A website brief should help the client and delivery team make consistent decisions. It is not a request for a particular colour or a list of competitor links. The strongest briefs explain the commercial problem and provide enough operational detail to expose uncertainty before design and development begin.
Start with outcomes
State why the project exists and what should be different after launch. Examples include increasing qualified enquiries, allowing customers to buy a defined product range, reducing repetitive support questions or presenting a more credible route into a sales conversation.
Define users and actions
Describe priority user groups, what brings them to the site, what information they require and the action each should complete. Include known objections and accessibility needs. Avoid designing every page for every possible person.
Document scope and responsibilities
List required pages, integrations, forms, products, languages, accounts, migration and analytics. Name who supplies copy, photography, product data, legal policies and access credentials. Record what is explicitly outside the phase to prevent assumptions becoming unplanned work.
Agree governance and measurement
Identify one accountable approver, feedback rounds, target dates, dependencies and launch criteria. Define measurable success and the review period. A website needs post-launch ownership for updates, security, content and conversion improvement.
Practical checklist
- Business objective and measurable outcome.
- Priority audiences and user journeys.
- Pages, features and integrations.
- Content and asset ownership.
- Budget, dates, dependencies and exclusions.
- Approver, feedback method and ongoing owner.
Common mistakes to avoid
Weak briefs prescribe a visual solution before defining the problem, omit content responsibilities, rely on “make it like this competitor” and leave several stakeholders with conflicting approval authority.
Your next step
Review the brief with every decision-maker before design begins. Highlight assumptions and unanswered questions so they become tasks, not expensive surprises.