How to Write a Website Brief for Designers and Developers

A vague request such as “we need a new website” produces vague proposals, mismatched expectations and expensive surprises. A good website brief gives designers and developers what they need to understand your goals, scope the work accurately and make smart decisions. It also forces you to clarify what you really want before spending money.

You can write one in a couple of hours. Here is how.

Why a brief matters

• Better quotes. Agencies can price what you actually need, so quotes become comparable.
• Fewer surprises. Hidden requirements emerge early, not mid-project.
• Aligned teams. Stakeholders agree on goals before design begins.
• Faster delivery. Fewer rounds of questions and rework.

1. Introduce the business

Give a short overview: what you do, who you serve, your size and what makes you different. Link to your current site and any social profiles.

2. Explain why you need a website project

What is wrong or missing today? Be honest and specific.

• “The site loads slowly and is hard to use on phones”
• “We need to launch a new product and have no place to explain it”
• “Our brand has changed and the site no longer reflects it”

State the business trigger (a launch, rebrand, funding or growth plan) and any deadlines.

3. Define goals and success metrics

Describe what the site must achieve for the business, in measurable terms where possible.

• Generate 50 qualified enquiries per month
• Increase online sales by 20 percent
• Reduce support questions by providing self-service help
• Rank for key topics through content. See content marketing for startups.

List a primary goal and up to two secondary goals. These shape every design decision.

4. Describe your audience

Who will use the site? Describe their needs, expectations and technical comfort, and what you want them to do. Ground this in research and customer conversations, not guesses. Our user interview guide can help.

5. List content and structure

Outline the pages and sections you expect, such as home, about, services, pricing, blog, contact and legal pages.

• Who will write and supply content? Copywriting is often the biggest hidden delay.
• Is there existing content to migrate? How much?
• Do you need photography, video or illustration? See photography tips.
• Which languages will the site use?

6. Specify features and functionality

List the functionality needed, separating essentials from nice-to-haves.

• Contact and enquiry forms
• Blog or resource centre
• Search
• Online shop, payments or bookings
• User accounts or members’ areas
• Integrations with CRM, email marketing, analytics or other tools
• Multilingual support
• Admin and editing needs: who will update the site, and how technical are they? See static sites vs CMS.

7. Share design direction

Help the designer understand your taste and brand.

• Provide brand guidelines, logo and colours, if they exist. If not, mention it.
• Share three to five websites you like and dislike, with a sentence explaining why
• Describe the personality you want in a few adjectives
• Note any accessibility requirements. See accessibility basics.

8. State technical requirements

• Preferred platform or technology, or openness to recommendations
• Hosting and domain arrangements
• Performance and SEO expectations. See the Core Web Vitals checklist and technical SEO checklist.
• Security and compliance needs, such as GDPR, cookie consent or industry regulations
• Browsers and devices to support
• Plans for redirects from old URLs, to protect search visibility

9. Give a budget range

Sharing a budget feels uncomfortable, but it is the most useful constraint you can provide. It lets agencies propose realistic options and saves everyone time. If you do not know what is reasonable, ask for ranges for different scopes.

10. Set a timeline

Include your desired launch date and any fixed milestones. Be realistic about your own time for feedback and content, since delays on the client side are a leading cause of overruns.

11. Explain decision-making

Name who approves work, who provides feedback and how decisions are made. Too many reviewers cause conflicting feedback and delays.

12. Define what happens after launch

Ask about training, documentation, ongoing maintenance, hosting, security updates and support. A site needs care after it goes live.

A compact template

1. About us and current website
2. Reason for the project and deadline
3. Goals and success metrics
4. Target audience
5. Pages and content (and who supplies it)
6. Features and integrations
7. Design direction and references
8. Technical, SEO, security and compliance needs
9. Budget range
10. Timeline and milestones
11. Stakeholders and approvals
12. Post-launch support

What to ask in return

Use the brief to evaluate responses. Good proposals will:

• Show they understood your goals
• Offer options, not just a price
• Explain process, timeline and deliverables
• Clarify what is not included
• Describe ownership of code, designs and accounts
• Provide relevant examples and references

Common mistakes

• No goals, just a request for a “modern” site
• Hiding the budget
• Ignoring content creation time
• Too many stakeholders
• Forgetting maintenance and SEO migration
• Treating the brief as fixed. Discuss and refine it with the agency.

Checklist

• Clear problem statement and deadline
• Measurable goals
• Audience described
• Pages, content owners and features listed
• Design references and brand assets shared
• Technical and compliance needs noted
• Budget range and timeline given
• Decision-makers named
• Post-launch needs considered

Final thoughts

A good brief is clear about goals and constraints and open about uncertainty. It saves money by preventing misunderstandings. If you would like us to review your brief or help scope a website, see our web development service or contact us.