A solid brief isn’t about filling out a form and hoping for the best. It’s about communicating clearly what you want the website to do – not just what you want it to look like.
Of course you want a website done quickly – so If you want to save yourself weeks of revisions, misunderstandings, and “that’s not what I pictured” moments, here’s how to do it right!
1. Start with your goals, not your colours
Before you mention fonts or logos, tell your designer what success looks like.
Do you want to get more leads? Sell more products? Make people trust your brand?
If we know what you’re trying to achieve, we can make better choices that actually get you there.
2. Show examples — but explain why you like them
It’s important to do a bit of research and send a few websites you love as examples.. But if you go a step further, this can really help understand WHY you like them.
Do you like the layout? The vibe? The way the content flows?
Your “clean and modern” might be someone else’s “cold and corporate”. Knowing the why really helps!
3. Tell us who you’re talking to
Who’s your ideal client? A startup founder, a corporate team, a luxury shopper, a tradie?
If we know your audience, we can tailor tone, visuals, and layout so the site speaks directly to them.
A good designer designs for your clients, not just your personal taste. A designer should present a finished product that has a good balance of what you like and what you need.
4. Be honest about your budget and timeline
If you say “as soon as possible” or “whatever it costs,” we can’t plan properly.
Knowing your budget helps us recommend what’s realistic and where to focus effort.
And timelines? Be upfront about any launch dates or events. Rushed work costs more because it eats into sleep and sanity.
5. Have your content ready (or at least planned)
A website without content is like a house without furniture! Many times I’ve been asked to “just put it together” and the client will review and change. This means double the work for me and twice the time for the website build for you 🙁
If you’re still writing copy or waiting on photos, tell us early. It affects layout, SEO, and timing.
Discuss early how you would like to manage the content of your website – do you have professional photography of your business? Do you have some copy ready? Would you like to hire a professional copywriter? All things we can discuss and arrange ahead of time.
6. Share your brand assets (and how flexible they are)
Send your logo files, colour palette, and fonts – but also tell us how strict your brand rules are.
If your branding is set in stone, we’ll stick to it. If it’s flexible, we can push things a bit further to modernise or enhance your look.
7. Keep communication clear
Design projects go off the rails when there are too many cooks or unclear feedback.
Nominate one point of contact.
When reviewing designs, give feedback that’s specific and actionable – “Can we make the buttons stand out more?” works better than “It doesn’t pop” (if I hear that phrase one more time I may die).
8. Trust the process
You hired a designer for their expertise – not just their ability to move pixels around.
The best results come when you give clear direction up front, then let us do our job.
Good designers want your project to succeed as much as you do.
In short:
A great brief is a partnership! You bring the vision, we bring the strategy and execution.
Get it right, and you’ll get a site that looks and feels exactly like the essence of your business.