When commissioning a designer or developer to assist with a web project, it is vital to write a constructive project brief. When a client takes the time to put their thoughts and aims to paper it helps both parties work together and get through the project as smoothly as possible.

A well thought-out brief allows the client to think about and formalise exactly what they want to achieve from the project. And a good brief will help the freelancer no end by providing a documented point of reference to work to.

By shining light on the project and communicating with each other as clearly as possible from the outset, important issues and questions can be addressed before the project begins. This ultimately ensures the client gets better value for their money.

Here are a few pointers to consider when writing a web design brief.

Company background

Unless the client works for a multi-national corporation, chances are the freelancer doesn’t know a great deal about their organisation and/or industry sector. A good designer will spend a bit of time researching who they are working for but a short synopsis of the company can really help set the scene and avoid any assumptions or guess work later down the line.

Things to be included:

• What the organisation does
• Age and size of the company
• Niche market/industry sector
• The organisations' main competitors.

Project aims

Good design can be extremely influential in helping an organisation achieve it’s marketing aims. But to ensure success the designer needs to know what the aims and objectives are and clear goals need to be set. If the client is unsure of the projects’ goals and aims, then writing a good brief will prove an extremely useful exercise.

For example, is the project intended to:

• Generate leads and sales
• Disseminate knowledge and information
• Raise public awareness of a new initiative.

Target audience

Different design techniques and visual styles can be used to reach different audiences. Therefore it is helpful for the designer to know as much as possible about the target audience. For example, demographics such as typical age, sex, and NRS social class should be provided by the client.

Technical specifications

All of what I’ve mentioned above can broadly be applied to any kind of design or creative brief. However, for a web project there are technical details that also need to be clarified.

For example, the client should consider:

• Whether web hosting is required
• Anticipated levels of traffic
• If the project is reliant on specific web platforms such as ASP or PHP
• Attitude to accessibility and/or mobile technologies.

Existing examples and identity guidelines

Providing examples of existing publicity materials and/or previous web projects can help the designer establish a ‘feel’ for the project and ensure that the design is consistent with all other marketing and publicity materials.

Typically a designer would be looking for examples of colour, imagery, text and typography. Better yet, if the organisation has identity guidelines then these should be provided to ensure all design fits within one cohesive visual style.

Budget and deadlines

Clients can sometimes be cagey when asked about their budget, and I can understand why. If you are asking a designer to give you a competitive quote then it makes no sense to tell them how much money you’ve got to spend. However, some clients want to complete a project on a shoestring budget, whereas others want the Rolls Royce solution.

If a client can give a rough ball point figure of how much they are looking to spend then the designer will be able to propose a solution that will realistically fit within this budget. Similarly, time scale is an important consideration and the designer needs to know if there are any specific deadlines.

It doesn't need to be complicated

What I have written above may seem like a lot, but it doesn’t need to be. Only a few minutes need to be spent thinking about each of the considerations and jotting down a few bullet points. I encourage my clients to contact me via my client questionnaire form where I try and guide them through providing a simple brief for me.

Are you experienced writing or receiving a web design brief? Is there anything specific that you like to see included in a brief?