How to write a website design brief

A well-crafted project brief can save time, reduce costs, and ensure that the final product meets the desired expectations.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of writing an effective website design brief.

Why a Website Design Brief is Important

A website design brief is a document that outlines the goals of the website, the project scope, and the specific requirements of a web design project. It serves as a roadmap for both the client and the designer, ensuring that everyone is on the same page from the start. Without a good website brief, projects can easily go off track, leading to misunderstandings, delays, and additional costs.

Benefits of a Well-Written Website Design Brief

• Clarity and Direction: A good design brief ensures that everyone involved in the project understands the goals and objectives.
• Time and Cost Efficiency: With a well-defined scope, the project can be completed more efficiently, saving both time and money.
• Better Communication: A detailed brief facilitates better communication between the client and the web design team.
• Higher Quality Output: By clearly defining the expectations, the web design team can deliver a great website that meets or exceeds the client’s needs.

Key Components of a Website Design Brief

To create an effective website design brief, you’ll need to include several key elements. These components work together to provide a complete picture of your project’s goals and requirements.

Project Overview

Start by providing a high-level overview of the project. What type of website are you creating? Is it a brand-new site or a redesign? Is it a brochure site, eCommerce or an event website? Briefly describe the purpose of the website and its primary functions.

Your project overview should include the following elements:

Project Name

Begin with a clear and concise name for the project. This helps in identifying the project and makes it easier to reference in future communications.

Background Information

Provide a brief company history. This should include information about your industry, what products or services you offer, the target audience, and any other relevant information such as location. This context helps the design team understand your business and its needs better.

Project Goals & Objectives 

Clearly define what you want to achieve with the new website. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or provide better customer service? Be specific about your goals so the design team can tailor the new website to meet these objectives.

Target Audience

Identify your target audience. Who are the primary users of your website? Consider demographics like age, gender, location, and interests. Understanding your ideal customer will help the designer create a site that resonates with your users.

When describing your target audience, make sure to include the following information:

Demographics

Describe the demographics of your target audience, including age, gender, income level, education, and location. This information helps in designing a website that appeals to the intended users.

Psychographics

Go beyond demographics and describe the psychographics of your potential customers. This includes their interests, values, lifestyles, and behaviours. Understanding these factors will help in creating a website that resonates with your audience on a deeper level.

User Personas

Develop user personas to represent the different segments of your target audience. These fictional characters should include detailed descriptions of their goals, challenges, and how they interact with your website.

Competitor Analysis

Analyze your competitors’ websites. What do they do well? What could be improved? This analysis provides valuable insights and helps your designer differentiate your site from the competition.

The new web agency should also be able to provide additional insight, but to get the ball rolling, it’s a good idea to include the following details about your competitors:

Direct Competitors

Identify your direct competitors and analyze their websites. What are they doing well? Where do they fall short? This analysis can provide valuable insights and help you differentiate your new website from theirs.

Indirect Competitors

Consider your indirect competitors—those who may not be in the same industry but still compete for your audience’s attention. Analyzing these competitors can uncover new opportunities and inspire innovative design and content ideas.

Best Practices in the Industry

Research industry best practices to ensure your website meets the latest standards and trends. This can include design elements, user experience, content strategy, and SEO techniques.

Website Requirements

This section is the backbone of your creative brief, detailing the essential features, functionalities, and technical specifications needed to bring your website vision to life. This section provides clear guidance to the design and development teams, ensuring that the final product aligns with your business goals and meets user expectations.

We always say that ‘the devil is in the details’, so make sure you include absolutely everything that you need the website to include and do. This will help any web design agency quote more accurately for the website.

Your website requirements should be grouped into the following sections:

Functional Requirements

List the specific features and functionalities your website needs to have. This could include a content management system (CMS), e-commerce capabilities, contact forms, document downloads, user login areas, and more. Be as detailed as possible to avoid any misunderstandings later in the project.

Technical Requirements

Outline the technical specifications for the website, such as hosting requirements, content management systems, and any third-party integrations such as your preferred CRM. The technical features section should also include details about mobile responsiveness, browser compatibility, and accessibility standards.

Content Requirements

Describe the type of content that will be on the website, including text, images, videos, and other media. Specify who will be responsible for creating and providing this content, as well as any SEO considerations.

Design Requirements

Outline a set of guidelines for the website’s visual design, including branding elements, colour schemes, typography, and any specific design preferences. Include examples of websites you like to give the design team a clear idea of your vision.

If you have one, we advise providing a copy of your brand guidelines at this stage. Your brand identity acts as a good reference point for your web designer when creating the visual elements for the new website, so having access to a document that clearly outlines the visual style of your brand will help the design part of the project run smoothly.

Project Timeline

The Project Timeline section outlines the key milestones, deadlines, and deliverables for your website design project. It serves as a roadmap, guiding the project from conception to completion and ensuring that each phase is completed on schedule.

Key Milestones

Break down the project into key milestones, such as the initial design phase, content creation, development, testing and launch date. Assign deadlines to each milestone to ensure the project stays on track.

Deadlines and Deliverables

Clearly define the deadlines for each phase of the project and the expected deliverables at each stage. This helps keep the project organised and ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them.

Review and Approval Process

Outline the process for reviewing and approving each phase of the project. Specify who will be responsible for approvals and how feedback should be provided.

It can be a challenge to outline this information, so at the very least, just have a clear idea of the project launch date. Your web agency will then be able to work backwards from that date and provide you with a detailed timeline, including key review dates, which will result in a successful website launch. 

Budget and Resources

The Budget and Resources section provides a clear overview of the financial and material resources allocated for your website design project. It details the project’s budget, outlines how funds will be distributed across different phases, and identifies the tools, technologies, and personnel available to support the project. This section is crucial for setting realistic expectations, ensuring transparency, and guiding the project within the agreed financial parameters.

Project Budget

Provide a detailed budget for the project, including design, development, content creation, and any additional costs. Be transparent about your budget constraints to avoid any surprises later on.

If you find it hard to split your budget into the different elements outlined above, don’t be concerned. You can provide a single figure, or budget range if you prefer. As long as you have been as detailed as possible with your design & development requirements, a professional web agency should be able to provide you with the breakdown.

Resource Allocation

Identify the resources that will be available for the project, including personnel, tools, and technologies. This helps the design team plan their work accordingly.

Both the client and the web agency will require at least one project manager to keep track of progress. Both should have regular meetings to make sure that specific objectives are being met, leading to an end result that is truly fit for purpose.

Payment Terms

Define the payment terms for the project, including any upfront payments, milestones payments, and the final payment upon completion. Make sure both parties agree to these terms before starting the project.

Again, your development agency will be able to assist here. Most agencies will already have a Master Service Agreement that will be shared with you when they onboard you as a client. This important document would need to be signed before project commencement and will contain all payment information.

Communication and Collaboration

The Communication and Collaboration section establishes the framework for effective interaction between all parties involved in the website design project. It identifies the primary points of contact, preferred communication channels, and schedules for regular meetings. This section ensures that everyone remains informed, aligned, and able to address any issues promptly, fostering a collaborative environment that drives the project toward success.

Point of Contact

Designate a primary point of contact for the project. This person will be responsible for communicating with the design team and ensuring that the project stays on track.

Communication Channels

Specify the preferred communication channels for the project, such as email, phone, or project management tools such as Trello. This helps streamline communication and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

Meeting Schedule

Establish a regular meeting schedule to discuss progress, address any issues, and keep the project moving forward. These meetings can be held weekly, bi-weekly, or as needed.

Clear communication is crucial in avoiding scope creep, as it ensures that all parties fully understand the project’s goals, boundaries, and expectations from the start. When specifications are clearly defined and communicated, any proposed changes can be promptly assessed for their impact on costs and timelines. Without this clarity, unplanned changes or misunderstandings can easily lead to additional work, increased costs, and delayed project completion, disrupting the entire process. Therefore, maintaining open, precise communication is key to managing the scope of the project and keeping progress on track.

Legal and Compliance

Outline any legal requirements that the website must comply with, such as data protection laws, accessibility guidelines, and copyright requirements. By addressing these legal aspects early in the project, you can protect your business from potential legal issues and create a website that is secure, user-friendly, and trustworthy.

Privacy Policy

Ensure that your website includes a privacy policy that complies with relevant data protection laws, such as GDPR or CCPA. This policy should be clearly communicated to users and is usually found via a link in the footer of the website.

Terms and Conditions

Include terms and conditions for the use of the website, outlining the rules and guidelines for visitors. This is particularly important for eCommerce websites and can help protect your business from legal disputes.

It’s the client’s responsibility to provide all legal content for their websites. A digital agency may be able to provide a template to help guide the creation of these pages, but we advise involving a legal team during this very important step of the process.

Testing, Training and Launch

The Testing and Launch section outlines the final steps to ensure your website is fully functional, user-friendly, and ready for the public. This includes a thorough testing phase to identify and resolve any issues, followed by a detailed launch plan to smoothly transition the website from development to live status. 

Testing Plan

Develop a comprehensive testing plan to ensure the website functions correctly and meets all requirements. This should include usability testing, browser testing, performance testing, and security testing.

CMS Training

CMS training is crucial during pre-launch testing because it ensures that your team can efficiently manage and update the website’s content post-launch. Proper training helps identify any usability issues within the CMS, allows for hands-on practice, and ensures that content management processes are streamlined. This preparation minimizes errors, enhances content accuracy, and ensures that the website remains up-to-date and effective once it goes live.

Launch Plan

Create a detailed launch plan that outlines the steps needed to go live with the website. This should include a checklist of tasks, such as final content uploads, adding Google Analytics tracking code, and preparing to change the DNS before final approval is given and the website is launched.

Post-Launch Support

Discuss the post-launch support that will be provided, such as ongoing maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting. Make sure there is a clear plan in place for handling any issues that arise after the website goes live.

Most web agencies will assist with the arrangement of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for ongoing support. At a minimum, this will cover monthly hosting fees, regular security updates to the CMS and plugins, as well as any reactive or proactive support time. These agreements are usually monitored and reviewed every three months to manage client expectations and ensure a stable and secure life for the project.

How to write a great web design brief: Conclusion

A comprehensive website design brief is vital for obtaining an accurate quote and ensuring project success because it clearly outlines all aspects of the project—from goals and target audience to technical and design requirements.

By providing detailed information, the brief allows the design and development team to fully understand the scope and complexity of the work involved, enabling them to provide a precise and realistic quote. This transparency helps avoid unexpected costs and delays, as both the client and the team have a clear roadmap to follow. Additionally, a thorough brief aligns everyone on the project’s objectives, reducing the risk of misunderstandings or scope creep. It ensures that the final website meets all specified requirements and goals, resulting in a product that effectively serves its purpose and delivers value to the client.

By following this guide, you can create a comprehensive brief that will help you achieve your desired outcomes. Remember, the more detailed and specific your brief, the better the final product will be.