The first time I was hired, the brief was a single line: make it pop. Years later the best projects still start with the same few questions, and you can answer them before you ever send an email.
Know what the site must do
Write down the one job your website has: book calls, sell products or prove credibility. A designer can only solve a problem you can state in a sentence.
Look at process, not just portfolios
Pretty case studies are easy to find. Ask how the designer scopes work, how many revision rounds are included and who you will actually talk to each week.
“A good brief is half the design. Spend an hour on it and you will save weeks.”
Agree the money before the mockups
A fixed price with a clear scope protects both sides. Ask what is included — copy, photography, hosting, handover — and what counts as extra.
This week: write your one-sentence goal, list three sites you admire and why, and set a budget range. Then book the call.
