A website brief: seven answers you need before discussing design

“We need a modern website” does not explain what a company wants to change. Before discussing visual style, answer seven questions: who visits, why they come, what they need to understand, what action they should take, what evidence they need, who handles their enquiry and who updates the information.

Explore one real scenario

For a service company, this might be requesting an estimate; for an education project, choosing a programme. Describe a specific visitor’s journey. What doubts arise before an enquiry? Which terms do they compare? How will they know their message was received? Do not try to serve every possible audience in equal detail on one page.

Collect materials in a shared folder: service descriptions, photographs, frequently asked questions and verified examples of work. Mark what is ready, what needs approval and what is missing. Content gaps affect the structure as much as the visual style does.

Appoint a decision owner

Choose someone to collect feedback and approve the final version. Otherwise, the designer may receive contradictory requests from several participants. Separate essential requirements from ideas you can test later. Explain the user need behind every essential requirement.

Define acceptance criteria

Evaluate concrete scenarios rather than whether you like the look: a visitor finds a service, submits a form and receives confirmation; an employee sees the enquiry and knows the next step. If you need a delivery team, CreativeStudio belongs to the same group as CreativeMedia. A prepared brief is useful whichever team you choose.