# Design Brief Template A comprehensive template for creating design project briefs. --- ## Project Overview ### Project Name [Project name] ### Problem Statement [What user problem or business need are we addressing?] ### Background & Context [Why now? What led to this project?] ### Project Type - [ ] New Feature - [ ] Redesign - [ ] Design System - [ ] Brand/Visual Design - [ ] UX Research - [ ] Other: ___________ --- ## Design Goals & Objectives ### Primary Goal [The main design objective - what success looks like] ### Secondary Goals 1. [Goal 2] 2. [Goal 3] 3. [Goal 4] ### Business Objectives - [How does this support business goals?] - [What business metrics will this impact?] ### User Objectives - [What user needs does this address?] - [How will this improve the user experience?] --- ## Target Users ### Primary Audience **Who:** [User segment or persona name] **Characteristics:** - Demographics: [Age, location, role, etc.] - Technical proficiency: [Beginner, intermediate, expert] - Current behavior: [How they currently solve this problem] - Pain points: [Specific frustrations] ### Secondary Audience **Who:** [Additional user segment] **Characteristics:** - [Key characteristics] - [Specific needs] ### User Personas **Persona 1: [Name]** - Role: [Job title/role] - Goals: [What they want to achieve] - Frustrations: [Current pain points] - Quote: "[A representative quote]" **Persona 2: [Name]** - Role: [Job title/role] - Goals: [What they want to achieve] - Frustrations: [Current pain points] - Quote: "[A representative quote]" --- ## User Research ### Research Completed - [ ] User interviews (n = [number]) - [ ] Surveys (n = [number]) - [ ] Analytics review - [ ] Competitor analysis - [ ] Usability testing - [ ] Other: ___________ ### Key Findings 1. **Finding 1:** [Insight from research] - Evidence: [Data/quotes supporting this] 2. **Finding 2:** [Insight from research] - Evidence: [Data/quotes supporting this] 3. **Finding 3:** [Insight from research] - Evidence: [Data/quotes supporting this] ### Research Gaps [What don't we know yet? What assumptions need validation?] --- ## Scope ### In Scope **Features/Experiences:** - [Feature/flow 1] - [Feature/flow 2] - [Feature/flow 3] **Platforms:** - [ ] Web (Desktop) - [ ] Web (Mobile) - [ ] iOS Native - [ ] Android Native - [ ] Other: ___________ **Deliverables:** - [Wireframes] - [High-fidelity mockups] - [Prototypes] - [Design system components] ### Out of Scope [What we are explicitly NOT doing in this phase] - [Excluded feature 1] - [Excluded feature 2] - [Future consideration 1] ### Constraints **Technical:** - [Technical limitations or requirements] **Business:** - [Budget, timeline, resource constraints] **Design:** - [Brand guidelines, existing patterns to maintain] --- ## User Flows & Journeys ### Primary User Flow **Goal:** [What the user wants to accomplish] **Steps:** 1. [Entry point] 2. [Step 2] 3. [Step 3] 4. [Success state] **Alternative paths:** - [Edge case or alternative flow] ### Secondary Flows **Flow 2:** [Brief description] 1. [Key steps] **Flow 3:** [Brief description] 1. [Key steps] ### Critical Interactions - **Interaction 1:** [Description of key interaction] - Current experience: [How it works now] - Desired experience: [How it should work] - **Interaction 2:** [Description] - Current experience: [How it works now] - Desired experience: [How it should work] --- ## Design Principles ### Project-Specific Principles 1. **[Principle 1]:** [Description] - Example: [How this applies] 2. **[Principle 2]:** [Description] - Example: [How this applies] 3. **[Principle 3]:** [Description] - Example: [How this applies] ### Brand Principles (if applicable) - [Existing brand principle that applies] - [Existing brand principle that applies] --- ## Visual Direction ### Design Style - [ ] Follow existing design system - [ ] Extend design system - [ ] New visual direction ### Visual References - [Link to inspiration/reference 1] - [Link to inspiration/reference 2] - [Link to competitor examples] ### Key Visual Elements - **Color palette:** [Specific colors or guidance] - **Typography:** [Typefaces and hierarchy] - **Imagery style:** [Photography, illustration, icons] - **Motion:** [Animation principles if applicable] --- ## Accessibility Requirements ### WCAG Level Target - [ ] WCAG 2.1 Level A - [ ] WCAG 2.1 Level AA (recommended) - [ ] WCAG 2.1 Level AAA ### Specific Requirements - [ ] Keyboard navigation - [ ] Screen reader support - [ ] Color contrast (4.5:1 minimum) - [ ] Focus indicators - [ ] Alternative text for images - [ ] Captions for video/audio - [ ] Responsive text sizing - [ ] Reduced motion support ### Accessibility Considerations [Any specific accessibility challenges or requirements for this project] --- ## Success Criteria ### Qualitative Metrics - [ ] Users can complete [primary task] without assistance - [ ] Users express positive sentiment about [feature] - [ ] Design passes usability testing with < 3 critical issues - [ ] Stakeholders approve design direction - [ ] Design is consistent with brand guidelines ### Quantitative Metrics **Primary Metrics:** - [Metric 1]: [Target] (e.g., Task completion rate > 90%) - [Metric 2]: [Target] (e.g., Time on task < 2 minutes) **Secondary Metrics:** - [Metric 3]: [Target] (e.g., Error rate < 5%) - [Metric 4]: [Target] (e.g., User satisfaction score > 4/5) **Business Metrics:** - [Metric 5]: [Target] (e.g., Conversion rate increase by 15%) ### Measurement Plan - **How:** [How will we measure success?] - **When:** [Timeline for measuring] - **Baseline:** [Current metrics if available] --- ## Deliverables ### Design Artifacts - [ ] User flow diagrams - [ ] Wireframes (low-fidelity) - [ ] Wireframes (high-fidelity) - [ ] Visual design mockups - [ ] Interactive prototype - [ ] Design specifications - [ ] Component documentation - [ ] Design system updates - [ ] Accessibility documentation - [ ] Animation specifications ### Documentation - [ ] Design rationale - [ ] User research summary - [ ] Usability test report - [ ] Developer handoff notes - [ ] Content guidelines ### Review Artifacts - [ ] Presentation deck - [ ] Design review recordings - [ ] Feedback synthesis --- ## Timeline & Milestones ### Phase 1: Discovery & Research **Duration:** [Timeframe] - [ ] User research - [ ] Competitive analysis - [ ] Design audit (if applicable) - **Milestone:** Research insights presented ### Phase 2: Concept & Exploration **Duration:** [Timeframe] - [ ] Initial concepts (3+ directions) - [ ] Stakeholder review - [ ] Concept refinement - **Milestone:** Design direction approved ### Phase 3: Detailed Design **Duration:** [Timeframe] - [ ] Wireframes - [ ] High-fidelity mockups - [ ] Design system components - **Milestone:** Design specs complete ### Phase 4: Prototype & Validation **Duration:** [Timeframe] - [ ] Interactive prototype - [ ] Usability testing - [ ] Iterate based on feedback - **Milestone:** Design validated ### Phase 5: Handoff & Support **Duration:** [Timeframe] - [ ] Developer handoff - [ ] Design QA - [ ] Launch support - **Milestone:** Design shipped ### Key Dates - **Project kickoff:** [Date] - **Design review 1:** [Date] - **Design review 2:** [Date] - **Final handoff:** [Date] - **Launch:** [Date] --- ## Stakeholders & Collaboration ### Core Team - **Design lead:** [Name] - [Role/responsibility] - **Product manager:** [Name] - **Engineering lead:** [Name] - **Researcher:** [Name] - **Content designer:** [Name] ### Reviewers & Approvers - [Name, Title] - [What they approve] - [Name, Title] - [What they approve] ### Communication Plan **Design reviews:** - Weekly sync: [Day/time] - Major milestones: [When] **Feedback channels:** - [Slack channel] - [Figma comments] - [Email for formal approvals] **Decision-making:** - Design decisions: [Who decides] - Scope changes: [Who approves] --- ## Design Tools & Resources ### Tools - **Design:** [Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD] - **Prototyping:** [Figma, Framer, ProtoPie] - **User testing:** [Lookback, UserTesting, Maze] - **Documentation:** [Notion, Confluence] ### Resources - **Design system:** [Link] - **Brand guidelines:** [Link] - **Component library:** [Link] - **Research repository:** [Link] --- ## Risks & Mitigation ### Potential Risks 1. **Risk:** [Description of risk] - **Impact:** [High/Medium/Low] - **Mitigation:** [How to address] 2. **Risk:** [Description of risk] - **Impact:** [High/Medium/Low] - **Mitigation:** [How to address] 3. **Risk:** [Description of risk] - **Impact:** [High/Medium/Low] - **Mitigation:** [How to address] ### Dependencies - [Dependency on other team/project] - [Technical dependency] - [Resource dependency] --- ## Post-Launch ### Success Review - **When:** [Timeline for measuring success] - **Metrics to review:** [List metrics from success criteria] - **Learning goals:** [What do we want to learn?] ### Iteration Plan - [Planned improvements for v2] - [Features deferred to future phases] ### Documentation - [ ] Case study - [ ] Design learnings - [ ] Pattern documentation - [ ] Retrospective notes --- ## Appendix ### Research Links - [Link to research findings] - [Link to user interviews] - [Link to analytics dashboard] ### Design Files - [Link to Figma file] - [Link to prototype] - [Link to design specs] ### References - [Competitor analysis] - [Industry best practices] - [Related projects] --- ## Version History | Version | Date | Author | Changes | |---------|------|--------|---------| | 0.1 | [Date] | [Name] | Initial draft | | 0.2 | [Date] | [Name] | [Changes] | | 1.0 | [Date] | [Name] | Final approved version | --- ## Approval - [ ] Design lead approved - [ ] Product manager approved - [ ] Engineering lead approved - [ ] Stakeholder(s) approved **Date approved:** ___________