The Seven Words I Removed From Every Client Brief

A brief is the cheapest place to fix a project. Every unclear sentence in it turns into a round of revisions later, and revisions are where timelines and goodwill go to die. After reviewing a few dozen briefs from past projects, I noticed the same handful of words in almost every one that went wrong.

These words are not wrong in themselves. They are placeholders. They feel like agreement in the kickoff meeting, and they mean something different to every person in the room.

The list

Modern. Modern compared to what? Ask for three sites the client admires and three they dislike. The overlap tells you more than the adjective ever will.

Clean. Usually means “less than what we have now”. Find out what currently feels cluttered and why.

Pop. A request for contrast, but contrast of what: colour, scale, motion? Ask which single element should be noticed first.

Simple. Simple for whom? A simple checkout for a first-time buyer is very different from a simple dashboard for a power user.

Premium. Often code for “more expensive-looking than our competitor”. Get the competitor’s name.

Engaging. Engagement needs a number. Time on page, sign-ups, replies. Pick one.

Quickly. Every project should be fast. Agree a date and the scope that fits it, in writing.

“A good brief does not describe the solution. It describes the problem so clearly that the solution becomes obvious.”

Pettric Ebra

Replacing these words with questions makes the first meeting longer and every meeting after it shorter. Clients rarely mind. Most of them are relieved that someone is asking, because they were not sure what they meant either.