How to write a website design brief that gets a useful proposal

A useful website design brief explains the business, the audience and the work the website needs to do. It does not need to prescribe every colour or button. Its purpose is to help a designer ask better questions and propose a scope you can understand.

If you are commissioning a first website or planning a redesign in Canada, use the following outline. A short, accurate brief is more useful than a long document filled with generic aspirations.

1. Introduce the business and its customers

Explain what you sell, who buys it, where you operate and what makes your offer relevant. Include your main services or products, actual service areas and the questions customers ask before contacting you.

“We provide commercial cleaning in London, Ontario and need office managers to request a site assessment” is a clearer starting point than “We want a modern website that grows our business.”

2. State the goals in order of priority

Pick a primary outcome: qualified enquiries, bookings, purchases or clear information for existing customers. Add secondary outcomes if needed. Describe the current problem, such as visitors missing a key service or the team being unable to update content.

If you have analytics or search data, summarise the relevant findings without sharing customer details. Do not promise a target ranking or conversion rate without an agreed way to measure it.

3. List pages and required functions separately

A page list might include Home, About, Services, individual service pages, Portfolio, Blog and Contact. Functions are different: enquiry forms, booking links, product payments, search or a customer portal. State which functions are essential for launch.

For integrations, name the existing tool and explain the information that needs to move. Avoid simply writing “integrate our CRM” when the real requirement is to create a lead from a form and assign it to a person.

4. Explain who provides the content

• Who writes and approves service copy?
• Are the logo, brand colours and fonts available?
• Do you have real project images and permission to use them?
• Which reviews are approved for publication?
• Who checks contact information and policies?

Identify missing material early. Copywriting, photography, illustration and a new brand identity may need separate scope. Avoid designing an entire site around placeholder paragraphs that will change substantially later.

5. Share references with a reason

Choose a few relevant websites and say what you find useful: navigation, readable service information, project presentation or an efficient booking journey. References should guide a conversation, not ask a designer to copy another business’s identity.

6. Define practical constraints

State the desired launch period, decision-maker and budget range if available. Explain who controls the domain and hosting, and whether a current platform or editing approach must be retained. Keep passwords out of the brief; access can be arranged separately when needed.

Describe the editing handoff you expect. If your team needs to change headings, images and service text, say so. Also ask what ongoing licences, hosting and maintenance are required.

A brief you can copy into your planning document

1. Business: offer, audience and service area.
2. Goal: the main action a visitor should take.
3. Current problem: what needs to improve.
4. Pages: the initial page list.
5. Functions: essential launch features and integrations.
6. Content: available assets and who supplies missing items.
7. Constraints: budget, timing, platform and approvals.
8. Handoff: editing, ownership and ongoing support.

When proposals arrive, compare deliverables and responsibilities before comparing totals. Ask how revisions, testing, SEO setup and launch support are included. Our redesign checklist helps you review the launch stage.