Reader guide · disclosed expansion

A Practical Web Design Project Brief

Turn Mlekoshi’s published distinction between aesthetics, user experience, development, and CMS needs into a concise project-starting brief.

Start with the outcome

Describe what the site should help its audience understand or do. Separate the visual and user-experience goals from the technical requirements so each discipline can respond clearly.

Capture the design needs

  • Required brand cues, colors, typography, and visual materials.
  • Important page types and the order in which people should encounter information.
  • Usability and responsive expectations for the interface.

Capture the development needs

  • Publishing, CMS, or e-commerce requirements.
  • Content, data, and integration responsibilities.
  • Performance, testing, and maintenance expectations.

Define the handoff

List the decisions that design must communicate to development: layouts, states, reusable patterns, content behavior, and responsive changes. For the underlying distinction, read Web Design vs Web Development. When the scope is ready, visit the contact page.