how to write a good design brief
When planning your new website you will need to tell the designer what sort of website you want, what you’d like
it to achieve for you and who your target market is. A poorly thought out or vague brief could result in the wrong
solutions being offered to you, wasting your time and money. Below are tips on what kind of information a design
brief should include.
company profile
Start your design brief with a short, honest synopsis of your organisation or company. Don't assume that the
designer will necessarily know anything about your industry sector.
Tell your designer:
• What your organisation does
• How long you have been established and how many staff you employ
• What your niche market is
• Realistic evaluation of your organization, service, or brand relative to your competitors
• Explain the situation that instigated the need for this project
• Explain your geographical location and whether your markets are local, regional, national or international
corporate personality
How do you want to be perceived? Cutting edge? Relaxed and friendly? Stylish? Elegant? Inexpensive and
approachable? Any subliminal messages you would like to convey? Create a list of objectives you want to achieve
and ones which you wish to avoid.
your objectives
Good design can have a huge influence on the success of a company's marketing strategy - but in order for success
to be ensured, clear goals must be set.
For example, do you want to:
• Generate revenue and sales?
• Encourage enquiries from your viewers?
• Gain newsletter subscribers or improve customer retention?
• Gather information from your audience?
• Generate new, better quality leads?
Make sure that your aims and objectives are as clear as possible. Writing a design brief will helps to clarify your
thoughts and can indirectly help to find flaws in what you initially thought was a solid idea.
additional requirements
It’s important to state any other requirements that you might have about how it might function. These include:
• Do you require web