The most useful document in any website project is also the shortest. Before we write, design or build anything, we ask every client for a one-page brief.
It is not a form. It is five questions, answered in plain language. Whether you’re planning a new site or a redesign, and whether you hire us or another Las Vegas web designer, write this page first.
The five questions
- What are we trying to win? A launch, a raise, a hire, a new market. One sentence.
- Who needs to believe it? The specific person whose mind we are trying to change.
- What do they believe now? Be honest. Usually it is “I have never heard of you.”
- What proof do we have? Results, clients, numbers, stories. Anything real.
- What does done look like? How we will both know the work did its job.
Why one page
Unclear requirements are one of the most expensive problems in any project. The Project Management Institute found inaccurate requirements were a primary cause of 47% of unsuccessful projects, and that 52% of projects experience scope creep. A website is no different.
A long brief feels thorough, but it hides the decisions. When there is only one page, you have to choose. That choosing is most of the strategy.
It also means everyone on the team, whether writer, designer or developer, can read the whole thing in two minutes and still remember it on day thirty.
The template
Copy this into a document and fill in each line. Short answers are better than long ones.
- Business: who you are and what you do, in one sentence.
- Where you serve: Las Vegas only? Henderson and Summerlin? Nationwide? Write it out.
- The win: the one outcome this website must produce in the next twelve months.
- The buyer: a specific person, with a job title or situation, not “everyone.”
- What they believe now: the doubt or question you need to overcome.
- Proof: three things you can show, such as results, client names, reviews, press or credentials.
- Must-have pages: only the ones the buyer needs to decide.
- Done looks like: the number or behavior that tells you it worked, like calls booked or forms submitted.
- Constraints: budget range, deadline, and anything that can’t change, like your name or logo.
An example
Here’s what a finished brief might look like for a made-up business, so you can see the level of detail.
- Business: a physical therapy clinic in Henderson specializing in sports injuries.
- Where you serve: Henderson, Green Valley and the southeast valley.
- The win: 40 new-patient bookings a month from the website.
- The buyer: an active adult, 30 to 55, recently injured, who wants to get back to playing, not just “manage pain.”
- What they believe now: “Physical therapy is slow and generic.”
- Proof: patient stories, the team’s sports credentials, before-and-after mobility results.
- Must-have pages: home, sports injuries, the team, pricing and insurance, book an appointment.
- Done looks like: online bookings, tracked monthly.
- Constraints: launch before spring league season; keep the existing name.
Notice what it doesn’t include: colors, fonts or “modern and clean.” Those decisions get much easier once the page above is settled.
Questions to ask a web designer before hiring
Once your brief is written, use it to interview designers. Send it to each one and ask:
- What would you change in this brief? A good designer will push back on something.
- Who will I work with day to day? One named person is the answer you want.
- Who owns the site, the domain and the accounts when we’re done? It should be you.
- How will the site be found? Ask about search, and about how AI assistants will read it. Our guide to getting your Las Vegas business recommended on ChatGPT covers what to look for.
- Can I update it myself? Know which changes need the designer and which don’t.
- What happens after launch? Hosting, security updates, and who fixes things when they break.
If a designer quotes you a price without asking about any of this, that’s worth noticing. For more on picking the right partner, see how to choose the right marketing agency in Las Vegas.
What happens next
We come back with questions, then with a direction. Most of the time the brief changes once or twice before anything is made, and that is exactly the point. Changing a paragraph costs minutes. Changing a finished website costs weeks.
If you are starting a website project with us, or with anyone, write the page first. You will be surprised how much gets decided before the work even begins.
Frequently asked questions
What should a website design brief include?
At minimum: what the website must achieve, who it’s for, what that person currently believes, the proof you can show, the pages the buyer needs, how you’ll measure success, and your budget and deadline. It should fit on one page.
How long should a website design brief be?
One page. A longer brief tends to avoid the hard decisions rather than make them. If your designer needs more detail, they’ll ask, and those questions are useful.
What questions should I ask a web designer before hiring?
Ask what they would change in your brief, who your day-to-day contact will be, who will own the site and domain, how the site will be found in search and by AI assistants, whether you can update it yourself, and what support looks like after launch.
Do I need a brief for a website redesign?
Yes, and it matters even more. A redesign without a brief usually changes how the site looks without changing what it achieves. Start with what the current site fails to do, then write the brief around fixing that.
Have a brief ready, or want help writing one? Let’s talk.