Insights
How to brief a website, design or printing project
A useful brief does not need technical jargon. Start with the objective, audience, materials and intended use.
Start with the situation, not a technology list
“We need a new website” is a useful opening, but it does not explain the task yet. Add what makes work difficult today: customers cannot distinguish the services, contact details are hard to find, the current website cannot be edited or materials use different logo versions. This helps identify whether the first step is design, content, information structure or production preparation.
1. Explain the audience and the next step
Say who will use the material and what they should do afterwards: call, compare options, select a product, order or recognise the brand. A sales catalogue needs a different structure from a leaflet handed out at an exhibition. Detailed personas are not required; a concrete customer and situation are enough.
2. Separate essentials from ideas
List the things the project needs to work: a form, a German version, a specific size, a payment method or a fixed event date. Keep optional ideas separate. This makes quotations easier to compare and helps decide which improvements can follow in a later phase.
3. Make a simple materials inventory
List what is available: logo, copy, photographs, editable files, product data and documents. Mark whether each item is current and whether you can authorise its use. A vector logo and a photograph downloaded from a messaging app have different production possibilities. There is no need to repair every file before the first discussion; identify the best originals available.
4. Add details for the type of work
For a website, include the current address, functions to retain, languages and external connections. For graphics, specify channels and sizes. For printing, give the product, format, quantity, conditions of use and any printer requirements. For an exhibition stand, attach the floor plan and organiser rules. If a parameter is unknown, mark it for discussion rather than guessing.
5. Identify fixed dates and the decision maker
The date when you need to use the material is not always the design deadline. Printing, delivery, installation and testing need their own time. Explain which dates cannot move. Nominate a person to collect feedback so the supplier does not receive several conflicting lists of changes.
6. Compare the scope, not just the total
Check whether a proposal includes copy, licences, source files, migration, testing, production, delivery and ongoing support. Not every item is needed in every project. What matters is knowing what the price covers, which services require separate arrangements and who supplies the materials. An indicative budget helps choose an approach, but does not replace a defined scope.
A short template you can use
We need: [material or problem]. The audience is: [who]. The next action should be: [action]. We already have: [assets and links]. Essentials are: [functions and requirements]. The material will be used: [where and when]. Feedback is approved by: [role or person]. We need to clarify: [open questions]. This is enough to begin a useful conversation.
Let’s talk about your project
Tell us what you want to achieve. We will agree the scope, materials and delivery process before the work begins.
Good to know
A few useful answers.
Planning the scope or preparing your materials? These answers will help you get started.
Ask usDoes a brief need to be a long document?
No. The essentials are purpose, audience, placement, available assets and a reply channel. Details can be clarified in conversation.
What if I do not know the budget or technology?
Describe the need and constraints you do know. Technology follows the scope, and a quote requires that scope to be clear. You do not need to guess technical specifications.