Brandon WatkinsFounder, Flowlabz
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A vague brief gets you a vague quote, padded to cover the unknowns. A clear brief gets you an accurate price, a realistic timeline and a better result, because the team knows what success looks like before they start.
It doesn't need to be long. One or two pages is plenty. It just needs to be clear about the right things.
What a good brief includes
1. Who you are
A few sentences on your business: what you do, who you serve, and what makes you different. Link your current site if you have one.
2. What you're trying to achieve
This is the most important section. Not "a new website", but what the website should change: more enquiries, better-qualified leads, bookings, sales, recruiting, credibility with bigger clients. If you can measure it, say how.
3. Who it's for
Your audience, and what they need to find, understand or do on the site. The more specific you are, the better the design decisions will be.
4. What it needs to do
The pages you know you need, and any functionality: forms, bookings, a blog, case studies, gated downloads, a shop, and integrations with your CRM or other tools.
5. Content: what exists and what doesn't
Do you have copy, photography, logos and brand guidelines? What still needs to be created? Content is the most common cause of delays, so be honest here.
6. Sites you like, and why
Three to five examples, with a line on what you like about each. "I like how clear their pricing is" is far more useful than a link on its own. Sites you dislike help too.
7. Constraints
Your deadline and why it matters, your budget range, any platform requirements, and anything that can't change.
8. Who decides
Who gives feedback, and who signs off. Projects move fastest with one decision-maker.
What you don't need
You don't need a specification, wireframes or a sitemap. Working those out is part of the job you're hiring for. If you have sketches, a deck or a competitor you're reacting to, include them, but a clear picture of the goal matters more than any document.
Should you share your budget?
Yes, as a range. It isn't about inviting the highest quote you'll tolerate. A budget tells the team what's realistic to propose, because the same goal can often be met in different ways at different price points. Without one, you'll get quotes that guess, and you may end up comparing proposals that solve different problems.
For context, our website projects start from R 30,000 and our app builds from R 60,000. Here's more on what a website costs.
A brief template you can copy
PROJECT BRIEF 1. About us What we do, who we serve, what makes us different. Current website: 2. The goal What should this project change for the business? How will we know it worked? 3. Our audience Who they are, and what they need to find or do. 4. What it needs to do Pages we know we need: Features (forms, bookings, blog, shop, integrations): 5. Content What we have (copy, photos, brand guidelines): What still needs creating: 6. Examples Sites we like, and why: Sites we don't like, and why: 7. Constraints Deadline, and why it matters: Budget range: Platform or technical requirements: 8. Decisions Who gives feedback: Who signs off:
What happens after you send it
With us, it's three steps: brief, quote, execute. You'll hear back within 24 hours, and if anything's unclear, we'll ask. Within 48 hours you'll have a clear scope, timeline and price, with no surprises. Approve it and we start.
The same brief works for apps and prototypes too. For an app, add who the users are, what they need to do, and anything it has to connect to. For a prototype, the question you want answered is the most important line.
Ready? Send us your brief, or read about our website and app services first.
Questions we get asked
How long should a website brief be?
One or two pages is plenty. Clarity about the goal, the audience and your constraints matters far more than length.
Do I need a sitemap or wireframes?
No. Working out the structure is part of the project. Include sketches if you have them, but don't create them for the brief.
Should I include my budget?
Yes, as a range. It lets the team propose the right solution for what you can spend, instead of guessing.
What if I don't know exactly what I need yet?
Describe the problem and the goal. A good team will help you work out the rest, and a short call is often the quickest way to get there.
How quickly will I get a quote?
With us, you'll hear back within 24 hours of sending a brief, with a scope and price within 48 hours.
