How to write a brief that leads to an accurate quote

You don’t need an answer to every question. Write down what you already know. The less a developer has to guess, the closer the quote is to the real project.

1. The goal in one sentence

What should happen once the site is live? “More quote requests”, “sign-ups for an event”, “sales without a middleman”. One sentence organises the whole project: the homepage layout, and which button matters most.

2. Who the site is for

Describe the client the way you would to a friend. Where they come from, what they are looking for, what they usually ask on the phone. Those questions become sections of the site.

3. Scope: pages and features

List what the site has to do. No technical names needed. “A client books a time” is enough.

• a contact or application form,
• language versions,
• online payments or bookings,
• a blog or a news section.

4. References, and why you like them

A link to a site you like says very little. A link plus one sentence — “I like that the prices are visible immediately” — says a lot.

5. Budget and timing

A budget range makes it possible to choose a scope that fits the amount. It also stops me designing something that cannot be built for that price.

If the answer to any question is “I don’t know”, write that down. That is useful too, and a good place to start the conversation.