Most disappointing websites started with a thin brief. The designer guessed, the client guessed, and the two guesses did not match. A page of clear answers prevents that, and it takes less than an hour to write.
Say who the website is for
Describe your best customer in a few lines. What do they want, what worries them, and what makes them choose someone? A site written for everyone usually speaks clearly to no one.
Say what you want people to do
Call you, book, buy, apply or donate. Pick one main action and make it obvious. Everything else on the page should support that action, not compete with it.
Show what you like, and why
Share three websites you admire and one sentence on what you like about each. This tells a designer more than any adjective. Also share one you dislike and say why, because that is just as useful.
Gather your content early
Logos, photos, service descriptions and contact details. Late content is the most common reason projects run over time. If you cannot supply it, agree in advance who will write and source it.
Name who decides
One person should have the final say on feedback. Many voices slow every round of changes and pull the design in different directions.
Set a budget range and a date
You do not need an exact figure. A range lets the designer propose what fits, and a date, such as a launch event or a campaign, shapes the plan from the start.
A simple brief outline
Write a short paragraph on your business, who the site is for, what visitors should do, the pages you think you need, three sites you like, your content plan, your budget range and your deadline. That is a full brief.
What to avoid
Avoid describing the design only in feelings, such as modern or clean, without examples. Avoid changing the goal halfway through. And avoid skipping the content, because the best design cannot rescue empty pages.
Bring that page to us and we will turn it into a plan, a timeline and a price.
