages appear together or in separate versions. Agree how phone numbers, web addresses and mixed-language lines should appear rather than treating translation as the final decorative step.

Make the folder understandable without a meeting

Use a simple structure that separates approved masters, everyday exports, guidelines and templates. For example:

• 01 Read first: a short guide, contact and version date.
• 02 Logo masters: approved editable or vector artwork.
• 03 Everyday logo exports: clearly labelled background and language options.
• 04 Brand guide: colours, typography, layout and usage examples.
• 05 Templates: only the agreed editable applications.
• 06 Asset register: image sources, font references and relevant usage notes.

A filename such as brand-logo-ar-white-rgb-v1.svg communicates more than final-final-3.svg. Choose a naming pattern your team understands and keep retired versions outside the active folder. Avoid leaving conflicting files all labelled “approved”.

Run a short acceptance check and assign an owner

Before closing the project, ask someone who was not involved in the design to find and use three files: a dark-background website logo, a print item requested by your supplier, and an editable template. Observe where they hesitate. Those moments often reveal missing instructions.

• Do the files open in the intended tools without missing assets?
• Are English and Arabic versions easy to identify?
• Does a small logo remain readable on a phone and in a presentation?
• Can the team export a template without changing its layout?
• Are image sources, font access and usage notes recorded?
• Is one person responsible for the current approved package?

Keep a controlled master copy and give the right working access to the people who maintain it. Agree who approves future changes and how suppliers receive the latest exports. The aim is a package that survives the first week of real work.

Common handover questions

Do we need every possible file format? No. Request the masters and exports that suit your actual channels and suppliers. An unexplained collection of formats adds decisions rather than removing them.

Can a PDF guide replace editable templates? A guide explains the system; a template helps someone apply it. Whether both are required depends on the agreed deliverables and who will make future content.

Should every team receive source files? Give people the files and access they need for their role, consistent with the agreed scope and asset terms. Keep the approved masters organised so routine edits do not accidentally replace them.

Preparing a new identity or organising an existing one? Explore ABAB’s branding and creative design services in Dubai, view selected design work, or book a project conversation.