Describe a visitor’s actual task

Replace a broad audience label with a few concrete situations. Someone referred by an existing client may want to verify a lawyer’s background. Another visitor may need to understand whether the firm handles a particular issue. Digital.gov’s human-centered design guidance emphasises understanding people’s real needs. Short interviews with staff who receive enquiries can help reveal questions that an internal planning meeting might miss.

Choose the decisions the site must support

Write down what a visitor should understand before making contact: the work offered, the relevant location, the people involved, and how an enquiry is handled. Rank those decisions by importance. This produces a stronger basis for page priorities than copying a competitor’s menu. Keep secondary ambitions visible in the brief without allowing them to obscure the immediate purpose of the project.

Separate requirements from preferences

A requirement describes something the website needs to accomplish or support. A preference describes a possible way to present it. For example, staff may need to update biographies without developer assistance; a particular animation is a visual choice. Record accessibility, language, publishing, and operational needs alongside branding preferences. This helps the team discuss trade-offs without treating every early suggestion as a fixed obligation.

Assign content and review responsibilities

Name the person supplying each major content area, the person checking professional claims, and the person approving publication. Include responsibility for photography rights and existing material that will be reused. Identify who can resolve disagreements and how changes will be recorded. A clear decision process protects the schedule more effectively than leaving approval with an undefined group of people who may respond at different times.

Define a reviewable first release

List the pages, content, and essential interactions that constitute a complete launch. Agree what evidence will show that each is ready, such as approved text or a demonstrated enquiry workflow. Keep later improvements in a separate list. The brief should remain useful when a new idea appears: does it solve an agreed visitor need, or should it wait until the first release is working?

From reading to doing

Put it into practice

  • Write three realistic visitor tasks.
  • Separate essential needs from visual preferences.
  • Assign content owners and an approver.
  • Define what makes the first release complete.

Reference point: Digital.gov, “Human-centered design.” The project-planning examples are original editorial guidance. Reviewed September 30, 2026.

General editorial guidance. Assess technical and professional requirements for the actual website, audience, and jurisdiction.