Insights / Sunday North Studio
What should you prepare before a branding or website project?
Before a branding or website project, gather your business goals, audience priorities, existing brand assets, content, key dates and decision makers. Use the project-brief worksheet below to organise what you have and identify what still needs a decision.
Prepare a useful project brief
Use this checklist to gather what your collaborators need. You can leave unknowns open; identifying them is part of the brief. The examples are prompts, not client stories.
Download the blank worksheet (CSV) ↗
| Decision | What to bring | Example prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Why now? | The change behind the project | Has the audience, offer or business stage changed? |
| Audience | Customer questions and observed needs | What do prospects ask before they decide? |
| Existing materials | Logos, copy, website, reports and permissions | Which files are current and approved for reuse? |
| Evidence | Approved work, source records and attributable feedback | Which claims can we substantiate? |
| Constraints | Budget range, dependencies and timing | What must happen before launch? |
| Approvals | Named owner and decision makers | Who verifies facts and who signs off? |
| Handover | Ownership, accounts and maintenance expectations | Who will operate the materials after the project? |
1 / Explain what is changing
Describe why the project matters now. You may be launching a business, growing a real estate team, changing your offer or finding that your current materials no longer fit. Define the decision or milestone the work needs to support.
2 / Describe who you need to reach
List the people who should understand the offer and the questions they ask before getting in touch. Prioritise your most important audience. Share existing customer feedback where you have permission to use it.
3 / Gather what you already have
Bring your website, logo files, guidelines, presentations and recent marketing. For a website, identify the pages and enquiry paths to retain. Share access securely through the agreed project process rather than putting passwords in a brief.
4 / Separate evidence from aspiration
List confirmed project examples, testimonials you have permission to publish and results you can substantiate. Keep hoped-for outcomes separate. It is easier to plan content when accurate evidence is identified early.
5 / Name the practical constraints
Discuss relevant dates, budget range, who signs off the work and how feedback will be gathered. Flag brokerage or organisational review requirements. A clear decision-maker and consolidated feedback keep the project manageable.
6 / Plan for after launch
Decide who updates the website, maintains the brand files, receives enquiries and reviews performance. Discuss ongoing support early so handover does not leave a gap.
Review what your current website already does well
Bring the pages and materials that customers already find useful, along with examples of repeated questions or confusing steps. Note who owns the domain, content and account access. This helps the team distinguish what needs a focused improvement from what needs a new direction.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Do I need to write the complete website first?
No. Bring what you have and explain what is missing. Content planning can be discussed as part of the scope.