Whether you’re building a simple website or a full-featured web application, it all starts with a solid brief.
But what if you’re not a developer? How do you explain your idea when you’re not sure how to “talk tech”?
Don’t worry — we’ve got you. This guide breaks down how to write a great project brief step-by-step — even if you’re not technical. We’ll cover both websites and web apps, so you can communicate your vision clearly no matter what you’re building.
🧩 What’s the Difference Between a Website and a Web App?
Before we dive in, here’s a quick distinction:
- Website = Primarily informational (e.g. portfolio, company homepage, landing page)
- Web App = Interactive and functional (e.g. dashboards, booking systems, internal tools, SaaS platforms)
If your project includes user accounts, logins, or complex forms, you’re likely building a web app — and that’s totally fine! Just make sure your brief reflects those needs.
✍️ What to Include in Your Brief (For Both Websites & Web Apps)
Here’s a breakdown of what your brief should include — with optional notes for web apps.
1. About You / Your Business or Startup
Share a short intro about your business, product, or team. This helps us understand your brand and what you’re trying to solve.
Example:
“We’re a mental health startup creating tools for therapists to manage bookings, notes, and invoicing from one dashboard.”
2. Project Goals
What are you trying to achieve with this project?
Website Examples:
- Showcase our portfolio
- Attract leads and inquiries
- Present our brand professionally
Web App Examples:
- Build a platform where users can upload files and track progress
- Create a dashboard for internal team reporting
- Let users book, pay, and manage appointments online
3. Pages & Sections / Screens & Flows
List the core pages or app screens you imagine. Again, this doesn’t have to be perfect.
For Websites:
- Home
- About
- Services
- Blog
- Contact
For Web Apps:
- User dashboard
- Login/Signup
- Admin panel
- Profile settings
- Data visualization or reporting page
- Email notification flow
✅ Pro tip: Describe actions — e.g., “Users should be able to reset passwords” or “Admins should be able to approve submitted listings.”
4. Target Users
Whether it’s website visitors or app users, describe who they are.
Example:
“Our users are freelance designers who want an easy way to generate client invoices.”
Knowing your user helps guide UX decisions and features.
5. Design & UX Preferences
Do you already have a brand identity? A mood or style you like?
- Websites: Mention inspiration sites, colors, layout ideas
- Web Apps: Focus on clarity and usability — dashboard UI, form layouts, minimal interfaces, etc.
💡 You can say things like:
“We like clean, minimal UIs like Notion and Linear.” “Please avoid corporate stock-photo style.”
6. Functionality (Critical for Web Apps)
For web apps, this section matters a lot. Focus on what users should do.
You don’t need to use technical jargon — just describe the actions.
Examples:
- Users can register, login, and reset passwords
- Users can upload files and tag them
- Admins can view analytics and download reports
- System sends automatic email reminders
📌 If you’re not sure, try describing a day in the life of a typical user.
7. Content (Websites) / Data (Web Apps)
For Websites:
- Do you have written content? Images?
- Will you need help writing copy?
For Web Apps:
- What kind of data will users create or interact with?
- Do you have spreadsheets, PDFs, or forms we can use to model the data?
8. Budget & Timeline
This helps us scope the project realistically.
Examples:
“We’re aiming to launch in 6 weeks. Budget is around $2,500 for phase 1.” “We’re okay starting with a minimum viable version and expanding later.”
✅ Be honest. A good dev team will help you prioritize.
9. Technical Requirements (Optional)
If you have preferences, great! If not, just say you’re open.
Website Examples:
- Prefer WordPress / Webflow / custom code?
- Need it to be fast + SEO optimized?
Web App Examples:
- Should users log in with Google or email/password?
- Need a mobile-friendly version?
- Are you planning to scale or integrate with APIs?
Even just saying,
“We need it to work well on phones and store data securely,” is helpful.
🧠 Quick Brief Template
Here’s a copy-paste structure to use:
About Us:
[Quick intro about your business or idea]
Project Goals:
[What are you building and why?]
Pages or Screens Needed:
[List of website pages or app screens]
Target Users:
[Who will use the site or app?]
Design Style / UX Notes:
[Examples of styles or layouts you like]
Functionality / Key Features:
[Describe what users should be able to do]
Content / Data:
[What you already have vs what you need]
Budget & Timeline:
[Rough budget + ideal deadline]
Other Notes:
[Platform preferences, hosting info, login methods, etc.]
🙌 Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be technical to write a great brief. You just need to:
✅ Be clear about your goals ✅ Describe what users should see and do ✅ Be honest about what you have and what you need
A strong brief gives your developer (or agency) the clarity they need to build exactly what you want — and keeps your project smooth from day one.
🚀 Need Help Getting Started?
At Digiblankcanvas, we help non-technical founders and small teams bring their websites and web apps to life — without the jargon or confusion.
👉 Let’s build something together. Checkout our Portfolio or contact us directly