How to Write a Squarespace Website Brief Your Designer Can Use
A useful Squarespace website brief explains who your business serves, what the website must help those people do, which pages and features are required, and who will supply the content and approve the work.
You do not need to specify every layout. The brief gives your designer enough context to recommend the right structure and estimate a realistic scope.
If your current instructions are simply “make it modern,” start with the questions below. Clear answers reduce assumptions before the project begins.
Begin with the business problem
Describe what prompted the project. Perhaps visitors misunderstand your services, your portfolio is difficult to update, or your current website represents an earlier stage of the business.
Be specific about what is happening. “People often ask whether we offer installation” is more useful than “the website needs better conversions.” It identifies information the website may need to explain.
Separate observations from assumptions. If you have analytics, enquiry feedback or customer questions, share them. If you suspect a problem but have no data, say so. Your designer can help decide what to investigate.
Identify the primary audience and action
Describe the people you most want to reach, including their situation and reason for looking for your service. Job titles alone may not explain what they need.
For example, a consultant might target owners who are hiring their first operations team. That is more actionable than “all small businesses.” It suggests specific questions, examples and service explanations.
Then name the main action: request a quote, schedule an introductory call, purchase a product or view available dates. List secondary actions separately so they do not compete equally throughout the website.
Outline the pages and their purpose
List the pages you believe you need, with one sentence explaining the job of each page. Your designer can refine the sitemap later.
| Page | Example purpose |
|---|---|
| Home | Explain the offer and direct visitors to the right service |
| Services | Help visitors compare the available ways to work together |
| Individual service | Explain scope, suitability, process and next step |
| Selected work | Show relevant evidence and project context |
| About | Explain experience, approach and the person behind the business |
| Contact | Collect enough information to begin a useful conversation |
If a page already receives enquiries or search traffic, identify it. Do not assume every existing page needs to be removed because the design is changing.
State what content is ready
A website cannot be finished from a logo and a few reference links alone. Explain which materials exist and which still need preparation.
Include brand files, approved copy, photographs, service details, testimonials, project descriptions and downloadable documents. Identify any permission restrictions on client logos or images.
Assign ownership. If you expect the designer to write the content, include that request in the brief. If a team member will supply it, state who and when.
“Copy coming soon” leaves a major project dependency unresolved. A simple content list with an owner and target date is much easier to plan around.
Describe features through real scenarios
Avoid a feature list made only of broad labels such as booking, automation or membership. Explain what a person must be able to do.
For booking, describe the appointment types, duration, staff involved and whether payment is required. For forms, explain where submissions should go and who responds. For a store, identify product types, variants and delivery requirements.
If you use an existing tool, name it. Replacing a business workflow can create more work than adding a new website section, so integrations need early discussion.
Prioritize each requirement as essential for launch, useful if practical, or a later phase.
Make design references informative
Choose a small set of reference websites and describe the specific qualities you like. A useful note might say, “I like the readable headings and simple project navigation, but our site needs warmer photography.”
Include examples you dislike when they reveal an important preference. Perhaps you want to avoid full-screen animation or highly condensed typography.
References should guide interpretation, not request a copy of another business’s website. Your own content, audience and brand need to shape the final result.
Include budget, timing and approvals
A budget range helps the designer recommend an appropriate scope. If the budget is fixed, say which outcome matters most so the project can be prioritized honestly.
Explain whether the launch date is flexible or connected to a real event. Allow time for content preparation, feedback, revisions and testing.
Name one person who will consolidate feedback. Conflicting comments from several people can slow a project even when each individual responds quickly. Agree how decisions will be recorded and who has final approval.
A short example brief
The following is a fictional example, not a Kalana Square client project:
“We are an operations consultancy serving small agencies. Our current site describes general consulting, but we now focus on team workflows and delivery systems. We need visitors to understand our three services and request an introductory call.
We expect a homepage, three service pages, About, two project stories and Contact. We have a logo and approved service outlines; final copy and new photographs still need preparation. We use Calendly and want to retain it. The site should be easy for our assistant to update.
Our target launch is before our next workshop campaign. The owner will approve the sitemap and design, and one assistant will collect content. We would like a quote that separates design, copy support and ongoing maintenance.”
This brief gives the designer a useful starting point without making unsupported decisions about every section.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a website brief be?
Long enough to explain the requirements clearly. A small project may need only a few well-organized pages. Link to detailed content inventories instead of burying the main objectives in a large document.
What if I do not know which pages I need?
Describe your services, audience and main customer action. Ask the designer to include sitemap planning in the proposal. You do not need to solve the information structure before hiring help.
Can the brief change during the project?
Yes, but changes that affect scope, timing or cost should be recorded and agreed. Keep a current version so everyone works from the same decisions.
Turn your brief into a clear project scope
Kalana Square can help translate your business requirements into a practical Squarespace website plan, including page structure, content priorities and design scope.
Review our Squarespace web design service and schedule a consultation. Bring your brief, even if it is incomplete, so we can identify the decisions needed before the build begins.
