Start with the visitor’s decision
Write down who visits, what they need to understand and what they should be able to do. “Modernise the website” is an internal intention, not a customer task. A manufacturer may need specification-led enquiries; a consultancy may need to qualify requests. Choose a primary action and document the questions that come before it.
Inventory the materials
List services, copy, photographs, identity assets, languages and available business information. Give every item an owner, expected date and usage permission. A reference image is not the same as a licensed asset. Separate existing materials from work still to be created: that distinction affects both schedule and investment.
Describe the important journeys
Walk through three complete journeys: finding a service, comparing its scope and submitting an enquiry. Note required fields, the information recipient and the confirmation shown to the customer. Include mobile and another language when in scope. This makes the conversation about observable behaviour rather than an ambiguous list of features.
Agree what finished means
Close the brief with verifiable criteria: included pages, complete languages, received submissions, editor permissions and access handover. Define who accepts the result and how later changes are handled. Keep new requests in a separate list so their cost and timing can be assessed before adding them to the agreed work.
Key takeaways
- A good brief makes the result testable, not merely imaginable.