Design Brief
Generate comprehensive design briefs for web, mobile, SaaS dashboards, and fintech apps in 5 minutes with background, goals, requirements, timeline, and budget.
Overview
Generate complete design briefs for web applications, mobile apps, SaaS dashboards, fintech platforms, and product redesigns in under 5 minutes. Get structured documentation that covers project background, measurable goals, technical requirements, design inspiration, phased timeline, and itemized budget.
Product managers, design leads, and agency teams use this template to create professional briefs that align stakeholders before design work begins. Instead of starting from scratch or using generic word docs, you get a proven structure that covers accessibility requirements (WCAG AA/AAA), platform-specific constraints (iOS Human Interface Guidelines, Material Design), brand guidelines, and developer handoff specs.
The template outputs comprehensive briefs that answer the questions designers actually need: who’s the target user and what frustrates them, what are the measurable success criteria, what technical constraints exist (browser support, performance budgets, API limitations), and what does the timeline look like for each deliverable.
Use Cases
Launch a fintech app MVP in 8 weeks with compliance requirements
Generate a design brief for a mobile banking app that covers PCI DSS security requirements, accessibility compliance (WCAG AA), biometric authentication flows, and platform-specific design patterns for iOS Human Interface Guidelines and Android Material Design. Include KYC (Know Your Customer) form design specs and error handling for failed transactions.
Redesign a B2B SaaS analytics dashboard to reduce support tickets
Create a brief that documents current pain points (users can’t find reporting features, data exports fail silently, navigation confuses new users), target metrics (reduce support tickets by 40%, increase feature adoption by 35%), competitor analysis (Linear, Amplitude, Mixpanel), and success criteria for data-heavy interfaces with 50+ charts.
Pitch a responsive website redesign to enterprise clients
Produce professional project documentation that includes brand alignment, technical requirements (IE11 support, GDPR cookie compliance, CDN performance targets under 2 seconds), multi-device responsive specs (desktop 1920px to mobile 375px), phased delivery timelines, and stakeholder approval gates.
Document design requirements for Figma-to-React developer handoff
Build comprehensive specs that detail component libraries (buttons, forms, modals, data tables), interaction patterns (hover states, loading spinners, error messages), accessibility standards (keyboard navigation, screen reader labels, color contrast ratios), and design system guidelines (8px grid, token naming conventions) so engineering teams can implement pixel-perfect UIs without guessing.
Benefits
Save 2-3 hours per project brief - skip the blank page problem and start with structured sections that cover project background, measurable goals, technical requirements, design inspiration, timeline, and budget. Teams waste time figuring out what to include and how to organize it.
Generate 5-7 brief variations in 20 minutes - test different approaches for client pitches (aggressive timeline vs phased delivery, premium design vs MVP scope) or internal stakeholder alignment without rewriting the entire document from scratch.
Maintain consistent documentation across 15+ concurrent projects - use the same template structure so product managers, designers, and engineering leads always know where to find accessibility requirements, brand guidelines, or timeline milestones when they join projects mid-flight.
Reduce revision cycles by 50% - comprehensive upfront briefs mean fewer “we forgot to mention” moments that derail timelines. When you document browser support requirements, performance budgets, and API constraints in the initial brief, designers don’t waste 2 days creating mockups that engineering can’t implement.
Get stakeholder sign-off in 2-3 days instead of 2 weeks - professional formatting with clear sections (Background, Goals, Requirements, Timeline, Budget) and specific metrics gives executives and clients the context they need to approve projects without scheduling multiple alignment meetings.
Template
Create design brief:
Project: {{project}}
Objective: {{objective}}
Audience: {{audience}}
Platform: {{platform}}
Brand guidelines: {{brand}}
Deliverables: {{deliverables}}
Include:
- Background
- Goals
- Requirements
- Inspiration
- Timeline
- Budget
Style: {{style}}
Properties
- project: Single-line Text (default:
New Design Project) - objective: Multi-line Text (default:
Describe the primary objectives and goals of this design project) - audience: Single-line Text (default:
Target audience demographics and characteristics) - platform: Single Selection (default:
Web)- Options: Web, iOS, Android, Desktop, Cross-platform, and 1 more
- brand (optional): Multi-line Text (default:
Brand guidelines, tone, colors, typography, and visual identity) - deliverables: Multi-line Text (default:
List of expected deliverables (mockups, prototypes, assets, documentation)) - style: Single Selection (default:
Modern)- Options: Minimalist, Modern, Classic, Bold, Playful, and 3 more
Example Output
Here’s what the template actually generates when creating a brief for a B2B analytics dashboard redesign (generated using the template above):
# DataFlow Analytics Dashboard Redesign
Design Brief
BACKGROUND
DataFlow Analytics currently faces significant user experience challenges
impacting product adoption and customer satisfaction. Support data reveals
users struggle to discover core reporting features, leading to underutilization
of platform capabilities. The current interface complexity results in elevated
support costs and reduced user productivity.
Current Pain Points:
- High support ticket volume related to navigation and feature discovery
- Low engagement with core reporting functionality despite feature richness
- User feedback indicates interface complexity as primary friction point
- Extended work sessions highlight need for dark mode support
GOALS
Primary Objectives:
- Increase user engagement by 35% within 3 months post-launch
- Reduce navigation-related support tickets by 40% within 3 months
- Improve feature discoverability through intuitive information architecture
- Reduce time-to-value for new users
Success Metrics:
- Monthly active user engagement rate
- Support ticket volume (navigation/discovery category)
- Feature adoption rate across core reporting tools
- User session duration and interaction depth
- Task completion time for common workflows
REQUIREMENTS
Functional Requirements:
- 5 core screens: Dashboard, Reports, Settings, Data Sources, Team Management
- Responsive design supporting desktop (1920px-1280px) and tablet (768px)
- Complete dark mode implementation for extended session comfort
- WCAG AA accessibility compliance
- Component-based design system for scalability
Technical Deliverables:
- Figma component library with auto-layout structure
- High-fidelity mockups for all core screens
- Design tokens (colors, spacing, typography)
- Interaction specifications for developer handoff
- Accessibility compliance documentation
Design System:
- Primary: Deep Blue (#1a365d)
- Secondary: Teal (#0d9488)
- Typography: Inter (UI), Space Grotesk (headings)
- Border radius: 8px for cards
- Shadow treatment: subtle, data-focused
- Clean, modern, professional aesthetic
Target Audience:
- Product managers and data analysts
- Mid-size companies (50-500 employees)
- Daily KPI tracking and reporting workflows
- Technically comfortable, value clarity over complexity
- Require speed and efficiency in extended sessions
INSPIRATION
Design Direction:
- Linear - clean interface, excellent information hierarchy
- Notion - intuitive navigation patterns, dark mode execution
- Amplitude - data visualization clarity, dashboard organization
- Stripe Dashboard - component consistency, professional aesthetic
Key Principles:
- Clarity over feature density
- Progressive disclosure for complex functionality
- Consistent navigation patterns
- Data-first visual hierarchy
- Accessible color systems for extended use
TIMELINE
Phase 1: Discovery & Foundation (Week 1-2)
- User research validation
- Information architecture
- Design system setup
- Component library foundation
Phase 2: Core Design (Week 3-5)
- High-fidelity mockups (5 core screens)
- Responsive variants
- Dark mode implementation
- Design token documentation
Phase 3: Refinement & Handoff (Week 6-7)
- Interaction specifications
- Accessibility audit
- Developer handoff documentation
- Stakeholder review and approval
Total Duration: 7 weeks
BUDGET
Design Resources:
- Lead Product Designer: $15,000
- UX Researcher (user testing): $4,000
- Accessibility Specialist (audit): $2,500
Tools & Assets:
- Figma Professional license: $180
- Icon library licensing: $300
- User testing platform: $500
Total Project Budget: $22,480
Post-Launch:
- 2-week implementation support: $4,000
- User feedback analysis: $1,500
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Vague objectives that can’t be measured Saying “improve the design” or “make it modern” doesn’t give designers direction. You need specific metrics like “reduce checkout abandonment from 68% to 45%”, “increase mobile conversion by 25%”, or “decrease time-to-first-action from 45 seconds to under 10 seconds”. Measurable goals let designers validate decisions with data instead of subjective opinions.
Missing technical constraints upfront Designers need to know about browser support requirements (IE11, Safari 12+, Chrome mobile?), performance budgets (target page load under 2 seconds, max bundle size 250KB?), API limitations (rate limits, response times, data structure), and accessibility standards (WCAG AA or AAA, keyboard navigation, screen reader support) before starting visual work. Finding out mid-project that you need to support IE11 or can’t use custom fonts due to performance budgets wastes days of design work.
Skipping audience pain points and behavioral insights Listing demographics (age 25-40, income $75k+, works in tech) doesn’t explain what users actually struggle with. Include specific behavioral insights like “gets frustrated waiting more than 3 seconds for data to load”, “abandons forms with more than 5 required fields”, “uses keyboard shortcuts for 80% of tasks”, or “checks analytics dashboards 5-10 times per day on mobile during commute”. These details change design decisions around progressive loading, form field chunking, keyboard navigation priority, and mobile-first layouts.
No examples of design inspiration or anti-patterns Designers can’t read minds about your aesthetic preferences or brand positioning. Include 3-5 reference sites or apps with specific callouts: “We love how Linear uses subtle animations for state changes”, “Stripe’s progressive disclosure pattern for advanced settings matches our complexity”, or “Avoid busy dashboards like the old Google Analytics with 15+ charts visible at once”. Screenshots with annotations work better than vague descriptions like “clean and modern”.
Unrealistic timeline expectations for design complexity A complete mobile app design (20+ screens, component library with 40+ components, interaction specs, accessibility audit, developer handoff documentation) typically takes 8-12 weeks for a senior designer. A simple landing page with 3 sections takes 1-2 weeks. A SaaS dashboard redesign with data visualizations takes 6-10 weeks. Compressed timelines lead to shortcuts like skipping responsive variants, accessibility testing, or proper component documentation, creating technical debt that engineering teams struggle with during implementation.
Forgetting mobile and responsive requirements If 60% of your traffic is mobile (check Google Analytics under Audience > Mobile > Overview), the brief needs mobile-first specs with specific breakpoints (375px, 768px, 1024px, 1440px), touch target sizes (minimum 44x44px for iOS, 48x48px for Android), and mobile-specific interaction patterns (bottom navigation instead of sidebar, swipe gestures, pull-to-refresh). Treating responsive design as an afterthought means designers optimize for desktop first, then try to cram complex interfaces into mobile screens later.
Not specifying component library and design system needs If your engineering team uses React, Vue, or React Native, the brief should specify whether you need a Figma component library with auto-layout, design tokens exported as JSON or CSS variables, or Storybook documentation. Without this clarity, designers deliver flat mockups that engineers can’t translate into reusable components, leading to implementation inconsistencies across the product.
Frequently Used With
Design briefs work best when paired with these complementary templates:
UI Copy - After finalizing the brief, generate interface microcopy for buttons, labels, error messages, empty states, and onboarding flows that match your tone guidelines. Use this when the brief defines brand voice as “professional but approachable” or “technical but friendly” and you need 20+ microcopy variations for user testing.
Color Palette - If you haven’t defined brand colors yet or need to refresh an outdated color system, use this to generate accessible color systems (WCAG AA/AAA compliant) that align with your brand personality before starting mockups. Particularly useful when the brief specifies dark mode requirements or data visualization needs with 8+ distinct colors.