10 Free Web Design Brief Templates to Download

Creating a stellar website starts with a clear and comprehensive design brief. Whether you are a Freelance Web Designer or Developer, working at a web design agency or you are a client looking to communicate your vision effectively, the right website design brief template can make all the difference to the overall success of the project.

Choosing the right web design brief template can significantly streamline your design process and ensure all project stakeholders are on the same page.

Here, we have listed 10 free web design brief templates that you can download today, each offering unique features to suit different project needs.

Why are Web Design Brief Templates So Important?

Web design brief templates are important for several key reasons:

1. Clear Communication: They establish clear communication between the client and the Designer from the outset. By laying out expectations, objectives, and requirements in a structured manner, these templates help avoid misunderstandings and ensure that both parties are on the same page.
2. Project Efficiency: A well-defined brief streamlines the design process, reducing the time spent on revisions and back-and-forth communication. It helps in focusing the project right from the start, thereby saving time and resources.
3. Targeted Design Solutions: These templates assist in defining the target audience and business goals, ensuring that the design is tailored to meet specific needs. This targeted approach increases the effectiveness of the website in achieving its intended purpose, whether it’s driving sales, increasing engagement, or building brand awareness.
4. Budget and Timeline Management: Web design briefs include sections for project budgets and timelines, which are crucial for project planning. They help in setting realistic expectations regarding costs and delivery dates, preventing future disputes or misunderstandings about project scope and deadlines.
5. Comprehensive Project Overview: They provide a comprehensive overview of the project, including business background, design preferences, desired features, and technical requirements. This holistic approach ensures that all critical aspects of the web design are considered and addressed.
6. Guidance and Structure: For Designers, these templates offer a structured guideline to follow, ensuring that no important aspect of the design process is overlooked. For clients, especially those who are not very familiar with the web design process, these templates serve as a helpful guide to understanding what information they need to provide.
7. Facilitates Creativity Within Constraints: By setting clear boundaries and objectives, a design brief aids in fostering creativity. Designers have a solid framework within which they can innovate and experiment, knowing they are aligned with the client’s expectations.

In short, web design brief templates are essential tools in the web design process. They ensure effective communication, streamline project management and help in creating more targeted and successful web designs.

Examples of Free Web Design Brief Templates

A good website design brief is crucial for the success of any project. To aid in this essential phase, various platforms offer free web design brief templates, each tailored to meet specific needs and project types.

Whether you are a freelancer handling diverse clients, a creative team working on intricate web projects, or a business aiming to enhance your online presence, these templates provide the necessary groundwork to kickstart your web design journey.

Here are 10 free web design brief templates:

1. Smartsheet

• Aimed at: Designers and clients working on a variety of design projects, including web, logo, graphic, interior, and product design.
• Best Feature: Comprehensive structure that covers all necessary details, from project objectives to deliverables and budget.
• Description: Smartheet offers a variety of design brief templates suitable for different types of design projects, including simple design briefs, logo design, graphic design, interior design, and product design. These templates focus on gathering all necessary details in one place, ranging from client-specific details to project objectives, target audience, style, tone, deliverables, format, schedule, and project budget. They provide a comprehensive structure for Designers and clients to collaborate effectively
• Download: You can find it here on Smartsheet.

2. Elementor

• Aimed at: Businesses and Designers looking to enhance online presence, increase subscriptions and sales, generate leads, and become a source of key information.
• Best Feature: Detailed guide on identifying the target audience and setting a project timeline.
• Description: Elementor provides a detailed guide on how to write a website design brief along with a free template. It covers key aspects such as identifying the site’s target audience, researching competitors, listing design requirements and specifications, creating a project timeline, and setting a web design budget.
• Download: Access it here on Elementor.

3. Bonsai

• Aimed at: Bonsai’s free website brief template is particularly useful for Freelance Website Designers managing client relationships and project expectations.
• Best Feature: Effective tools for managing client interactions and setting clear project terms.
• Description: This template helps in handling clients effectively by equipping the Designer with facts to manage questions, unreasonable requests and issues. It also emphasises the importance of being clear about client expectations and offering a bit of education within the brief.
• Download: Find it here on Bonsai.

4. Canny Creative

• Aimed at: Designers and clients focused on goal-oriented web design projects.
• Best Feature: Emphasis on aligning the design with specific project goals and target audience.

• Description: This web design brief template focuses on the goals of the project, target audience, and market, as well as the specific problems the design is intended to solve. It also includes information on how the success of the website project will be measured, ensuring that all parties are aligned with the website project’s objectives.
• Download: Check it out here on Canny Creative.

5. We Are Structure

• Aimed at: Teams collaborating on new web projects, needing guidance on various project elements.
• Best Feature: Comprehensive approach covering everything from team roles to user experience.
• Description: This website design brief template focuses on different elements of a new website project such as goals, team responsibilities, brand guidelines, page layouts, user journey and inspiration. This template ensures a comprehensive approach to web design, addressing all aspects from team roles to specific page requirements and user experience.
• Download: You can find it here on We Are Structure.

6. Patch

• Aimed at: Designers seeking a comprehensive understanding of their project’s requirements, including detailed client information and project objectives.
• Best Feature: In-depth approach to gathering all necessary details such as commercial objectives, target audience, competitors, website design and function, current brand assets, marketing strategy, technical requirements, content, and integration with other systems. This thoroughness helps in creating a well-rounded view of the project.
• Description: The template is particularly useful for outlining the commercial objectives, target audience, competitor analysis, and detailed design and functional requirements of a website. It also considers the current website’s performance, brand assets, marketing strategies, technical needs, content requirements, and integration with other systems, ensuring a comprehensive plan for the new website.
• Download: Access it here at Patch Marketing.

7. Tomango

• Aimed at: Projects requiring complex website features like e-commerce and social media integration.
• Best Feature: Detailed guidance for planning and designing more complex website features.
• Description: This template is particularly useful for more complex websites with features like e-commerce, events calendars, online bookings, interactive maps and social media integration. It also guides content planning and design briefs to ensure the final website is comprehensive and meets all the client’s needs.
• Download: Access it here on Tomango.

8. MadeByShape

• Aimed at: Designers and businesses needing a comprehensive, well-organised web design brief.
• Best Feature: Focus on budget planning and setting realistic project expectations.
• Description: This is a comprehensive and well-organised free template that covers various aspects such as business overview, target audience, website goals, and budget. One of the most practical aspects of this template is its focus on budgeting. It encourages you to consider the financial aspects of your web design project, helping to set realistic expectations and ensure efficient resource allocation.
• Download: Access it here on MadeByShape.

9. Milanote

• Aimed at: Designers and clients seeking a visually engaging and easy-to-navigate template.
• Best Feature: The inclusion of a section for visual references is a great way to communicate your aesthetic preferences and inspire your design team.
• Description: This is a visually appealing and easy-to-use template that includes sections for business overview, target audience, visual references, deliverables, budget and timeline. A unique feature of this template is the inclusion of a section for visual references. This allows you to collate and present images, colour schemes, typography and other design elements that you envision for your website.
• Download: Find it here on Milanote.com.

10. 93digital

• Aimed at: Projects requiring a detailed understanding of business, audience and design requirements.
• Best Feature: Thorough coverage of all aspects of a web design project, ensuring strategic alignment with business goals. This level of detail helps in creating a website that is not only visually appealing but also strategically aligned with business goals.
• Description: A detailed template that includes sections for a business profile, target audience, marketing goals, desired features, design style and budget. This web design brief template stands out for its thoroughness in covering all aspects of a web design project.
• Download: Access it here on 93digital.co.uk.

Each of these templates has its unique strengths, catering to different aspects of web design and client management. Depending on the specific requirements of your web design project, you can choose the template that best fits your needs.