How to Write a Web Design Brief

Here are seven key components you need to consider and mention when briefing your web design company.

Writing a web design brief for an agency is always a challenge especially for clients who are unfamiliar with the web design process. Often prospects cannot always articulate their design vision to their web design company until they see the mock-up and then they get a clearer idea of what they don’t want leading to frustration from both parties. We put to paper the seven key elements clients should always mention in any client design brief.

Can you describe your company/organisation?

You know your business inside and out and even though you may own or work for a high-profile company, the web designer may not know exactly what you do or have even heard of your company. Start your briefing by giving the website design company an overview of what your business does, the products and services you offer, what sets you apart from your competitors (unique selling point) and your key brand message.

What is your target market?

Describing the target market of your business is a key trigger for website designers to be able to understand your brand and articulate your design brief. Be clear and succinct about your target market. This may include their age, gender, their income, their location and so forth. Resist the temptation to be too general – if you do not understand who your target customer is, you can’t expect your web design company to.

What are your key products and services?

This is where you explain in further detail about the products and services you offer and whether there is anything unique about those that will distinguish your company in the marketplace. If your offering is highly-technical, it may be difficult for your designer to get a good grasp of exactly what you do and articulate that in the web design brief so give them as much information as possible while still being clear and succinct.

How would you like to position your business?

Positioning is one descriptive sentence, slogan or image the brand is known for. This brand statement may be the lowest price, the freshest produce, the safest airline, high-end luxury and so forth. Your positioning statement helps to create a perception of your company in your customer’s mind and differentiate your business from your competitors. It also has a strong influence on the look and feel of the web design.

What do you want your website to do? What should visitors perform as action? How will you track success?

This is important for your web designer to understand in your web design brief as some ecommerce websites may want to drive traffic and generate more sales but other sites may seek to educate, inform and increase awareness. Even if your website is your main sales funnel, it should be aimed at buyers who are at different stages of the buying cycle from the initial research to the sale and even post-sale service if applicable.

What did you like in your previous website? What did you dislike?

Think about design elements including the look and feel of the website such as the colours, the size of the font and so forth but also think about the way the content is displayed on the page, size of the images and where they are positioned and use of white space. It is also essential to think of any added functionality you may want such as an online booking engine or easier-to-use content management system.

Give us 5 great websites you can think of and explain why

This will give your designer a better idea of what you like in web design and the reasons behind it. Check out designs from businesses in the same industry or category as you so the designer can see where you want to position yourself in the market. For example, if you are selling luxury goods, look at competitor’s websites but also look at websites from high-end designers, premium car designers or perfume manufacturers.

Information is power especially when it comes to website design. The more guidance you give your agency the easier it will be to create a website that is in harmony with your needs. At Web Design Works we liaise with high-profile clients every day from receiving the initial web design brief to the final implementation of the website. Contact us to find out more about our web design packages.

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