How to Brief Better: What Designers Actually Need to Deliver Great Work — Faster

Design is not magic. It’s not a spark of inspiration that comes out of nowhere. It’s a response — to context, to constraints, to goals, to people. And the better the context, the better the design.

At Dexxy, we’ve worked with startups, enterprise teams, public institutions, and fast-moving SaaS companies. And there’s one thing we’ve learned again and again:

The quality of the brief determines the quality of the result.

So if you want faster delivery, fewer revisions, and stronger creative alignment — here’s what every designer needs to know before opening Figma.

1. Context First: Why This Project, Why Now?

Designers aren’t just decorators — they’re problem-solvers.

But we can’t solve a problem that hasn’t been clearly defined.

What we need from you:

• What is the main goal of the project or redesign?

  (e.g., improve conversions, clarify positioning, modernize the brand)

• What business problem are we solving?

  (e.g., high churn, low awareness, misalignment with new product direction)

• Why now?

  Are you launching a new product? Rebranding after a pivot? Preparing for investment?

Why it matters:

Understanding the “why” helps us prioritize design decisions and avoid focusing on surface-level polish while ignoring deeper issues.

2. Know Your Users — and Share What You Know

No design makes sense outside of the user’s context.

That’s why we ask a lot of questions about your audience.

What helps us work smarter:

• Who is your primary target audience?

  B2B SaaS users? Gen Z lifestyle consumers? Internal HR teams?

  
  

• Do you have user segments or personas?

  If yes, we’ll map flows to match their behaviors. If not, we’ll help define them.

  
  

• What are the key user scenarios?

  What does a successful session look like? What does frustration look like?

Bonus:

Analytics, feedback, surveys, support tickets — even screenshots of user complaints — help us design with real empathy, not just assumptions.

3. Show Us Your Brand DNA (Or Say It Doesn’t Exist)

Visual direction isn’t about taste — it’s about translation.

We’re translating your brand into a design system that works at scale.

What we need to know:

• Do you have a brand guide, UI kit, or design system?

  If yes — we’ll build on it. If not — we’ll build it for you.

• What do you want people to feel when they see your product?

  (e.g., trust, energy, focus, innovation)

• What brands inspire you — and which ones you want to avoid?

  Give us 2–3 reference links or adjectives: “clean”, “editorial”, “tech-forward”, “warm and human”, etc.

Helpful tip: Also let us know what not to do — design taboos are just as useful as preferences.

4. Tell Us About the Stack Behind the Screen

Design lives in real systems — code, budgets, timelines, teams.

Help us stay grounded by sharing:

• Who is involved in the project?

  (PMs, developers, analysts, C-levels — we adjust how we communicate depending on the audience)

• What platform are you using?

  Web, mobile, React Native, Webflow, WordPress, proprietary CMS?

• Are there technical constraints?

  (e.g., no animation allowed, must use Bootstrap, has to load under 2s)

• What’s the timeline, sprint structure, and budget?

Why it matters: The earlier we know the limitations, the better the outcome.

5. Plan Beyond Launch: Testing, Feedback & Iteration

Design isn’t done at handoff.

Your product will evolve — and the best designs are the ones that are built to adapt.

What we love to know early:

• Will you run A/B or multivariate testing?

• Who will evaluate design success — and how?

• How often do you plan to iterate or release updates?

• Will analytics or customer feedback influence future changes?

The Better the Brief, the Better the Work

You don’t need to have all the answers. But the more context you give us — about your users, your business, your constraints, your aspirations — the more precise, efficient, and powerful the design process becomes.

We ask to build something that works — not just something that looks good.

Want to see how we turn briefs into brand systems, websites, and products that convert?

Book a free strategy call with our team — we’ll guide you through the process, step by step.