Compiling a good website design brief is easy to do if you know what to include in it. It is a written explanation, given to a designer outlining the objectives and design strategies of the given design project. The following focuses on the most important components to consider when compiling a good website design brief.
What is a Website Design Brief?
The website design brief informs the designer of what is expected from the design project. The brief is a critical part of the entire design process as it helps create an understanding between the client and the web designer. The client needs to clearly indicate a number of components in the design brief so that the web designer and developer know exactly what is expected of them in terms of the design of the website.
Compiling the Design Brief
Start the Brief with a Company Profile
The brief should start off with the inclusion of your company's profile. This is a short synopsis of what your company entails and how your company is organized. Include what your company does, what industry your company falls under and how long you have been established for. This will give the designer background information about your company and get an idea of where to go with the designing process.
Include your Corporate Identity
Ensure to hand the following to your website designer together with your design brief:
- Business card
- Letterhead
- Logo in j.peg format
Your Competitors
Give a lost of your top 5 - 10 competitors to your website designer with your design brief
Websites you Like
Give a list of a couple of websites that you have seen that you like and indicate the elements you like in particular
Websites you Dislike
Give a list of a couple of websites that you have seen that you dislike and indicate the elements you dislike in particular
Include Your Aims in the Brief
The next point to include within the design brief is your aims of the design project. What are the intentions of this website being designed? Is the website's marketing strategy being created for generating sales or obtaining information from your audience? Make your objectives clear to the web designer as he needs to know what to include in your website and what is of focus. This brief will aid you in writing down your ideas and brainstorming in the crafting of this website. Your input is the most important part of the design process as it is your website at the end of the day. The idea behind including your aims within this brief is to work out flaws that might have been an issue before hand. State your aim of this project as simply and cohesively as possible as to avoid any confusion.
Inform the Designer of the Targeted Audience
Specify the audience in which you want to target with your website. Make your intentions clear, are you targeting new markets or strengthening your existing client base up until this date. Inform the designer on the age, sex and location of the audience you want to target.
Your Budget for This Project
Inform the designer of the budget you are going to be working on. A budget expectation will give the designer an idea of what to include within the website without going over budget. Another consideration to include within this section is the date in which you are expecting this design project to be completed.
Get Advice from Others
Show your design brief to others before going ahead with final decisions. The people you consult with may advise you in tweaking a few elements in terms of your design. If you are working with someone in terms of the design, a brief helps in working out differences of opinion and may save a lot of time during the design process.
Provide Specifications
Ensure to include colour preferences, imagery and quantity of text to be expected. The more information you provide to your designer, the better the outcome of your website will be. Don't leave it to your designer to second-guess what you want, be specific and clear at the highest level possible.
Conclusion
Providing a carefully crafted design brief enables you to receive an effective result in terms of the design project. Include as much detail as possible such as colour samples, diagrams, images, photos and slogans. The better the brief - the better the outcome!
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