Briefing for development of web sites: considerations, tips and models
June 23, 2008 8 comments
One of the pillars of success of a good Web site is doing a good briefing with the client. A briefing well done and executed can determine whether a site will be good or bad - based on the needs and expectations of project that the customer has.
For beginners in web development, and even for those who already works in the area at some time, a "stone in the shoe" very common is the lack of a proper briefing and a good interview with what vai order the web site (potentially talking ). It is not unusual the fact that a client does not like the end result of a project web according to a briefing poorly done or deprived, which did not receive proper consideration of who has and has not been done and studied with considerable care.
In this article, I speak a little about how to do a good briefing with the client and presenting a proposal which, in my view, perfectly serves as the basis for any person to make his own briefing, development of web sites as their preferences, needs and tastes personnel.
What is "Briefing"?
The definition of "briefing", according to the New Electronic Dictionary Aurelius version 5.0:
1. A set of basic information, instructions, guidelines, etc.., Prepared for the implementation of a particular work, or military mission, and so on.
2. Meeting where define these instructions, guidelines, etc..
Look, in turn, defines briefing as follows:
The briefing is a set of information passed on a reunion for the development of a job and is widely used in government and in advertising.
The briefing is a key element for developing a proposal for Market Research. It is a key element in planning for all stages of the search in accordance with customer needs.
A friend of mine set briefing as "a word 'cool' to one that is perguntinhas customer about what he wants on the site." :-D
Basically, this is more or less even: the briefing is a set of questions and / or activities that serve to determine how they will provide the design, development and implementation of any particular thing - in case the "thing" is a web site.
How to make a good briefing?
When we seek briefing on the Internet and what the best ways of getting one, we found different views, ways of thinking, opinions, tips and even models ready for briefing for web sites. As with many things we seek on the Internet (especially on the web), it is difficult to "take a course" and choose this or that way or result to follow, given the multitude of possibilities and results that are presented.
Personally, I think it is best to filter out some results / models that seem to better quality and reliability - always using common sense and personal judgement to this decision - and, after an initial screening, pick up "what sobrou" and, from also draw up their own briefing, based on personal choice and method of work.
The briefing should be done at the first meeting with the client, preferably in a personal encounter. The advantage to meet personally with the person who will hire their services is to "feel" of what the person is really stating and / or seeking, but also that you can help explain and better for the customer the content and purpose of each question .
Finding themselves face to face with the person, it is easier to show who you really are and a great way to your client and you strengthen further the ties professionals who, if all goes well, will uní them.
Meanwhile, it could be difficult to meet personally with the potential buyer site. To remedy this issue, some measures may work:
- Briefings by e-mail. This approach would be simpler and more "traditional" when it comes to web. Send questions to the briefing by e-mail and also get answers by e-mail is something easy, relatively easy and, to some ready, efficient;
- Talk by instant messaging. The instant messengers are used by most people who work with web - or who access the global network several hours a day. Add a briefing with the client through an instant messenger is longer, but gives a more personal touch to the whole process;
- Video conference. Delivering a video-conference is very close to meet personally with the customer. Who vai conduct a business transaction with people from other states or countries, this should be the way to choose appropriate;
- System web of briefings. For Web developers is quite simple mount an online system for carrying out briefing. An example would be setting a schedule of IDs to customers and plan a form with the questions separately for each one, the answers would be stored in a database and / or a file as an XML, for example;
- "Mix" various techniques. Depending on the case, can be effective "mix" of these various techniques for making the briefing. For example, you can send an e-mail with questions and, in a video-conference, make a follow up with the customer to help you respond to them. Another: developing a system online to the person answering the questions of the briefing and send the answers to your email. Resort to their creativity and certainly good results will be found.
Strategies to make an efficient briefing
Personally, I follow the methodology that are needed in the í nimo m, 2 meetings with the client with, consequently, 2 briefings:
- "Preliminary Briefing." Set up, without much detail, what the customer needs, based on their target audience, the goals you want to achieve with the site, brief information about your competition, among others.
- "Complete Briefing" or "Detailed Briefing." Yes This is the briefing that will bring greater level of detailing on the project, needs and specifications of the site, strategies for dissemination, information design, and more.
Preliminary Briefing
The first briefing to be done is for you to have a first contact with the needs and ideas to the client. The interesting at this early stage, is talking extensively with the customer and try to capture, the maximum, which is "hidden". Yes, there are hidden needs throughout project that, for various reasons, the client is unable or unwilling to talk.
It is who performs the role of briefing "extract" the client things that not even know who he wants and / or needs, and depending also bring a greater quality for the project and possible outcome of this. Add a briefing demand for quality practice !
The questions for this first meeting may be more general in nature, but with the goal of a minimum of information about the characteristics of the project, such as:
- Target audience;
- Goals site;
- "Picture" that the customer wants to switch to the visitors;
- Analysis of the competition.
Other things can be addressed, but these are basic elements that must be included in the first briefing. It is very important to leave the meeting with at least this information.
Personally, when I will make this first briefing, prefer to take paper and pen, I think it gives a personal touch to the meeting and contact with the customer. It may seem silly, but the simple act of showing his calligraphy pessoalidade forward to meeting and shows that you do not mind, "wasting time" by writing about the project instead of typing everything.
In some cases, especially when the person that will respond to questions is very busy or have to leave soon for a compromise, it may be appropriate to take a notebook. But as I said, this first phase of questions is very quick and serves to obtain the most basic information on the Web site you will do.
Briefing Full or Detailed Briefing
As such, this is the briefing will be made after the Preliminary Briefing and used to detail what has been learned by you on the business, product or company of its future potential customer. The questions that form the second part of the "interview" made with his client will give you information deeper, reliable and with superior quality.
Depending on at this stage, the number of questions need to be increased and the answers to these questions also need to be more detailed, it is important to have more time to implement it. To do so, avoid schedule the meeting on "peak hours" of the person and, previously, let that meeting, you need to be longer that the last time.
Be transparent and keep in mind that "the combination does not come out expensive." If you are honest with one that would respond to this second phase of questions and make it clear from the beginning, you need time high for this second meeting, certainly the person will be satisfied with their sincerity and happy to be able to provide more information, consequently, will make the final result of its web site to be better.
The Complete Briefing can be divided into sections, to facilitate the understanding of the person who answers the questions and avoid a possible fatigue on the part of those who does. For example, the questions of this briefing can be divided as follows:
- Strategy;
- General information;
- Target audience;
- Content;
- Appearance (design);
- More information.
Place about 3 to 6 questions in each of the sections already should be sufficient to collect the necessary information.
Final
Add a briefing of quality, which really "extract" the customer all the information you need to prepare a project that is good, is really a matter of practice. Even some of those engaged in the business of Web development for years to consider that do not yet know a briefing that success, fully, provide what is needed to make the site.
So do not be discouraged if a little nervous and anxious or unable to be natural and spontaneous in the first briefings you make. The practice and consequent years of experience will take you to a level that you'll enjoy, be sure! ;-)
At the end of the article is a compressed file with some material support to help you:
- "Preliminary Briefing" (in. Odt and. Doc). This is a model of Preliminary Briefing on a sheet more presentable, to cause a good impression on the client at the time of the meeting;
- "Complete Briefing" (format. Txt). A proposal for the Complete Briefing. This left in plain text format, only with the questions, so you exercise your creative ability and make its own presentation improved. I am sure you will be great!
I hope that this material is of value so you can see some of the main aspects of a briefing for websites and hope, sincerely, that can hold their own briefings with increasing quality and confidence in itself.
Do you have any suggestions on how to mount a proper briefing and / or complementary or something that has been addressed in this article? Please share your views with us all, making a comment!














Great tip Tárcio,
Your post for a better management of a project, although it is one aspect we must be careful in its implementation, especially in projects web, where quality is everything!
Abraços,
Diego
@ Diego Soares
Precisely, Diego! As I said, doing a good briefing is one of the pillars that ensures the quality end of a project web. If done well, help, and much to the conclusion that the arrival of the site is held in better way!
Abraços!
Parabens by post!
I am happy to be able to find on the Internet blogs, as its content.
I am a journalist and until then, a briefing did not appear anything else.
But their questions are full of briefing fantasticas to make people really transform those projects of our head on completion.
As my colleague of Rich Stay (I came to your site over it) I decided to change life and use my time to do what we really like.
Your site giving this one empurraozinho, as if it were a board friend, someone that people can trust. Importantissimo when we are already a little enferrujados…
Congrats again and everything well for you!
ABS,
Barbara
Barbara @
Thank you for your kind words and for consideration, Barbara! This material support and done through a "caught" on briefing, adding that the search I know I made especially for writing the article.
You did very well to have taken this decision! The time is "gone" and do what we like is more important to be happy and also make people around us more happy.
I recommend strongly that you read the Insistimento; sure that vai find articles that will please him too!
Abraços and thanks for comment!
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