Start with the reason to change
A redesign brief needs more than a new visual direction. Identify the business problem: visitors cannot understand the offer, the mobile journey is difficult, content takes too long to update, or the site no longer reflects the company. Choose a small set of outcomes that will let you assess whether the new site helps.
Take an inventory before replacing anything
Record existing URLs, important pages, downloads, forms, integrations and content owners. Review available search and enquiry data to find pages that already bring value. Mark each page to keep, improve, combine or retire. When an address changes, map the old URL to the most relevant new destination.
Design the journey on each screen
Write down the main tasks people need to complete. Test the order of information, navigation and calls to action at narrow widths as well as on a large display. Mobile visitors may need shorter introductory content and more immediate contact options, while the core information remains accessible.
Build quality into the acceptance criteria
Agree how the team will review keyboard navigation, readable contrast, forms, reduced-motion preferences, loading behaviour and real content. Check both successful and unsuccessful form paths. Review search titles, canonical URLs, social previews and redirects alongside the interface.
Plan the day after launch
Assign responsibility for the domain, hosting, content, code repository and third-party accounts. Confirm how issues are reported and who approves changes. After launch, inspect live pages and forms, submit the sitemap, monitor errors and compare the agreed outcomes over a meaningful period.
Make it specific to your business.
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