Most website projects that go wrong went wrong at the start. The owner had a feeling about what they wanted, the designer heard something else, and each quote answered a different question. A brief fixes that. It is a short document that says what you need, so that every studio or freelancer quotes for the same thing and you can compare the answers fairly. You do not need design words. You need to be clear about your business.
Start with the goal
Write one sentence that finishes 'This site is successful if...'. For example: 'people in Jaipur can find our services and send an enquiry', or 'our existing customers can reorder without calling us'. A second goal is fine. A list of seven is a sign that nobody has decided. Be honest about what the site is for today, not what it might be for in five years.
Say who it is for
Describe the one or two kinds of visitor you most want, in plain terms: what they are looking for, what worries them, what language they read in, and whether they arrive on a phone. A parent choosing a school and a purchase manager comparing suppliers need different pages. If you already know what customers ask on the phone, put those questions in the brief.
The parts of a brief
| Part | What to write | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | One sentence on what success looks like. | You. |
| Audience | Who visits, what they want, what they worry about. | You, with your team. |
| Pages | A list of the pages you think you need, even if rough. | You, then the studio advises. |
| Content | What exists (text, photos, logos) and what must be made. | You. |
| References | Two or three sites you like, and one line on why. | You. |
| Budget | A range you are comfortable with, and what is flexible. | You. |
| Timeline | A date that matters, and why it matters. | You. |
| Decision maker | The one person who approves, and who else gives feedback. | You. |
Pages and content
List the pages as you imagine them: home, about, services, contact, and anything special such as a catalogue, a gallery or admissions. Then mark, for each, whether the words and photos already exist. This is the part owners skip and then regret, because content is what usually delays a launch. If you have no photos, say so. If your text is in Hindi and English, say that too. Our guide to writing website copy helps you draft what is missing.
References: say what you like, not what to copy
Pick two or three websites, from any field, and write one line on what you like about each: the way it is easy to scan, the photos, the calm feeling. Add one site you dislike, and why. This tells a designer about your taste faster than adjectives do. It is not an instruction to copy anyone.
Budget and timeline as ranges
Give a range, not a single figure, and say which end is firm. A studio can then tell you honestly what fits and what to leave for a second phase. If you are unsure of the range, use our website cost calculator and read our note on what website design costs in India before you decide. For time, name any date that is fixed, such as a launch event or an admission season, and use the project timeline estimator to check that it is realistic. Hiding the budget does not get you a better quote. It gets you quotes for different things.
Name the decision maker
Projects slow down when five people give feedback and nobody decides. Write the name of the person who approves, and the names of the people whose views they will ask. Say how quickly you can reply to drafts. A studio can plan around a slow reviewer. It cannot plan around an unknown one.
Do you need a custom site at all?
Part of the brief is an open question: what kind of site is right? A simple template site is often enough, and sometimes a custom build is worth it. Our note on WordPress, Wix, Shopify or custom gives the trade-offs. Write your needs in the brief and let the replies show which route each person recommends, and why.
Use it
Our brief template has these headings ready to fill in. Send the finished brief to two or three studios or freelancers, ask each for the plan, the timeline and what is not included, and compare the answers line by line. If you would like to see how we work on sites, see our web design service.
When you do not need a studio
If you need a one-page site for a small shop and you are comfortable with a template builder, write the brief anyway and build it yourself. The act of writing it will save you hours. Bring in a studio when the site has to carry real enquiries, many pages, a catalogue or a brand that must look consistent.
