Design Brief

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Template sections

• Problem statement — what user problem are we solving and for whom?
• Goals & non-goals — what this project will and explicitly will not do
• Users & context — who will use this and in what situation?
• Constraints — technical, time, brand, legal, or resource limits
• Success criteria — how will we know this project succeeded?
• Stakeholders & decision rights — who can decide, who must be consulted, who is informed
• Open questions — unresolved decisions that need answers before design begins

HOW TO USE

Best practices

1. Write it before design starts. A brief written after the first wireframe exists is a description of what you've already decided. Write it first, in blank text.
2. Non-goals are as important as goals. "This will not include X" is more valuable than "this will include X." Saying no early prevents scope creep later.
3. One decision-maker only. "We'll align as a team" is not a decision right. Name one person who can approve the brief. Everyone else is consulted or informed.
4. Leave open questions open. Don't fill open questions with assumptions. Leave them blank, assign an owner, and set a date by which they must be resolved.
5. Get written sign-off. A verbal "looks good" is not sign-off. Send the brief as a document, get a written reply, save it.