A website project is much like a road trip. You can’t just hop in your car and hope that it reads your mind and takes you to where you need to go. Not even Teslas have that kind of mind-reading capability (not yet, anyway).
No, for now, you’ll still need to grab a map – physical or digital – and do some planning beforehand. This vital prep work is essential for a pleasant and stress-free journey. Likewise, creating a website design brief is a crucial preliminary step on your journey to a new, engaging, and strategically sound website.
Download our FREE website brief template.
It will guide you through the whole web design brief writing process.
What is a Website Brief?
A website brief is a document created by anyone who needs a new or updated website. A good brief will detail the strategic outcomes, day-to-day necessities, and design requirements needed from their new site. It can then be sent to web design agencies in order to request a quote.
Why Write a Website Brief?
You Get Total Control Over Your Project
Creating a detailed website brief gives you full control over the project from the word “go”. When you state all of your aesthetic, technical, and strategic aims from the start, there’s less room for miscommunication and misinterpretation. All in all, a clear web design brief vastly increases your chances of ending up with a site that suits you down to the ground.
In addition, because your website design brief also puts your price and timescale expectations in black and white, it can help rule out agencies who can’t deliver within the requested timescale, or can’t adhere to your budget.
It Makes Proposals Smoother and Fairer
Having all of this information available to design agencies from the off makes the whole proposal process smoother, easier, and fairer. The agencies don’t have to grill you for the answers they need, and all candidates in the running have the exact same information to work from, levelling the playing field.
It’s a Valuable “Getting to Know You” Exercise
Even after you’ve chosen your designer, having a good brief is still valuable. In order to design a site that fits your brand to a tee, they will need a deep understanding of your company, your vision, your brand style, and your way of doing things.
Web design briefs are such an essential resource that the team here at Squibble won’t start a project without one – they’re just that fundamental.
Who Should Write Your Website Brief?
In our experience, web design briefs are typically written by a marketing manager or other in-house marketing professional who has a clear understanding of the new website’s purpose and the company’s messaging.
However, anyone within your organisation who has a stake in the future success and operability of your site can create or collaborate on your web design brief.
What Does a Website Brief Need to Include?
So let’s get down to business. Just what do you need to include in your website brief?
Why not nab our FREE editable website design brief template and follow along?
Want a Head Start? Download Our Free Website Brief Template
Why start from scratch in a blank doc when we’ve got one started for you? Simply fill in the form below and we’ll send you our free, editable website brief template, packed with further tips and writing prompts.
Now you can get on with the fun job of discovering a web design agency who can deliver… oh wait, you’ve already found one! If you like what you see, send your completed website brief to us at enquiries@squibble.design.
