Every successful design project starts with clarity, and that’s exactly what a design brief provides. But what is in a design brief, and why does it matter? In simple terms, it’s a roadmap that defines goals, audience, timelines, and success measures.

Without it, projects would face a lot of confusion, delays, and endless revisions.

In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of a design brief, show you how to write one effectively, and share examples you can use to kick-start your own.

What is a design brief?

Image source: Smartsheet

A design brief is a strategic document that outlines the core mission of a design project. It's not just a list of tasks; it’s a comprehensive game plan. It answers the fundamental questions:

• What are we creating?

• Who are we creating it for?

• Why are we creating it?

• .... And how will we know if we’ve succeeded?

This document is more than just paperwork, serving as the foundational agreement that gets everyone on the same page before a single pixel is pushed or a line of code is written.

Getting this shared understanding locked in at the start saves a lot of headache later on, preventing endless revisions, clearing confusion and keeping things timely & on-budget.

For a SaaS design agency like Bricx, a well-written brief gives our designers confidence to make smart, strategic decisions by clearly defining:

• Project Objectives: What problem are we actually trying to solve?

• Target Audience: Who are we designing this for? What are their frustrations?

• Scope and Deliverables: What are we creating, specifically?

• Timeline and Budget: What are the time and financial guardrails?
  
  

  
  

What is the purpose of a design brief?

A design brief isn't a glorified "to-do list", but a shared agreement between clients & creative teams to outline what needs to be done, how it needs to be done and what is the desired outcome we're hoping to achieve.

Elements outlined in a design brief are a single source of truth, answering the "why" behind a specific design decision.

By nailing this down, designers can make more informed choices that actually move the business forward.

In a global design market valued at roughly $63.8 billion in 2023, clarity is your biggest competitive advantage.

A truly effective brief does three things exceptionally well:

• Inspiring creativity: It gives designers the "why" behind the project, which is far more inspiring than a dry list of features.
  
  

• Defining boundaries: It clearly lays out the scope and constraints, which is your best defense against the dreaded "scope creep."
  
  

• Setting a benchmark: It spells out what a "win" looks like with clear, measurable goals.

For a new company trying to carve out its space, this kind of strategic clarity isn't just nice to have, but rather essential.

Design Brief vs. Design Specification: What's the Difference?

Now this is one of the most common problems most UX design agencies (and even clients) face.

People often use the term: "design brief" and "design specification" interchangeably, but they're fundamentally different documents serving very different purposes.

Getting this right can save you a world of headaches.

Think of it like building a house. The design brief is the conversation you have with the architect. It’s where you define the why.

You'll talk about your family's lifestyle, the feeling you want the home to evoke, and the core problems you need it to solve. It’s all about the vision.

The design specification, on the other hand, is the highly detailed blueprint the construction crew receives. This document gets into the 'how', spelling out the exact dimensions of each room and the model numbers for the windows.

Similarly, when it comes to products or user experiences/interfaces - the brief sets your direction, while the spec provides the tools (and steps) to get there, making them indispensable to project success.

Given below is, a clear definition of what is in a design brief, and what constitutes a design spec document.

What is in a Design Brief? — Key Components

Now that we understand the difference between a design brief & design specification document, let’s dive into answering: "What is in a design brief, really?"

Now, while briefs vary depending on the project type and industry, certain core components are present in virtually every effective design brief:

1. Project Overview & Background

This section provides context about the company, product, or service. It answers questions like:

• Who is the client?

• What is their business?

• What is the project about?

• Why is this project necessary?

A thorough background helps designers understand the bigger picture and the strategic importance of the project.

2. Goals and Objectives

Clear, specific goals are the compass that guides the design process. This section should outline:

• What the project aims to achieve?

• How success will be measured?

• Any specific problems the design needs to solve?

Rather than vague statements like “create a better website,” effective objectives might be “increase conversion rate by 15%” or “reduce user drop-off in the checkout process.”

3. Target Audience

Knowing who you’re designing for is crucial. This section should include:

• Demographic information (age, gender, location, income)

• Psychographic details (interests, values, behaviors)

• User personas or profiles

• User needs and pain points

The more detailed this section, the better designers can tailor solutions to meet user needs.

4. Scope and Deliverables

This section clearly defines what is (and isn’t) included in the project:

• Specific deliverables (e.g., wireframes, prototypes, final designs)

• File formats and specifications

• Number of concepts or revisions

• Additional services (implementation, testing, etc.)

Being explicit about scope helps prevent misunderstandings and scope creep later on.

5. Budget and Timeline

Financial and time constraints shape design decisions. This section should include:

• Total budget allocation

• Payment schedule

• Project timeline with key milestones

• Deadline for final deliverables

Transparency about these constraints helps set realistic expectations from the start.

6. Brand Guidelines and Requirements

Design doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it needs to align with existing brand elements:

• Logo usage rules

• Color palette

• Typography

• Tone of voice

• Existing visual assets

This ensures design consistency across all brand touchpoints.

7. Technical Requirements

Especially important for digital projects, this section outlines:

• Platform specifications

• Device compatibility

• Accessibility requirements

• Performance expectations

• Integration needs

These technical parameters ensure the design is not just beautiful but functional and feasible.

8. Approval Process

This section clarifies how decisions will be made:

• Who the key stakeholders are

• How feedback will be collected and implemented

• The review and approval workflow

• How many revision rounds are included

A clear approval process prevents bottlenecks and keeps the project moving forward.

How to Write A Design Brief For A UX Project? - 5 Tips to Follow

Writing a brief for a user experience (UX) project is a different ball game. You’re not just listing features; you’re drawing a map to solve a real human problem.

To be effective, a UX brief has to be grounded in empathy, focusing less on a checklist of deliverables and more on the user’s actual journey.

Don't start with 'what' the product should do. Instead, begin with 'who' it's for and 'why' they would even care.

Here are a few tips to write effective design briefs for your next design project:

1. Focus on user pains, not features

One of the most common pitfalls is cramming a brief with a wish list of features, like "we need a one-click checkout."

A much better approach is to articulate the user's problem: "Our users are abandoning their carts because the checkout process is clunky and takes too long."

This reframes the entire project. It hands designers the creative freedom to find the best solution. When you define the problem, you invite innovation.

2. Define user personas with empathy

Who are you building your product for? Go deeper than basic demographics. A great UX brief includes detailed user personas that make your audience feel like real people.

Give them names, goals, and, most importantly: frustrations. For instance:

"Meet Sarah, a 34-year-old project manager constantly juggling deadlines. She's overwhelmed by complex software and needs a tool that feels intuitive and gives her time back."

3. Set measurable success metrics

How will you know if the design actually works? Vague goals like "improve user satisfaction" are useless.

A strong UX brief connects every objective to specific, measurable metrics.

Some examples:

• Task completion rate: Increase the percentage of users who successfully complete onboarding from 60% to 85%.

• Time on task: Reduce the average time to complete checkout from 90 seconds to 45 seconds.

• Error rate: Decrease the user error rate on the new dashboard by 30%.
  
  

4. Integrate user research findings

Your brief should never be built on guesswork. It needs to be fueled by data. Pull key insights directly from your user interviews, surveys, and usability tests.

A report by McKinsey found that companies with top-quartile design performance increase their revenues and shareholder returns at nearly twice the rate of their industry counterparts, largely by being user-centric.

Highlighting powerful quotes or key statistics gives the project a solid, evidence-based foundation.

5. Outline key constraints

Creativity thrives within boundaries. Be upfront about any known technical limitations (e.g., "this has to integrate with our existing API") or business constraints ("the entire project must launch before Q4").

This simple step prevents the team from designing a brilliant solution that's impossible to build.

Who should create the design brief?

Creating a design brief typically involves collaboration between multiple parties.

While opinions vary, most designers expect an initial brief from the client.

However, the document often evolves through partnership:

• The client might write the initial brief outlining their goals and brand identity

• The designer might refine it after an initial meeting

• Both parties might collaborate on writing it together

• A design agency might facilitate the creation process

Whoever writes the brief should have a clear understanding of both the design process and the organization's goals.

Input from various business areas ensures all perspectives are considered when crafting this essential document.

Design Brief Example

Now that we've covered the parties involved in creating a design brief, here's a design brief example you can use for your own business:

Conclusion

Taking the time to craft a clear, inspiring, and collaborative design brief before starting a new project is the best investment you can make.

It aligns your team, prevents expensive do-overs, and sparks genuine creativity.

You can use the tips & templates in this article as a starting point, helping you set up clear goals & outcomes for any new design initiative.

If you're a founder building a B2B SaaS or AI & need help with redesigning your user experience, or ship new features faster (along with a clearly-defined design brief) - Bricx can be the right partner.

To know more about how we can help you, book a call now!

FAQs

What should be included in a design brief?

A solid design brief should include the company background, project objectives, target audience profiles, key competitors, scope of work and deliverables, a realistic timeline, and a clear budget.

Most importantly, it should define what success looks like with measurable metrics.

How long should a design brief be?

Clarity over length is the golden rule. A brief can be one page or five, but it must be long enough to provide all essential information without being so dense that no one reads it.

Use headings, bullet points, and concise language to make it easy to digest.

What is the difference between a creative brief and a design brief?

These terms are often used interchangeably, but a creative brief is generally broader, often for an entire advertising campaign including copy and video.

A design brief is typically more focused on a specific visual or functional output, like a logo, website, or mobile app interface.

Both serve the same vital purpose: to align the team around a common goal.