are you thinking of approaching a software development agency?_

So. You’re thinking of approaching a software development agency, or you’ve already approached one. Here’s how to write the perfect project brief for an agency.

You can provide these core elements up front, in a meeting, or through a workshop/consultation with the agency in question:

The Challenge You Face, Or The Opportunity You Have

Once the agency understands what you’re up against, it’ll help them to formulate a plan of action.

laptop

What Success Means And Looks Like For Your Organisation

Once this challenge is solved/realised:

  • What does it look like?
  • What is the overall point in the project?
  • How will it help your business to move forward?
  • This’ll help the agency you’re approaching to understand your vision and requirements.

code

code

What Success Means And Looks Like For Your Users

And what does success look like for those that’ll be using the solution? Ask these questions:

  • What are your users’ pain points?
  • What are you trying to solve for your users?
  • And even more simply, who are your users?

your budget_

At Wirebox, we provide a paid consultation service that helps our clients to understand what they can achieve with their budgets.

 

laptop and pen

Existing Constraints And Challenges

If you’ve already started to work on your project ahead of approaching an agency, being able to give them an overview of what stage you’re at in the project will help:

  • What challenges have come up?
  • What is slowing down your progress or acting as a blocker?
  • Why isn’t the project progressing?
  • What tools and systems are you using?

 

laptop code

the brief template

This brief template will help to guide your thinking, and it’ll start the process. Try to answer these questions as fully as you can.

NOTE: It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect. We can use our discovery/consultancy process to refine your ideas and needs.

Put together a company overview

  • What are your business goals
  • What is the goal of the project?
  • What are the features of the project?
  • What is the project? A new website? A new database?
  • Are you looking to replace your existing system?
  • What processes are in place, already?
  • What time-frames are you currently working towards?
  • What stage is your project at?
  • What are your existing constraints and challenges?
  • What’s your budget?