. Remember that every project is different and creating a brief can increase your chance of getting the product you expected. Check out what is brief and how to prepare it for a web development agency.
What is brief?
A brief is a concise and concrete description of the order written in simple language. What distinguishes the brief from the specification is that the first one can consist of just 1 or 2 pages. Brief acquaints the agency with the goal of the project and presents it the most important client’s expectations. Thanks to it, the web development company knows in which areas it can move while working on the project. The agency can also identify itself better with the purpose of the undertaking.
Does the brief always have to be a document? No. There is no universal form of the brief. It may be a summary note of a meeting or conversation determining the most important issues for the project. There is no doubt, however, that the brief in a written, official form helps to dispel doubts when it turns out that, for example, the client believes that the agency is not achieving the goals.
What should your brief include?
The brief’s content depends on the task. It will be different when creating a website from the scratch, and different in case of PSD to HTML services. However, the following elements are necessary in every case:
Budget and deadline
Be honest about your budget. Inform the web development company about your financial possibilities and a deadline the agency should meet. It will help both parties to set up basic arrangements for the project. Remember, also, to highlight in the brief which work is your priority. Thanks to this, if the deadline is too short, the web development company will focus first of all on what you care about most. How does it work in practice? If you order PSD to HTML services and send lots of views of your complex website to the agency, giving it 2-days deadline, the agency will cut the views you pointed as most important for you.
2. Attachments
It may be hard to believe, but in reality, there are often clients who send a Monday brief with a Friday deadline, and materials are sent on... Thursday. Imagine that at this stage the web development company will have some questions or problems with the files you sent. The implementation of your project is at risk. So, have mercy over the agency you are submitting the project and send all the attachments with the brief, especially if they are the essence of the project, as in the case of, for example, PSD to HTML services. Remember, also, that most of the time an agency is not able to price the project if it doesn’t see the materials first.
3. Technical or design requirements
You should think about the properties of the service or product you particularly care about and which the agency should take into account during work. For example, in the case of PSD to HTML services, you can emphasize in the brief that you care about the responsive version of the page. If you are a non-profit organization working with disabled people, it will be important to give a signal to the agency that you need a website adapted to the visually impaired and the hearing impaired. For sure you understand how important including technical requirements to the brief is. Often these guidelines achieve the main goal of the site, and therefore, to a large extent and your project.
