To brief a web designer well, write a one-page document covering your goal, target customer, three example sites you like (and why), your must-have pages and features, your brand assets, budget, and deadline. The clearer your inputs, the fewer revision rounds you pay for. Vague briefs create guesswork; specifics create results.
Start with the business goal, not the visuals. Say what the site must do: book 20 more consultations a month, sell a $49 subscription, or cut support emails. A designer who knows the metric will push the right button above the fold instead of guessing. "Make it modern" is not a goal; "get more people to start checkout" is.
Define who it's for in one or two sentences. A Shopify skincare brand selling to 45-year-old women needs different type sizes, contrast, and tone than a B2B SaaS aimed at developers. Note the top devices too — if 70% of your traffic is mobile (check Google Analytics or Shopify's dashboard), say so, because that changes every layout decision.
Show, don't tell. Send three live websites you like and write one line under each explaining what you like: "clean pricing table," "the way the hero states the offer," "calm color palette." Add one or two sites you dislike and why. This removes the biggest source of failed drafts — the designer building to their taste instead of yours.
List every page and every must-have feature. Home, About, Pricing, 12 product pages, a blog, a contact form — write the actual count. Then name the integrations: Stripe or Shopify checkout, Klaviyo signup, Calendly booking, a specific CMS. Missing features get discovered mid-build and blow up both timeline and budget.
Hand over your assets and content up front, or say plainly that you don't have them. That means your logo (SVG if possible), brand colors as hex codes, fonts, real photos, and the actual copy for each page. Placeholder text hides problems; real content exposes whether a layout works. Designers wait on missing copy more than anything else.
State the budget, the deadline, and what's out of scope. A $2,000 project and a $15,000 project are different conversations, and a good designer will tell you what's realistic within each. Name a hard date if you have a product launch. Write down what you are NOT asking for — no e-commerce, no blog yet — so scope stays fixed.
Finally, explain how feedback will work and who signs off. Name the single decision-maker; committee feedback is the fastest way to stall a project. Agree on how many revision rounds are included (two is common) and that you'll give comments in one consolidated list, not drip-fed over a week. Clear feedback rules protect your timeline as much as the brief does.
Frequently asked
How long should a web design brief be?
One page is enough for most small-business sites. If it runs past two pages, you're likely including detail the designer should decide, not you.
What if I don't know what I want visually?
Send three sites you like with a line on why for each. Reacting to real examples is far easier and more accurate than describing a look from scratch.
Do I need to write the copy before briefing a designer?
Yes, or provide a near-final draft. Real content changes layout decisions, and placeholder text hides problems that surface only after launch.
How many revision rounds should I expect?
Two is standard for a fixed-price project. Agree on the number up front and give feedback as one consolidated list to avoid extra billable rounds.
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