How to Brief a Web Design Agency (Free Template Included)
Bad Briefs Cost Everyone Time and Money
Most web design projects fail not because designers are bad, but because clients give vague instructions. “Make it modern.” “I’ll know it when I see it.” This guarantees multiple rounds of revisions, missed expectations, and friction. A good brief takes an hour to write and saves a month of back-and-forth.
The Five Components of a Strong Design Brief
1. Business Goals and Context
Your designer needs to know: What does your company do? Who do you serve? Why are you rebuilding the website now? Be specific. “We’re losing customers to competitors who have better UX” is useful. “The website is old and ugly” is not.
2. Target Audience
Describe your ideal customer. Age range. Job title. Annual income. What’s their biggest pain point? How do they find you? Include 2-3 real customer quotes or pain points. This helps a designer understand what messaging and design elements matter.
3. Competitive Landscape
Share 3-5 competitor websites (actual URLs). Tell your designer: what are these doing well? What’s weak? Also share websites you admire outside your industry. Good design principles transfer across industries.
4. Brand Guidelines and Visual Style
Share your logo, color palette, typography, brand voice. Include any fonts you’re currently using. Include photos of your team or products. Designers work better with concrete assets than abstract instructions.
5. Pages, Features, and Requirements
List every page you need. For each critical page, describe what needs to happen. List specific features: contact form, booking system, email signup, customer testimonials, payment gateway.
The Design Brief Template
⚡ 2-minute scorecard · instant result
Is your website quietly costing you leads?
Answer 5 quick questions. Get your score + the top fixes — free.
1. Does your site load in under 3 seconds on mobile?
2. Is there one clear call-to-action above the fold?
3. Is your main lead form 5 fields or fewer?
4. Is the whole site genuinely mobile-friendly?
5. Are trust signals (proof, reviews) near your CTA?
Fill this out and send it to your agency:
PROJECT BRIEF COMPANY: [Name, industry, website if exists] WHY REBUILDING: [Specific reason] PRIMARY GOAL: [e.g., Generate 20 qualified leads/month] TARGET AUDIENCE: [Describe ideal customer in 3 sentences] PAIN POINT: [What problem are they solving?] COMPETITORS (3): [URL + what's good + what's weak] BRAND: [Logo file, hex colors, fonts, voice description] PAGES NEEDED: [List all pages] KEY FEATURES: [Forms, booking, payment, CRM integration, etc.] TIMELINE: [Hard deadline?] BUDGET: [$X-Y range]
Common Brief Mistakes
Being Vague About Goals
“Increase sales” is not a goal. “Generate 15 qualified leads per month at under $50 cost per lead” is. The more specific, the better the designer can build a conversion-focused site.
Too Many Design Inspirations
47 Pinterest boards confuse things. Share 3-5 websites you genuinely admire. Explain why. “I love the navigation on this site” is clearer than “this looks cool.”
Asking for Everything
You don’t need 40 pages for launch. Homepage, about, services, contact, blog. Add testimonials and case studies later. Scope creep kills projects.
After You Submit the Brief
Your designer should send a discovery call agenda back. They should have questions. They might ask for clarification on your audience or goals. This is good—they’re thinking critically about the project. You should have one to two discovery calls before design starts. Not ten.
Need help creating a design brief for your project? Book a free strategy call with our team. We’ll walk through your goals, audience, and vision—and create a brief that sets your designer up for success.
