Most web design projects that go wrong do not fail because of bad design or bad development. They fail because the brief was vague, the expectations were unclear, and nobody agreed upfront on what success looked like. A good brief prevents most of the problems that make web projects painful, expensive, and disappointing.
Why the brief matters more than you think
A brief is not just a document — it is a thinking exercise. The process of writing a brief forces you to answer important questions before money changes hands. What is this website actually for? Who is it for? What do you want visitors to do? How will you measure whether it is working? If you cannot answer these questions clearly, you are not ready to start a web project.
A vague brief creates scope creep, misaligned expectations, and frustration on both sides. "We want a modern, professional website" tells a designer almost nothing. Modern how? Professional in what way? What does good look like to you? Without clarity, the designer guesses, and their guess may not match your vision.
What to include in your brief
Your business in one paragraph. What you do, who you do it for, and what makes you different. Do not assume the designer knows your industry — they probably do not.
The purpose of the website. Is it primarily to generate leads? Sell products? Provide information? Build credibility? Most websites have one primary purpose and one or two secondary ones. Be clear about the hierarchy.
Your target audience. Who are the people you want visiting this site? What do they care about? What questions do they have? What would make them choose you over a competitor? The more specific you are, the better the designer can tailor the experience.
What you want visitors to do. For every page, there should be a primary action — call you, fill in a form, buy a product, download something. Spell it out.
Websites you like and why. Share three to five examples of websites you admire and explain what you like about each one. "I like this one's layout" or "I like how easy this is to navigate" gives a designer concrete reference points.
Websites you dislike and why. Equally useful. "I hate sites that autoplay video" or "I don't want anything that looks corporate" helps the designer avoid wasted effort.
Content. Who is providing the content? Do you have copy written, or does the designer need to arrange copywriting? Do you have professional photos, or will stock images be needed? Content is the single biggest blocker in most web projects — address it upfront.
Technical requirements. Do you need ecommerce? A booking system? Integration with specific tools like HubSpot or Mailchimp? A blog? Multiple languages? List everything you know you need, even if you are not sure about the details.
How to define success
Before the project starts, agree on what a successful outcome looks like. Measurable goals are best. "Increase enquiry form submissions by fifty percent" is a success metric. "Make it look nice" is not. Even if the goals are simple — "I want to rank on the first page of Google for three key terms within six months" — having them written down gives everyone something to work towards.
Budget — just be honest
Nobody likes talking about budget, but hiding it wastes everyone's time. A designer who knows your budget can tell you immediately what is realistic within it. A designer who does not know your budget will either over-spec the project and shock you with the quote, or under-spec it and deliver something that falls short.
For a professional UK business website in 2026, realistic budgets look roughly like this: a simple brochure site with five to ten pages runs between two and five thousand pounds. A more complex site with custom functionality, integrations, or ecommerce starts at five thousand and can go significantly higher depending on scope. Anything offered for under a thousand pounds is almost certainly a template with your logo dropped in.
What happens with a good brief vs a vague one
Good brief: The designer understands your business, designs to your audience, hits your goals, and delivers on time because the scope was clear from the start. Revisions are minimal because expectations were aligned.
Vague brief: The designer guesses, you are disappointed, revisions pile up, the timeline doubles, the budget overruns, and both sides end up frustrated. The final result is a compromise nobody is happy with.
A simple brief template
1. About your business (one paragraph)
2. Website purpose and goals (with measurable targets)
3. Target audience (who they are and what they need)
4. Key actions for visitors (what you want them to do)
5. Sites you like and dislike (with reasons)
6. Content plan (who provides copy and images)
7. Technical requirements (ecommerce, integrations, features)
8. Budget range
9. Timeline expectations
Fill in those nine points honestly and you will have a better brief than ninety percent of the projects out there. At Brilliant, our scoping process walks clients through every one of these questions before we quote — it is why our projects stay on track and on budget. If you are planning a web project and want to get started the right way, book a call and we will help you build the brief.
