Design the handover around the next user's task
List who will use the identity after launch: internal staff, a web developer, a printer, a marketing supplier or a product team. For each, identify the applications they need to produce. The handover should help them choose an confirmed asset without asking the original designer to interpret every request.
Separate final exports from working files. A PNG used in a presentation is not interchangeable with an editable vector master, and a source file may depend on licensed fonts or software. Label the intended use and preserve the editable master in a controlled location.
Create a small, clearly named asset library
Organise assets by use and format rather than by the date they were exported. Include the main logo, alternate lock-ups, monochrome versions, icon, confirmed colour values, type specifications, image direction and templates that are part of scope. Use filenames that identify the version and intended application.
Add a short read-me explaining what is current, where the source files live, who can approve a change and where to ask a question. Remove obsolete drafts from the day-to-day folder while preserving them elsewhere if the agreement or retention policy requires it.
- Final digital and print exports
- Editable source files where included
- Colour, type and plain-space notes
- Templates and confirmed examples
- Version, owner and support contact
Record rights and third-party licence limits
List any third-party fonts, stock images, mock-up assets or software components used in the package, and record the applicable licence or supplier reference. State where the client must obtain its own licence and whether a supplier may reuse or adapt a file.
For commissioned artistic work, Intellectual Property Office guidance says the creator is usually the first copyright owner unless the parties agree otherwise in writing. Business.gov.uk also says payment alone does not automatically give a business ownership: the contract should explain who owns new work and how each party may use it. An agreement can transfer ownership or grant a licence, so check the signed terms rather than inferring rights from an invoice or a folder of files.
Use an asset-and-rights handover record
A filename tells the next person what a file is; it does not settle who owns it or what they may do with it. Use a record like this to connect each deliverable with its creator, agreement or licence, permitted use and any dependency. This is a fictional template, not a rights assessment: leave a status open until the relevant signed terms have been checked.
| Asset | Record in the handover | Status before reuse |
|---|---|---|
| Custom logo master (SVG and editable file) | Creator or supplier; agreement version; owner or licence holder; permitted media, territory, duration, adaptations and use by a new supplier. | Agreement not checked. Do not mark the work as assigned or fully licensed until the signed terms confirm it. |
| Typeface or web font | Foundry or supplier; named licence holder; allowed seats and uses; transfer or embedding terms; renewal or account contact. | Licence not checked. Do not copy font software into the shared package unless the terms permit it. |
| Stock image or illustration | Provider and asset ID; receipt or licence; confirmed channels; territory and term; editing, transfer or sublicensing limits. | Reuse scope not checked. Confirm that the next supplier and intended placement are covered. |
| Editable layout or template | File format and version; included deliverable; software and third-party dependencies; storage owner and access route. | File access recorded. Check its components separately; an editable file does not itself establish permission to reuse them. |
Make the package easy to test
Ask someone who did not create the identity to prepare an item such as a proposal cover or website header using only the handover. Note which file they select and where the instructions fail. This check can reveal missing exports, unclear naming or a need for a brief example.
Store the current package in a location the organisation controls and name the person responsible for updates. Business.gov.uk advises asking a professional designer to include brand guidelines in the package so the organisation can use the identity consistently after the contract ends. Link those guidelines to the current asset versions and usage notes.