How to brief an agency so you get what you want

A weak brief is not a short one. It is one that specifies the solution in detail and leaves the problem implied.

Lead with the problem

"We need a website redesign" is a solution. "Enquiries have fallen and we think people cannot tell what we sell" is a problem, and it lets the people you hired bring their judgement to bear.

Say what success looks like

Not necessarily a number. "A prospect can find the right service page and request a quote without emailing us to ask what we do" is a perfectly good definition of done.

Be specific about constraints

• Anything that cannot change — a system, a brand rule, a compliance requirement

• Who has to approve, and when they are available

• What already exists that should be reused rather than rebuilt

• Genuine deadlines, and which are external rather than preferred

Say what you have already tried

Failed attempts are some of the most useful information in a brief, and the most commonly omitted. They tell your supplier which obvious answers are already exhausted.

Leave the how open

If you have specified the sitemap, the page templates and the technology, you have not written a brief — you have written a purchase order, and you will get exactly what you asked for, including the parts that were wrong.