When you are engaging a website design and development company, you are investing a lot of faith and money. So it is of vital importance that you take the time to brief them well. Good website design depends on it.
At Blue Platypus we recommend a written website design brief, and can supply you with a simple template to help you get started.
Why a Written Web Design Brief?
The more information you provide your website design and development company, the more likely you will love the website that they come up with. When you physically write your website design brief, you will put more thought into it, and will be making it clear to the web designer what you want.
A good brief can also save you money in two ways:
- A better brief means the web designer can be precise in their quotation — they won’t need to add “buffer” into the quote for unknowns.
- There is more chance that a well-briefed website will be more in line with your expectations. If you are delighted with the new website, there is less chance that you will need to make expensive changes after the fact.
Your website design brief should include more than just technical specifications. Make sure you include information about your marketing strategy, target market, the tone or feel you are after, as well as the functionality you want. Your web company can help explain the various technical elements so you can decide if you need them or not. You should also supply your corporate colours, logo, photos and ideas for content if possible. Don’t forget to let them know which existing websites you like or dislike, too.
What to Include in Your Website Design Brief
Here is a simple checklist:
- Description of what you are trying to achieve with the website
- Number of web pages
- Target market
- Description of the tone or feel you are after
- Corporate colours
- Any important instructions regarding your logo — if you have a style guide, let your website designers know
- Photos — include in the brief a list of photos you own or what style of stock photos you want
- Websites you like or don’t like
- Ideas for content
- Functionality and technical requirements
- If it is an e-commerce site, the number of products you want set up
- Deadline — is it to be launched in time for an ad campaign, event or seasonal push?
- Budget
What Are You Waiting For?
We are here to help. Contact us with any questions you may have or for a free quote. We can also supply you with our website design brief template to make the process as simple as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a website brief include?
What the business does, who the customers are, what you want visitors to do, the pages you need, examples of sites you like and dislike with reasons, your budget range and your deadline. The reasons matter more than the examples.
Do I need a brief if I am only getting a small site?
Even half a page helps. The brief is mostly for you — it forces decisions about audience and purpose that otherwise surface halfway through the build, when changing direction is expensive.
Should I include my budget in the brief?
Yes. Withholding it wastes everyone's time: the same site can be built at very different price points, and without a range a designer is guessing which version to quote.
What if I do not know what I want?
That is normal, and a good agency will work it out with you. Come with your business goals and your customers' problems rather than design opinions, and the site follows from there.
