When a brief has no criteria, every iteration becomes opinion versus opinion. The designer defends taste; the client defends a feeling. Budget disappears into the air.
Replace taste with questions
What should change in audience behavior after the redesign? What must not break in current perception? Which three references are “us,” and which are “definitely not us” — and why?
A good brief narrows the field. A bad one makes it infinite. Infinity is always more expensive.