Questions to ask in a design brief

So today I had to design a website from scratch, the brief, ummm nothing too wacky, but not too corporate either.... yes that was it! Brilliant so you have a blank canvas but then how the hell do you turn that canvas into something the client is going to like. Well to avoid this situation, and to help you get a design that suits you client I suggest the use of a design brief.

This document tries to get as much information out of the client as possible. Not only does it get you some information as a starting point but it makes the client think about the website they have commissioned and the reasons for needing a new or updated the website.

So here are the questions I ask in a design brief:

Objectives

1. How are you currently positioned within your market?
2. How, if at all, does this differ from how you wish to be positioned?
3. What are the reasons for needing a new look and feel for your online presence?
4. What do you think a users expectations are of your site? e.g Do they expect to be able to purchase online? Information only, reassurance?
5. What are the main objectives of the project? E.g to drive web enquiries, to show products/services, to drive phone calls, online brochure, addition to branding?
6. What are the core messages that you want to communicate about your company? For example professionalism, fun, reliable, qwerky? Do you have a strap line for your business?

The Current Website

1. What do you like about your existing website?
2. What are the known issues that you are currently experiencing with your current web site?
3. What business needs are not currently being met by your existing web site?
4. Define the target audiences for your website, and the priority of those groups.
5. What do you think a users expectations are of your site? Do they expect to be able to purchase online? Information only, reassurance?
6. What primary messages are you trying to communicate to your individual target audiences?

The New Website Design

1. What are the top-level content categories for your website that will make up the main navigation?
2. Let us know what elements you require on your homepage. Products? Newsletter signup? News? Events? Feature boxes? Introduction text? Imagery?
3. Please specify the tone of voice required for your website.
4. Does the project have to work within an existing corporate identity?  Are there guidelines for their use?
5. Do you have existing imagery you wish to use on the website?
   
6. Can you give a brief outline of some keywords you feel would fit the design of your site e.g. clean white crisp, black background, highly colourful, funky, corporate, etc.
   
7. Please can you suggest some colour schemes. It can be as simple as blue, or red or you can supply exact pantone references.
   
8. Do you have a company logo and can you supply it in an EPS or PDF format?
   
9. Do you have any specific fonts you wish to use in the design both graphical and web safe
   

What's already out there

1. List 5 websites that you like together with reasons as ti why (they don't need to be in your industry).
   
2. List 5 websites that you dislike together with reasons as ti why (they don't need to be in your industry).
   
3. Please list websites of some key competitors
   

I find that the 5 sites the client likes is often the key information, that will at least let you know if they want a solid black background or a nice clean white site. Even that's a starter for 10. To be honest there is nothing more demoralising as spending a heap of time creating a beautiful design only to find it's a million miles from what the client want. So get that information out of them, that way you'll cut down on both the time it takes to design and also the number of amends that need to happen on the project.