Pagearticle
Project preparation
How to write a website or application development brief
A useful brief explains the problem and constraints without forcing the client to design the solution in advance.
- 01GoalRequired business outcome / Primary user
- 02ContextCurrent website or process / Competitors and alternatives
- 03BoundariesTarget launch and reason / Realistic budget range
- 04Acceptance criteriaDescribe testable outcomes: the form delivers a lead, the catalogue is imported, an editor can change a price, pages are crawlable. “Make it modern” needs joint clarification.
Goal
- Required business outcome
- Primary user
- Successful user action
- Why the current approach fails
Context
- Current website or process
- Competitors and alternatives
- Available copy, imagery and brand assets
- Required integrations and legal constraints
Boundaries
- Target launch and reason
- Realistic budget range
- Decision owner
- Explicit exclusions from release one
Acceptance criteria
Describe testable outcomes: the form delivers a lead, the catalogue is imported, an editor can change a price, pages are crawlable. “Make it modern” needs joint clarification.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a full specification required?
A brief is enough for an initial range. Detailed requirements or a backlog are created together after discovery.
Must the budget be disclosed?
No, but a range avoids exploring approaches that cannot fit the available scale.