Start with the change you need
Describe the current problem, who encounters it and what a better outcome would look like. “Customers cannot tell which service fits” is more useful than “we need a modern website.”
Name the main user and journey
Pick the most important person and action: a prospective customer preparing an enquiry, an operator updating a job, or a reviewer checking an extracted field. List what they must be able to finish.
Share constraints early
Identify content and data availability, integrations, decision makers, budget range and timing. Separate a fixed deadline from a preferred date. Do not share credentials or sensitive records in the initial brief.
Define a reviewable result
Write a small set of acceptance checks. For example: a visitor can read each service page on mobile, prepare a complete enquiry and find the privacy notice. If AI is involved, include failure cases and a human review path.
Agree on ownership after delivery
Ask who owns the domain, repository, content and recurring services. Define the handover, maintenance and response expectations in the project scope. A useful first brief can fit on one page.
A planning guide for discussion. Project commitments, acceptance criteria and operating responsibilities belong in an agreed scope.