How to write a brief for your website or app

1. What problem does the project solve?

One or two sentences on the business goal: sell more online, reduce phone calls, give clients a place to check their order. The goal drives everything else.

2. Who is it for?

Describe your customers or users: who they are, which devices they use and which languages they speak. If there are several types (customers, staff, admins), say so.

3. What must it do?

• The must-have features for the first version.
• The nice-to-haves that can wait.
• Tools it must connect to: payments, CRM, accounting, bookings.

4. What content already exists?

Logo, photos, copy, product catalogue, an old website. Knowing what exists and what is missing avoids timeline surprises.

5. When do you need it, and what is the budget?

A real deadline (and why) and a budget range. It is not to charge you more: it lets the studio propose the solution that fits, instead of a generic one.

6. References

Websites or apps you like (and why) and ones you do not. They help more than any style description.