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Our team suggests you craft your brief at the very start of your agency search before any actual design or development begins. Why spend time and effort on a creative brief? Simply put: project clarity. A well-crafted brief creates team alignment, ensures the vision for future creative labor is clear, and streamlines communication with stakeholders, collaborating designers, and developers.

It’s your project’s North Star, guiding everything from aesthetics to functionality. By defining goals, your audience, and key features upfront, you save time, avoid misunderstandings, and set the stage for a successful, impactful project. It mitigates potential risk and opens the doors to finding an agency that’s right for you.

With all of this in mind, let’s break down what makes a website design creative brief indispensable and show you how to create one that attracts the top agencies to your redesign project.

What Makes a Solid Website Design Brief?

Everyone handles briefs differently, but with decades of experience reviewing creative briefs from a variety of brands in the B2B and B2B2C space, the team at Baunfire can spot an effective one from a mile away. Before we dive into the details, here are three things to keep in mind.

1. A good website or creative design brief should provide a sense of direction.

Designers love the freedom to create, but without guidelines, even the best design teams can feel lost in ambiguity. A brief is a chance for you to lay out exactly what you envision for your new site. Sure, design direction is a flow of collaboration, laying the groundwork of what you want and need saves everyone time and energy.

2. Good briefs are complete and comprehensive, but easy to interpret.

Clarity is key. A comprehensive brief ensures the most important details of your project are accounted for, from brand vision to the tiniest design elements that must exist. However, remember that comprehensive and complicated can easily overlap if you’re not paying attention. Balance detail with digestibility, ensuring your proposed roadmap leads to your ideal destination without getting lost in the weeds.

3. A good brief gets everyone on the same page.

Don’t forget the main goal of a website brief. Your document should provide insight into your team’s (and any potential collaborators') responsibilities, give an overview of deliverables, and layout necessary timelines for project completion. Don’t leave timelines, deliverables, and important internal processes up to an agency's imagination. It’s not enough to crack open the same book; everyone should be reading from the same page.

What Should You Include in Your Website Design Brief?

Although briefs are rarely identical, they boil down to a basic formula — a set of highly effective sections — that sets apart a mediocre brief from a compelling one. Let’s get started—

1. General Project Overview

Any creative brief should kick off with an introduction to your company. Think of this as your “meet and greet” section when you approach potential agencies and freelancers; it sets the tone for how your brand is perceived and points to your project aims. Here’s what you might cover:

• Your brand’s origin story

• The decision behind a new website build

• A look into previous website work: emphasizing what’s worked and what hasn’t

• A concise version of your project wants, needs, and necessary outcomes

Use these insights to paint a full picture of your goals and heritage. Keep it brief; this should act as a neat snapshot of where you’re coming from and where you need to go.

2. List Your Project Objectives

Clients that approach us for a new website build are often driven by clear objectives, each aimed at solving specific problems or business challenges spanning a variety of sectors — from healthcare technology, to autonomous driving, to AI robotics, and beyond. Whether it’s an overhaul to boost lackluster conversion rates or crafting a fresh online presence to increase discoverability and customer engagement, each goal deserves a sharp focus. How sharp? Think measurable:

• All objectives should be specific and measurable (give metrics when applicable)

• Make sure the objectives listed are achievable and relevant for your collaborators

• Set yourself up for success, be sure to state timeframes for major milestones

3. Be Transparent; Name Your Budget

Navigating budget discussions is crucial, so it’s best practice to outline budgets and potential restrictions. Giving space in your brief to talk budget, both with a client who might be footing the bill and a prospective agency, that is executing the vision aids in building a straightforward relationship that starts in good faith.

You don’t always have to get into the nitty-gritty, like breaking down anticipated hours or individual rates. Still, transparency about what you’re looking to spend helps all parties avoid surprises, align expectations, and make the financial conversations a smooth part of the journey.

4. Name Your Requirements

Make sure you’re starting on the right foot with an agency. By naming your requirements for a finished site, whether it’s strengthening your digital presence, creating a new brand identity or developing a new content strategy, giving a name to what you need by launch, allows an agency to anticipate your must-haves.

5. Decide on Necessary Deliverables

A well-built creative brief should speak to any deliverables or major milestones that need consideration. The Baunfire team, for example, has milestones we signal for each project it takes on. Deliverables and milestones keep teams accountable and keep clients happy. Be honest about what needs to be delivered and how you want forward movement to be acknowledged.

6. Think About Visual Direction

Although many agencies (Baunfire included) like to get into the depths of design during the discovery phase, it’s best to offer some visual direction in your brief. Don’t have the time or team to create brilliant mockups and mood boards? Leave that to us. However, we appreciate when clients come to us with inspirations, do’s, and don’ts concerning their future website.

7. Customers and Competitors

Not everyone expects a brief with pages and pages speaking to customer personas and competitor benchmarking, but there’s no harm in added knowledge. The more a collaborator understands your unique differentiators or consumer personas, the better. Go all out with your persona and competitor mapping, or keep it as simple as:

• Explaining the who, what, and why behind website visits

• Providing a general list of demographics

• Providing a list of top competitors

Get Your Brief Into the Right Hands

Wrapping up your website design brief is just the start of a dynamic creative process. A meticulous brief sets a clear path for your project, providing clarity that streamlines communication and decision-making. It minimizes revisions, enhances workflow, and ensures the final product makes a significant impact.

As we move through 2024, the need for striking, yet sustainable designs is more pronounced than ever. A well-crafted design demands thorough research, careful planning, and the insights of an experienced team that knows your sector and delivers measurable results. If your current website design isn’t amplifying your brand’s efforts effectively, it’s time to partner with seasoned professionals.

Baunfire’s team of versatile designers, developers, and content strategists is ready to propel your brand forward and turn your website brief into something tangible. For more insights and to discuss how we can elevate your web presence, follow us here or reach out at hello@baunfire.com. Let’s find your spark, together.