Website Brief Template: What to Prepare Before Hiring a Designer

Website Brief Template: What to Prepare Before Hiring a Designer

A well-prepared website brief saves time, ensures accurate quotes, and leads to better results. Here's what to prepare before talking to web designers.

What is a Website Brief?

A website brief is a document that outlines your website project requirements, goals, and preferences. It helps designers understand what you need and provides accurate proposals.

Website Brief Template

1. Company Background

  • Company name and location
  • What does your business do?
  • How long have you been in business?
  • Who are your target customers?
  • What makes you different from competitors?

2. Project Overview

  • Is this a new website or redesign?
  • If redesign, what's wrong with current site?
  • What are the main goals for this website?
  • How will you measure success?

3. Target Audience

  • Who are you trying to reach?
  • What are their demographics?
  • What problems are they trying to solve?
  • How do they typically find businesses like yours?

4. Website Requirements

  • Approximately how many pages?
  • What features do you need? (e-commerce, booking, blog, etc.)
  • Any required integrations? (CRM, email, payment, etc.)
  • Do you need a blog or content management?
  • Any specific functionality requirements?

5. Design Preferences

  • Links to competitor sites you like (and why)
  • Links to non-competitor sites you like the design of
  • Color preferences or existing brand guidelines
  • Any design styles to avoid?

6. Content

  • Do you have written content ready?
  • Do you need copywriting help?
  • Do you have professional photos?
  • Do you need photography or can provide?

7. Technical Information

  • Do you have a domain name?
  • Do you have hosting?
  • Any platform preferences (WordPress, Shopify, etc.)?
  • Need email setup?

8. Budget and Timeline

  • What is your budget range?
  • When do you need the site launched?
  • Is this date flexible or fixed?
  • Any events or campaigns tied to launch?

9. Ongoing Needs

  • Will you update content yourself?
  • Do you need ongoing maintenance?
  • Will you need regular additions or changes?
  • Do you need SEO or marketing help?

Tips for a Strong Brief

  • Be honest about budget (saves everyone time)
  • Include examples of sites you like
  • List your must-haves vs. nice-to-haves
  • Be clear about decision-makers and approval process
  • Share any past website challenges

What Happens Next

After sharing your brief:

  1. Designer reviews and asks clarifying questions
  2. Discovery call to discuss in detail
  3. Proposal provided with scope, timeline, pricing
  4. Revisions if needed
  5. Contract and project kickoff

Download Our Template

Ready to prepare your brief? Contact us to request our website brief template and start a conversation about your project.

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