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What Should Be Included In A Website Design Brief?

Learn what to include in a website design brief, from business goals and audience needs to SEO, site structure, content, functionality and project delivery.

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    Definition

    Website Design Brief

    A website design brief is a planning document that explains what a website needs to achieve, who it is for, what pages and features it requires, and how the project should be delivered. It gives designers, developers, copywriters and stakeholders a shared reference point before work begins.

    A strong website brief is not just a list of colours and design preferences. It should cover business goals, audience needs, site structure, content, SEO, functionality, technical requirements, budget, timelines and approval responsibilities.

    Key Takeaways

    • A website design brief should explain the purpose of the website, the audience it must serve, and the business outcome it should support.
    • The brief should include practical requirements such as pages, content, functionality, integrations, hosting, domains, SEO, accessibility, approvals, budget and timing.
    • The strongest briefs focus on structure before aesthetics, so design decisions are guided by search intent, user journeys and conversion pathways.

    Quick Explanation

    What Is the Purpose of a Website Design Brief?

    A website design brief helps turn a broad idea, such as “we need a better website”, into a clear project scope. It explains what the website needs to do, what problems it should solve, and what information the project team needs before design or development starts. Without a brief, website projects can drift. Designs may look attractive but miss the real goal. Important pages can be forgotten. SEO can be added too late. Content may arrive after layouts are already approved. Stakeholders may also have different expectations about budget, timing, features and ownership. A good website brief reduces these risks. It gives everyone a clear starting point and helps the project team plan the site architecture, content hierarchy, user experience, technical requirements and launch process. It also makes proposals more accurate because the scope is easier to understand.
    A website brief should connect business goals, structure, content and user experience before visual design begins.
    A website brief should connect business goals, structure, content and user experience before visual design begins.

    A Website Brief Is Not Just a Design Preference List

    Colours, fonts and visual examples are useful, but they should not be the whole brief. A website needs structure, page planning, content, SEO consideration, conversion pathways and technical foundations. The design should support the strategy, not replace it.

    Website Design Brief Checklist

    Use this checklist when preparing a website design brief for a new build, redesign, e-commerce project or major website refresh. The level of detail can vary, but these areas should be considered before design work begins.

    • Business goals and website objectives

      Explain why the website is being built or redesigned. Common goals include generating enquiries, improving search visibility, selling products, supporting multiple locations, reducing support questions, improving credibility or replacing an outdated platform.

    • Audience, competitors and user journeys

      Describe who the website is for, what those people need to know, and what action they should take. Include competitor examples, but explain what you like or dislike about them rather than asking for a copy of another site.

    • Pages, content, features and technical requirements

      List the required pages, expected content, forms, integrations, e-commerce needs, CMS access requirements, hosting, domain, email and SEO considerations. This helps the project team understand the true scope before quoting or planning.

    Project Goals

    Start with the Business Problem the Website Needs to Solve

    The first section of a website design brief should explain the business context. What is wrong with the current website? What has changed in the business? What does the new website need to achieve? A redesign brief might say that the current website looks dated, loads slowly on mobile and does not generate enough enquiries. A new business brief might focus on building trust, explaining services clearly and preparing the business for SEO from launch. An e-commerce brief may need to address product structure, checkout flow, stock management and payment integrations. Clear goals help the project team prioritise. A website designed to generate service enquiries may need strong landing pages, trust signals, simple forms and local SEO structure. A website designed to support a sales team may need resources, case studies and industry pages. A website designed for recruitment may need role pages, employee value messaging and easy application pathways. Avoid goals that are too vague, such as “make it modern” or “improve the website”. Better goals explain the outcome, the audience and the business value.
    The brief should explain the business reason behind the project, not only the desired appearance.
    The brief should explain the business reason behind the project, not only the desired appearance.

    Audience and Messaging

    Define the Audience, Their Needs and the Action You Want Them to Take

    A useful web design brief explains who the website is speaking to. This should include your primary customers, secondary audiences and any stakeholders who may use the site differently. For example, a professional services website may need to speak to business owners, referral partners and job applicants. A healthcare website may need to help patients find services quickly while also supporting trust and clarity. A construction company may need pages for commercial clients, residential clients and suppliers. The brief should also explain what matters to each audience. Are they comparing providers? Are they looking for pricing guidance? Are they trying to confirm your location, availability or experience? Are they ready to request a quote, or do they need more education first? Once the audience is clear, the brief should define the desired actions. These may include calling, submitting an enquiry, requesting a quote, booking an appointment, buying a product, downloading a guide or reading more information. This directly affects layout, navigation, copy, calls-to-action and conversion-focused design.
    Audience clarity helps turn a website brief into practical navigation, messaging and conversion planning.
    Audience clarity helps turn a website brief into practical navigation, messaging and conversion planning.

    Brief Structure

    How to Build a Website Design Brief in the Right Order

    A website brief is easier to write when you work from strategy to details. This order helps prevent the project from becoming design-led before the structure is clear.

    1. Define the outcome first

      Start with the reason for the project, the problems being solved, the main audience and the business actions the website should encourage. This gives design and development decisions a clear purpose.

    2. Map the structure and content

      List required pages, service areas, product categories, locations, resources, content responsibilities and internal linking needs. This is especially important for SEO, multi-location sites and service businesses.

    3. Document technical and delivery requirements

      Include functionality, integrations, CMS access, hosting, domain, email, analytics, launch timing, approvals, budget range and ongoing support needs. These details affect project scope and planning.

    SEO and Structure

    Include SEO, Site Architecture and Content Requirements Early

    SEO should not be treated as something to add after the website is designed. Search visibility is shaped by site architecture, page hierarchy, internal linking, content depth, performance, mobile usability and technical foundations. Your website design brief should identify the services, products, locations and topics the website needs to cover. It should also note any known keyword targets, current ranking issues, important pages that already receive traffic, and pages that must be redirected during a redesign. If your business operates across several locations, the brief should explain whether each location needs unique content, local trust signals, service pages or a structured internal linking plan. Duplicating the same page across many suburbs or regions can create weak content and may not support long-term SEO. A strong brief also confirms who is responsible for website copy. Content often affects layout. If copy is not planned early, the design may rely on placeholder text that does not reflect the real message, page length or search intent.
    Search-first planning helps ensure the website structure can support visibility, usability and future growth.
    Search-first planning helps ensure the website structure can support visibility, usability and future growth.

    Weak Website Brief vs Strong Website Brief

    The difference between a weak brief and a strong brief is usually not length. It is clarity. A concise brief can be effective if it covers the right information.

    Brief Element Weak Brief Strong Brief
    Project goal Says the website should look better or feel more modern. Explains the business problem, target audience and measurable project priorities.
    Website structure Lists a few general pages without explaining hierarchy or content needs. Maps key pages, service areas, locations, user paths, SEO considerations and conversion actions.
    Scope and delivery Leaves functionality, content, approvals, budget and timing unclear. Documents required features, responsibilities, integrations, budget guidance, deadlines and review points.

    Technical Scope

    List Functionality, Integrations and Website Management Needs

    A website design brief should include more than visible pages. It should also explain what the website needs to do behind the scenes. Common functionality includes contact forms, quote forms, booking systems, product catalogues, e-commerce checkout, document downloads, search, customer portals, gated resources, calculators, maps, newsletter signups and CRM integrations. Even small features can affect the development approach, testing requirements and ongoing support. The brief should also note how the website will be managed after launch. Will your team need to edit service pages, publish articles, update products or manage locations? Do different users need different permission levels? Will content approval be handled internally or by the website provider? Technical details do not need to be written like a developer specification. Plain English is enough. For example, “we need form enquiries to be sent to our admin team and added to our CRM” is far more useful than leaving the requirement unstated.
    Functional requirements affect design, development, testing and ongoing website management.
    Functional requirements affect design, development, testing and ongoing website management.

    Common Mistakes When Writing a Website Design Brief

    A brief does not need to be perfect, but a few common gaps can create confusion, delays or avoidable rework during a website project.

    Starting with visual style before defining structure

    Do this instead

    Include brand preferences, but first explain the goals, audience, pages, content and user journeys. This keeps design decisions tied to business purpose.

    Leaving content responsibility unclear

    Do this instead

    Confirm who will write, review and approve copy, images, service descriptions, product content and legal or compliance wording. Content delays are a common cause of project delays.

    Forgetting launch and post-launch requirements

    Do this instead

    Document hosting, domain access, email considerations, redirects, analytics, training, CMS access and maintenance needs before the website reaches launch.

    Should You Write the Brief Yourself?

    Benefits of Writing It Internally

    • Your team understands the business, customers, services, objections and internal priorities.
    • Writing the brief can reveal gaps in messaging, content, approvals and project ownership before the project starts.
    • It helps you compare website proposals more fairly because each provider is responding to the same requirements.

    Limitations to Watch

    • Internal briefs often understate technical requirements, especially around integrations, SEO, redirects, hosting and CMS access.
    • Stakeholders may focus on personal design preferences rather than customer needs and conversion pathways.
    • If the current website has technical issues, a brief may need input from a developer, SEO specialist or hosting provider.

    Budget and Timing

    Include Budget Guidance, Timelines and Approval Responsibilities

    A budget range helps the project team recommend the right approach. It does not need to be exact, but it should be realistic enough to guide scope. A small brochure website, an SEO-led service website, an e-commerce store and a custom Laravel application are very different projects. Your brief should also include key dates. Mention any planned campaign, business launch, event, seasonal deadline or contract expiry that affects timing. If the date is flexible, say so. If it is fixed, explain why. Approval responsibilities are just as important. Identify who will approve design, copy, functionality, legal wording, technical access and final launch. Too many late-stage decision-makers can slow a project and create conflicting feedback. Project timeframes depend on scope, complexity, revisions, client responsiveness, content approval and access to required third-party services. A brief cannot remove every variable, but it can make planning more reliable.
    Budget, timing and approvals help convert a broad website idea into a workable project plan.
    Budget, timing and approvals help convert a broad website idea into a workable project plan.

    Useful Terms for a Website Design Brief

    These terms often appear in website briefs, proposals and project discussions. Understanding them can make the planning process clearer.

    Site Architecture
    The planned structure of a website, including pages, navigation, URL hierarchy and internal links. It affects user experience and search engine understanding.
    Conversion Pathway
    The route a visitor takes from arriving on a website to completing an action, such as calling, submitting a form, booking or purchasing.
    CMS
    A content management system that allows authorised users to manage website content. CMS access, permissions and training should be considered in the brief.

    Related Service

    Web Design Planned Around Structure and Search

    We approach web design with Structure Before Aesthetics. That means planning page hierarchy, search intent, content, conversion pathways and technical foundations before visual design is finalised.

    View Web Design

    Our Approach

    How We Use Website Briefs in a Strategy-Led Project

    When we plan a website project, the brief helps us understand the business goals, search opportunities, required pages, technical requirements and delivery constraints. It also helps us identify where more discovery is needed before design or development begins. Our process may include an initial consultation, proposal acceptance, a client questionnaire, asset and access collection, technical audits where applicable, market and search analysis, keyword clustering, intent mapping, site architecture planning, design, development in a secure staging environment, testing and launch. We primarily build websites using our proprietary Genesis CMS, which is designed to support performance, security, SEO capability, flexibility and reduced reliance on third-party plugins and themes. For larger bespoke systems, business applications and complex integrations, we use Laravel where appropriate. A brief does not lock every decision before discovery. It gives the project a strong starting point. During planning, we may refine the scope, recommend a better structure, identify missing content, or flag technical risks that need to be addressed before launch.
    A strong brief supports clearer planning, more accurate scope and better alignment before design and development begin.
    A strong brief supports clearer planning, more accurate scope and better alignment before design and development begin.

    Plan the Next Step

    Services That Often Connect to a Website Brief

    A website brief often reveals related needs, such as branding, web design, website development, SEO, hosting, maintenance, domain management or email setup. These services work best when they are planned together rather than treated as separate afterthoughts.

    View All Services

    Website Design Brief FAQs

    These answers cover common questions businesses ask before preparing a website design brief.

    How long should a website design brief be?
    A website design brief should be long enough to explain the project clearly, but it does not need to be excessive. A simple website may only need a few pages of detail, while an e-commerce, multi-location or custom development project may require a more detailed brief.

    Do I need a brief before asking for a website quote?
    You do not need a perfect brief, but some written detail helps. Goals, required pages, functionality, content needs, timing and budget guidance make it easier for a website provider to prepare a useful proposal.

    Should SEO be included in a website design brief?
    Yes, where search visibility matters. SEO affects page structure, content planning, internal linking, redirects, performance and technical foundations. It is usually more effective to consider SEO before design and development, rather than adding it after launch.

    Planning a Website Project?

    If you are preparing a website design brief, we can help you turn your goals, content, SEO requirements and technical needs into a clearer project scope. Start with the structure, then build the design around it.

    Discuss Your Project Get a Quote

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