Project brief template
A one-page brief that gets you and the client aligned before work starts — copy it, fill in the brackets, share it.
Updated August 25, 2026Fill this in with the client at kickoff, or send it ahead and review their answers together. A shared brief prevents the most expensive kind of rework: the kind that comes from a guess.
PROJECT BRIEF
Project name: [NAME] Client: [CLIENT / BUSINESS NAME] Prepared by: [YOUR NAME] Date: [DATE]
1. Background. [WHAT’S THE SITUATION? Two or three sentences on the business and why this project exists now.]
2. Goal. [THE ONE OUTCOME THAT MATTERS MOST. “More booked appointments”, not “a nicer website”. If you can attach a number, do.]
3. Audience. [WHO IS THIS FOR? Describe the actual customer — age, situation, what they care about, where they’ll see the work.]
4. Scope. Included: [LIST DELIVERABLES] Not included: [LIST EXCLUSIONS]
5. Look and feel. [TONE, STYLE, REFERENCES. Link 2–3 examples they like and one they don’t, and say why.]
6. Must-haves and constraints.
- Non-negotiables: [BRAND COLORS, LEGAL TEXT, EXISTING SYSTEMS TO MATCH]
- Avoid: [ANYTHING OFF-LIMITS]
7. Success looks like. [HOW WILL YOU BOTH KNOW IT WORKED? Define the measure before you start.]
8. Logistics.
- Budget: [AMOUNT OR RANGE]
- Deadline: [DATE — and why, if there’s a hard reason]
- Decision-maker: [WHO SIGNS OFF]
- Point of contact: [NAME, EMAIL, PREFERRED CHANNEL]
How to use this brief
A brief exists so that every person you ask quotes against the same scope. Without one you are not comparing prices, you are comparing interpretations — and the cheapest quote is usually the one that understood the least.
Build it with the project brief builder, and read write a project brief for what to include when you do not yet know what you need. Once quotes come back, the differences between them are usually a deliverables problem rather than a price one.
This template is a starting point, not legal advice.