How to write a website design brief, with a template you can copy

What is a website design brief?

It is a short written description of the website you want and why you want it. It is not a design. You describe the problem and the limits, and leave the solution to the people you are paying. It is like telling the fundi 'I need a three-bedroom house on this plot for this budget', not handing over your own drawings of the roof.

Without a brief, each designer fills the gaps with their own assumptions. One quotes for five pages, another for fifteen with a booking system, and the prices cannot be compared. With a brief, a difference in price reflects a difference in approach or quality. That is also why quotes vary so wildly, as we explain in how much a website costs in Kenya.

What to include in a website brief

Eight things. None of them need jargon.

1. About the business

Two or three sentences on what you do, who you serve and where. Add your current website address if you have one, even if you are embarrassed by it. Especially if you are embarrassed by it.

2. The goal

State the one thing the site must achieve, such as more inquiries, bookings, online sales or credibility with funders. If there are several, rank them. 'Everything' is not a goal.

3. The audience

Describe your typical customer and what they need to know before they will contact you. Mention whether they are likely to visit on a phone. In Kenya, they are.

4. Pages and features

List the pages you expect, and any functions beyond plain pages: contact forms, booking, payments such as M-Pesa, a blog, a client login, or WhatsApp chat.

5. Content

Say what already exists and what must be created: text, photographs, logo files and brand guidelines. Content is the most common cause of delay, so be honest here. 'We will send the photos next week' has delayed more websites than any bug.

6. Examples

Share two or three websites you like, and say what you like about each. One you dislike is useful too.

7. Budget and deadline

Give a range and a date, even a rough one. A designer who knows the budget can propose the best site within it. One who does not will guess, and guesses run expensive.

8. Decision makers

Name who gives feedback and who signs off. Projects stall when approval is unclear, or when the boss's nephew appears in week four with 'some thoughts'.

Website design brief template

Copy the questions below into a document and answer each in a sentence or two. Do not overthink it. Done beats perfect.

1. Business name, what we do, and where we operate:
2. Current website, if any, and what is wrong with it:
3. The main goal of the new website:
4. Our typical customer, and what they want to know first:
5. Pages we need:
6. Features we need (forms, booking, payments, blog, login):
7. Content we already have, and content we need help with:
8. Logo and brand guidelines available? Yes or no:
9. Websites we like, and why:
10. Budget range:
11. Launch date, and the reason for it:
12. Who approves the work:
13. Who will update the site after launch:

If you do not yet have a logo or brand guidelines, say so. It may be worth settling the brand identity before the website is designed, because the site will be built on those colours and typefaces.

Questions to ask a web designer before you hire

Interview them the way you would interview a caretaker for your house. Politely, but properly.

• Can I see two or three sites you built for businesses like mine, and speak to one of those clients?
• Exactly which pages and features does this quote include?
• Who writes the text and supplies the images?
• Will the site be designed for phones first?
• Who will own the domain name and the hosting account?
• Will I be able to update the site myself, and will you show me how?
• What happens after launch, and what does ongoing support cost?
• What are the payment stages, and what is delivered at each?

How to choose a web design company in Kenya

Price lists vary widely and tell you little without knowing what is included. Compare companies on evidence, not vibes:

• Work you can open and use, not screenshots. Try their sites on your phone.
• A clear scope in the quote, listing pages, features and rounds of revision.
• How they ask questions. A company that asks about your customers before quoting is planning the site, not just decorating it.
• Who you will deal with, and how quickly they reply before you have paid anything. If they take a week to answer now, imagine after the deposit.
• What they say about search. Be cautious of anyone guaranteeing a first-page ranking.

The cheapest quote often becomes the most expensive when the site has to be rebuilt a year later. The right question is what each quote will deliver, in writing. If you want to see how we approach it, our website design and development page sets out the process.

How long does it take to build a website?

It depends on the number of pages, the features, and above all how quickly content and feedback arrive. A small brochure site with content ready is a much shorter project than an online shop or a site with bookings and a client login.

Ask for a schedule by phase: planning, design, build, testing and launch. Then protect it by agreeing who supplies the text and images, and by when. Most 'slow designers' are actually waiting for the client's About page.

Common mistakes in a website brief

• Describing the design you want, when the designer needs to know the result you want.
• Leaving out the budget, which wastes everyone's time on proposals you cannot afford.
• Listing every feature you have ever seen. Separate what is needed at launch from what can come later.
• Forgetting content. A finished design with no text or photographs cannot go live.
• Having no single person responsible for decisions.

Avoid those five and you are already ahead of most clients. And once the site is live, make sure it is actually working for you: see why your website is not getting customers.