How to Write a Design Brief (With a Design Brief Example)

Most design projects that go wrong were badly briefed, not badly designed. When a designer delivers work the client hates, the argument almost always traces back to something nobody wrote down: who it is for, what it needs to do, or what “done” looks like. A design brief fixes that by settling those questions before a single pixel moves. This guide walks through how to write one, section by section, and includes a full design brief example you can copy and a template you can reuse for the next project.

What a design brief is

A design brief is a short written document that describes a design project: the problem it solves, who it is for, what needs to be produced, and by when. It is the shared reference both sides point at when a decision is questioned later. Think of it less as paperwork and more as an agreement that saves you three rounds of revisions.

A brief is not a creative concept. It does not tell the designer what the solution should look like; it tells them what the solution needs to achieve so they can go and design it. That distinction is the difference between a brief that frees a designer and one that hands them a straitjacket.

The sections every design brief needs

You can adapt the format, but a solid brief covers the same core ground every time.

Background and context. A few lines on the organisation, what it does, and why this project is happening now. A new product launch, a rebrand, a website that no longer converts: the reason sets the tone for everything else.

The problem and objectives. State the problem in plain terms, then the measurable goals. “Redesign the homepage” is a task, not an objective. “Increase newsletter sign-ups from the homepage” is an objective, because you can tell whether you hit it.

Target audience. Who the work is for, described with enough detail to be useful. Go past age and location to what they care about, where they will see the work, and the one action you want them to take. If you have research or personas, link them.

Scope and deliverables. Exactly what will be produced: the file formats, sizes, and number of concepts or rounds. This is the section that prevents scope creep, so be specific. List what is included and, just as usefully, what is not.

Tone, style and constraints. Brand guidelines, existing assets, mandatory colours or fonts, accessibility requirements, and any hard rules (“must work in dark mode”, “no stock photography”). If accessibility matters, name the standard, such as the W3C’s WCAG 2.2 AA level, so it is not left to interpretation. Reference material and examples of work you admire belong here too.

Budget and timeline. A realistic budget and the key dates, including the final deadline and any milestones or review points. Being honest about budget early saves everyone a wasted proposal.

Approval and success. Who signs off, and how you will judge whether the finished work succeeded. Naming the single decision-maker here quietly removes the most common cause of stalled projects.

How to write a design brief step by step

1. Talk before you type. Run a short kick-off conversation with whoever owns the project. Half the value of a brief is the questions you have to answer to write it.
2. Lead with the problem, not the solution. Write the objectives first and resist describing what you think the design should be. Let the brief define success, and let the design meet it.
3. Make the goals measurable. Attach a number or an observable outcome to each objective so you can prove the project worked.
4. Pin down scope in writing. List deliverables, formats and revision rounds. Ambiguity here is what turns a fixed fee into an open-ended one.
5. Keep it to a page or two. A brief nobody reads is worse than no brief. Be concise; link out to detail rather than dumping it in.
6. Get it signed off. Have the decision-maker confirm the brief before work starts. That signature is what you point to when opinions drift.

A design brief example

Here is a short, realistic design brief example for a homepage redesign that you can adapt.

Project: Homepage redesign for Northbeam, a UK accounting software company.

Background: Northbeam launched three years ago and has outgrown its original homepage, which was built quickly and no longer reflects the product or its audience. A new pricing structure goes live in October and the homepage must support it.

Problem and objectives: The current homepage converts poorly and does not explain what Northbeam does within the first screen. Objectives: (1) increase free-trial sign-ups from the homepage by a meaningful margin, (2) make the core benefit clear above the fold, (3) support the new three-tier pricing.

Audience: Owners and finance managers of UK small businesses with 5 to 50 staff, comparing accounting tools. They are time-poor, sceptical of jargon, and want proof the switch is painless. Primary action: start a free trial.

Deliverables: Desktop and mobile designs for one homepage, delivered as a Figma file, including a hero section, three feature blocks, social proof, pricing summary and footer. Two concept directions, then two rounds of revision on the chosen direction.

Tone and constraints: Confident and plain-spoken, not corporate. Use existing brand colours and the Inter typeface. Must meet WCAG 2.2 AA contrast. No stock photography; use the in-house product screenshots provided.

Budget and timeline: Budget confirmed separately. Concepts by 12 September, final files by 26 September, ready for build in early October.

Sign-off and success: The Head of Marketing approves. Success is judged on trial sign-ups from the homepage in the eight weeks after launch, measured against the current baseline.

That is enough for a designer to start with confidence, and short enough that everyone will actually read it.

A reusable design brief template

Copy this outline for your next project and fill in each line:

• Project name:
• Background and context:
• Problem statement:
• Objectives (measurable):
• Target audience:
• Deliverables and formats:
• Scope: what is and is not included:
• Tone, style and constraints:
• Reference and existing assets:
• Budget:
• Timeline and milestones:
• Decision-maker and sign-off:
• How success is measured:

Common mistakes to avoid

The briefs that fail tend to share the same flaws. They prescribe the solution instead of the problem, which robs the designer of the space to solve it well. They set vague goals like “modern and clean” that cannot be judged. They leave scope open, so revisions never end. And they name no single decision-maker, so feedback arrives from five people who disagree. Avoid those four and most projects run smoothly.

Once your brief is agreed, the next step is turning objectives into things you can actually test. Our guide to data-driven design covers how to let research, not opinion, settle the arguments a brief cannot.

Frequently asked questions

What is a design brief example I can copy? The homepage redesign design brief example above is a realistic model you can adapt. It covers background, problem and objectives, audience, deliverables, tone and constraints, budget and timeline, and sign-off. Swap in your own project details and you have a working brief in under an hour.

How long should a design brief be? Aim for one to two pages. A brief exists to be read and referred to, so anything longer tends to get ignored. Keep each section tight and link out to supporting detail, such as brand guidelines or research, rather than pasting it all in.

What should a design brief include? At a minimum: background and context, the problem and measurable objectives, the target audience, deliverables and scope, tone and constraints, budget and timeline, and who signs off. Those sections answer the questions that otherwise cause disputes halfway through a project.

Who writes the design brief, the client or the designer? Either can, and often it is a joint effort. The client supplies the goals, audience and budget; the designer or agency shapes them into a clear, workable brief and confirms scope. Whoever drafts it, both sides should agree and sign off before work begins.

What is the difference between a design brief and a creative brief? They overlap heavily and the terms are often used interchangeably. A design brief tends to focus on a specific design deliverable and its requirements, while a creative brief is broader and common in advertising and marketing, covering the wider campaign idea, message and channels. The core sections are largely the same.